Can I Use Toothpaste on Pimples?
While toothpaste may dry out pimples, it may irritate the skin and have other risks.
You’re washing your face before bedtime and spot the beginnings of an angry red pimple. What should you do?
The rumor mill might have you believing that dabbing some regular old toothpaste on your zit will help it clear up overnight. But, while it’s true that several ingredients found in toothpaste are drying to skin and might help shrink your pimple, this home remedy for breakouts isn’t worth the risk.
Plus, there are several easily available treatments you can try instead. Keep reading to learn why toothpaste doesn’t belong on your skin.
Toothpaste on pimples may
do more harm than good
Although it’s not clear exactly how and where this trend got started, some likely reasons are:
- Many toothpaste formulas once contained a
chemical called triclosan that could work to kill the bacteria that causes and
worsens breakouts. - Some ingredients commonly found in toothpaste,
such as baking soda, alcohol, and hydrogen peroxide, are known to be drying,
which could help shrink a zit. - According to Dr. Tsippora Shainhouse, a board-certified
dermatologist, the menthol in toothpaste can create a tingly feeling that may
temporarily reduce pain and swelling.
So, it’s not totally out of left field to believe this home remedy could work. But there are several reasons why you shouldn’t use toothpaste as your go-to acne treatment.
Outdated information
First of all, most companies no longer use triclosan in their toothpaste formulas. According to the U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationTrusted Source, some testing suggests that triclosan could negatively affect thyroid hormones. So even if you do find a toothpaste that still contains this chemical, using it on pimples may not be worth the risk.
Toothpaste can be irritating to your skin
Remember, toothpaste is formulated for your teeth, not the sensitive surface of your face. So, while the strength of the chemicals in your toothpaste might be safe on your pearly whites, they could be too strong for your skin. “Toothpaste has a basic pH [level]… and can irritate healthy skin, which has a naturally acidic pH,” says Shainhouse. Upsetting your pH with too much baking soda could lead to rashes and burning.
Sodium lauryl sulfate, another ingredient often found in toothpaste, may be too harsh to be used on blemishes. It’s been known to irritate skin on some, depending on your sensitivity.
Overdrying could backfire
Even if you manage to avoid irritation, there are other possible bad reactions. For instance, if your skin becomes too dry from using toothpaste, that could cause more acne.
