Can toothpaste really clear up acne?

There’s nothing like waking up with a pimple as an adult to quickly send you back to the potentially insecure feelings of adolescence. As you remember those days of locker rooms and discovering your first cover-up stick, you might still wonder if toothpaste actually cures breakouts.

We’re here today to help you clear up that myth, as well as your skin.

You may have been in a pinch and tried a little dab of toothpaste before, and it kind of worked. Well here are some answers for you.

Toothpaste does have certain ingredients that can dry out the skin and potentially clear up a pimple or two… ingredients like: baking soda, hydrogen, peroxide, alcohol, menthol, tea tree, and triclosan can cause pimples to dry out. But because toothpaste is made for teeth not skin, you’re playing a game of Russian roulette with your face, as all brands have different recipes and can contain ingredients that irritate your skin. And while it may work to dry a spot, it can potentially over-dry or burn the affected area with a reaction worse than a pimple.

Not to mention that triclosan (https://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm205999.htm) is a controversial ingredient that has been said to negatively affect thyroid hormones, so we’d steer clear of formulas containing it anyway, but you probably don’t want that on your face.

While it might be tempting to pull out the old toothpaste trick if you can’t find your spot treatment, don’t risk a reaction, peeling or burning of your skin, and stick to a treatment made for topical use. Check out our Clear Complexion Acne Serum + Spot Treatment!

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