While researching the best natural pimple remedies, I’ve come across some strange things. When I heard about putting toothpaste on acne the first time, I didn’t know whether it was serious, or whether it was just a joke. But when a dermatologist confirmed it does work, and there is some science behind it, I decided to investigate a little closer.
Does toothpaste help acne?
For me personally this treatment never worked, but I do know from reading countless of stories online, that plenty of people see good results from this method. So go ahead and try it if you want, but please be aware that it won’t for everyone and that results vary depending on your skin type and what kind of spots you have. I had severe acne, which required a lot more than some Colgate!
The reason it works for many people with less severe skin outbreaks is that it dries out the skin and allows the blackheads to heal faster.
Is toothpaste good for acne?
While some people see good results when it comes to reducing the visibility of a zit; there is the question of whether it can actually make things worse if you have a bad skin breakout.
So let’s first look at why it works. The ingredients that help with spots are triclosen, baking soda andhydrogen peroxide – all common ingredients in toothpaste. Make sure you use an all-white toothpaste though. The colored versions may not have these active ingredients and may end up causing skin irritation.
A word of warning before using this method. Apply it on a small area first and see how your skin reacts. This will limit the side-effect in case of a bad reaction. Do not use teeth-whitening toothpaste either, as the bleaching agents might make things worse when it comes to irritating sensitive skin. To make things more complex, try finding a paste with little or no fluoride in case of allergic reaction with your skin. If you can afford it, you might want to find a natural, organic, no additives toothpaste to use on your skin to avoid common irritations.
Instructions
This method is incredibly easy, just quirt some out of the tube and apply to the affected areas. Like I said before, I do recommend using a very small amount on one zit to see what the effects are. It would be risky putting on a lot all over your face the first time.
When trying out the toothpaste acne treatment, always cleanse or wash your face thoroughly and then dry thoroughly. You can leave the toothpaste on for several hours, or for the best results, leave it on overnight.
The benefit of this cure is that even if it doesn’t work, you’ll smell minty 🙂 Seriously though, try it out, it’s free and easy with very little potential side-effects. But stay away from it if you know your skin is very sensitive as it might dry it out too much.