Is It Wise to Use Toothpaste on Pimples?
Many people say that using toothpaste on pimples is effective in addressing the skin problem. However, skin experts say otherwise. In fact, they are not advising everyone to use toothpaste on pimples. The positive effect of toothpaste on pimples is not yet proven through scientific and medical research.
According to the experts, most toothpaste contains ingredients that prevent water loss, such as glycol, sorbitol, and glycerol. Preventing water loss may help in making the skin soft, which is the reason why these ingredients are also added in moisturizers.
These may sound like helpful in skin care, but most manufacturers add other ingredients that will make toothpaste foam while brushing, such as sodium lauryl sulfate. This ingredient, for instance, can irritate the skin if it is left on the skin for more than an hour. Toothpastes that contain fluoride and whitening agents can also make the skin dry. Therefore, using toothpaste on pimples can cause further damage on the skin.
Does putting toothpaste on acne help?
But why do many people still think that using toothpaste on pimples is a good idea? Toothpaste is actually thought to have the ability to remove impurities from the skin. And because toothpaste contains ingredients that can make the skin dry, some people who believe in the effectiveness of toothpaste on pimple that toothpaste may also be helpful in reducing the size of the pimple.
(By the way, menthol and alcohol, which are some ingredients present in toothpaste, can also make the skin dry.) Lastly, toothpaste may also contain triclosan, which is believed to be a good antibacterial agent. However, triclosan is used in most toothpaste as a preservative, not necessarily as an antibacterial agent.
Despite lack of strong scientific evidence on the effectiveness of using toothpaste on pimples, some experts believe that using toothpaste on pimple may be done when there is no acne cream available in the area, or when a person who is in need for quick pimple treatment is stranded in the wilderness. But toothpaste on pimple is still not recommended if there is that need to get rid of pimples totally or in the long run.
In fact, skin experts still recommend benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid in treating pimples. These skin medications are effective in treating pimples, yet are inexpensive and milder to the skin. See also: How to Treat Pimples on Nose?
So the bottom line: It is still best to consult a dermatologist when it comes to acne. Using toothpaste on pimples may not be a brilliant idea after all.
