I’ve had professional teeth whitening done about 8 years ago, and once a year re-use my teeth whitening trays with some gel as a top-up. I do have some stains on my teeth as a coffee drinker, so was curious to see how these the Pearl Drops Strong & White Overnight Serum and the Spotlight Whitening Teeth Whitening Pen would compare.
Packaging
Packaging and appearance-wise Spotlight wins right off the bat. Clean and modern with playful graphics Spotlight instantly grabs your attention. The only downside to this kit is that there is a bit more excessive packaging than essential as everything is in its own box, with extra mini leaflets on ‘how to’. These are helpful but one for all the products would have sufficed.
Pearl Drops has that classic old school appearance, a bit scientific like you’d expect in the pharmacy aisle of a supermarket, though there’s nothing bad with that – Oral B is like that and it’s the best toothpaste (non-negotiable).
Trial
At first glance, both Spotlight products need a bit more time to work, as they need to be washed off or taken off. For the gel pen, you apply over teeth and leave on for 5 minutes, before rinsing. The strips have to be on your teeth for one hour before being removed.
Pearl Drop is super easy to use. You apply on teeth after brushing and leave overnight. Ideally just before bed, as you shouldn’t drink water for 30 minutes after application.
About the brands
Spotlight was formulated and set up by Irish dentist duo sisters Dr. Vanessa and Dr. Lisa Creaven.
The fact that dentists are directly involved puts my mind at ease regarding the product and its safety, of course, Pearl Drops has a long history, so both brands are to be trusted in that respect.
Pearl Drops has 50 years of research behind it, with the company founded in 1968, and ever since have been focusing on “women across the world” – not sure why this would be just for women, but anyway! They have other products in the line, from toothpaste to other whitening products.
Ingredients
The Spotlight pen contains Hydrogen Carbonate Calcium, and the strips contain hydrogen peroxide (0.1%, so won’t cause sensitivity), which is the ingredient used by dentists in teeth whitening. When they launched the strips, they were the first brand to use this ingredient for at-home teeth whitening.
The Pearl Drops pen contains a ‘liquid calcium technology’ that is patented by the company, together with active oxygen to whiten, as well as vitamin E and mint oils.
Before & After
Pearl Drops recommend you use the pen for 3 consecutive nights before seeing the improvement, though they note it’s safe to use every night if you wish (though I personally think this would be too much, your teeth aren’t gonna go whiter the more you use it after the 3 days).
I used the Pearl Drops 3 nights in a row and went from about a 10/11 to an 8/9. As both products have their own scales, I used the separate own colour scales to compare.
I used the strips from Spotlight, as instructed. Put them on for 1 hour, take off and brush your teeth well. This is really straightforward, stick them on and wait. Probably away from dinner time as you won’t be able to eat or drink for that hour. I sounded a bit weird when I spoke, like I had a lisp, but other than that, no problem whatsoever. When the hour was up, I took them off and brushed my teeth – there was a sticky residue that is recommended you remove. The hour was put to good use as my teeth were obviously whiter. As pictured I started from a shade 6 and got between a shade 3 and 4 after the hour was up. Each pack contains 14 sets of strips, and they recommend to use daily for two weeks, and the results will last for 6 months.
Though I didn’t have a strip product from Pearl Drops, I wanted to include the review for this anyway, to give you a better understanding of the kit and the brand’s offering.
The pen is very very easy to use, swipe on teeth and leave for 5 minutes. Then remove with plenty of water. My teeth were actually whiter within that time, I was certainly not expecting that! My boyfriend also wanted to try, and he’s never used teeth whitening products and even for him within the 5 minutes, his teeth were visibly whiter.
Value for money/price
The Spotlight kit is £55 and includes the pen, a two-week strip pack, and a toothpaste. Essentially the strips up the price of the kit, as they cost £40 (here) on their own. The gel pen is a bit higher than the Pearl Drops one, at £15 (here).
The Pearl Drops pen is cheap as chips, at £7 for 15ml, currently on offer for £3.50 at the time of writing this. Of course, this doesn’t include toothpaste, but this is also available for £7.
Final verdict
Spotlight has more variation for a wider set of consumers. You can get the pen or the strips or just the toothpaste and mouth wash depending on your needs, which I really appreciate from a shopping point of view. It is more expensive but I saw instant results, which is what I would personally use a product like that for – once in a while before an event or a special occasion.
Out of the two products Spotlight is the one for me, and the one I’d recommend!
