I Tried This Affordable Tooth Whitening Pen—Here’s What Happened

We purchased the AuraGlow Teeth Whitening Pen so our writer could put it to the test. Keep reading for our full product review.

The past year and a half has taught me to focus more on myself as much as I focus on being productive. I’ve taken stock of the way I care for my body, skin, and mind, but one area that’s remained the same is my teeth. In need of a little attention, I decided to check out the AuraGlow Tooth Whitening Pen. With its promise to deliver noticeable results after just a few treatments, I was curious to see what kind of results I’d have.

Keep reading for my honest review below.

About My Teeth: In need of some TLC

After wearing braces in elementary school and a retainer throughout high school, my dental care routine has remained simple since then. I stay on top of the most important elements (like brushing and flossing), but I admit that my routine isn’t as evolved as I would like it to be. My teeth have also changed since my high school days. I’ve developed a tiny gap between my two front teeth, and I revisit the idea of getting braces again quite often. Outside of that, more frequent visits to the dentist and whiter teeth would be the two things I’d change about my dental care. To combat the latter, I’ve tried at-home tooth whitening remedies like activated charcoal and whitening strips in the past, but both methods were either too messy or uncomfortable to maintain. Based on the overwhelmingly positive reviews on the AuraGlow website, I wanted to give the Tooth Whitening Pen a try.

How to Apply: Twist to dispense product and use brush to apply

The AuraGlow Pen has a shape that’s similar to a concealer pen; the product and applicator are built together, with a brush at the end to apply the gel. I twisted the end of the product, waited for the gel to coat the applicator brush, and applied thin, even layers over my teeth. On the back of the packaging the AuraGlow Pen came in, the instructions advise that you should maintain a smile for one minute after the gel has been applied until you can relax and that you shouldn’t drink or eat for one hour. I decided to give the pen a trial period of 10 days—similar to products I’ve used in the past—and followed the instructions after brushing and flossing my teeth.

The Results: Noticeably brighter teeth

At the end of my 10 days of using this product, my teeth were visibly brighter and whiter. I didn’t notice dramatically different results, but the change in my teeth was noticeable enough that I was impressed. The whitening product is doubly impressive because it was so gentle. The pen is pretty powerful, thanks to its 35% carbamide peroxide concentration, but it works intensely without irritation. Teeth whiteners I’ve used in the past have been messy, had grainy textures, or left my teeth feeling sensitive to see results.

Though I’ve had a positive review so far, I wasn't completely satisfied with the design and packaging. Part of the reason I don’t think I experienced major results is because I applied the Tooth Whitening Pen once a day only—and with less product. The instructions share that you can use the product up to two times a day, but I wasn’t fully able to do that. When I unboxed the AuraGlow Pen, I noticed that most of the gel had seeped out into the box and cap, leaving less product inside of the tube. To see the results that I did have, I worked with less than half of the gel that you would normally have and had to apply the product a little more sparingly. I would’ve loved to have used the whitening pen at its full capacity, and more than once a day to accelerate my results, but because I was unsure of its effects, I erred on the side of caution. If the pen had better packaging, I think I could have received a product that was fully intact without any leaking.

The Value: Affordable, but with caveats

Based on the results I saw after 10 days, I think that the AuraGlow Tooth Whitening Pen provides great value and results for the price. For $27 and 2 ml of product, I saw changes in my teeth comparable to expensive whitening strips I’ve used in the past, and the process was easier and much more comfortable.

On the flip side of things, a product that’s this affordable can also mean that the quality of the packaging isn’t the best—you might find yourself receiving a product that leaked as I did. Although I wasn’t happy with the state the AuraGlow came in, I was pleased enough with the results that I think this product is worth purchasing at least once.  

Similar Products: You have options 

Colgate Optic White Overnight Whitening Pen ($25): Claiming to help remove 15 years of stains in only one week, the Colgate Optic White Whitening Pen provides 35 nightly treatments and is quick and easy to use. Formulated with 3% hydrogen peroxide, this product is safe on your enamel and was designed to work without causing any tooth sensitivity.

VieBeauti Teeth Whitening Pen ($20): Similar to the AuraGlow Pen, the VieBeauti Teeth Whitening Pen uses 35% carbamide peroxide to powerfully address stains and whiten teeth. With 20 daily uses per pen, the VieBeauti gel can help make teeth look 4-8 shades whiter with just a few uses.