There are a lot of people who believe that
putting toothpaste on their irritated, acne ridden skin will make it better or
even cure it. It is true that in some cases this does work. It is also true,
unfortunately, that it can make your existing acne problem a lot worse. So you
are getting married in two days, or your prom is coming up; is it worth the
risk?
As with most things in life, there are many
factors at play here, and it is impossible to tell you exactly what the results
will be for you. As long as you are aware of all the possible consequences,
this might just help you out in time for your big day, but then again it might
not. Read through this article and decide for yourself if putting toothpaste on
your acne is really something that you can take a chance on.
To really understand what can go wrong, you
need to understand exactly what it is that you are going to put on your skin.
Wikipedia* states that 'Toothpaste' is a paste or gel dentifrice used with a
toothbrush as an accessory to clean and maintain the aesthetics and health of
teeth. Toothpaste is used to promote oral hygiene: it serves as an abrasive
that aids in removing the dental plaque and food from teeth, assists in
suppressing halitosis, and delivers active ingredients such as fluoride or
xylitol to help prevent tooth and gum disease (gingivitis).
Related article: 6 oral acne medication names for acne sufferers
Why toothpaste on pimples is not recommended?
Toothpaste normally consists of: Abrasives, Fluorides,
Detergents and Flavorants (Colorants).
Abrasives help remove plaque from the teeth and to prevent cavities and
periodontal disease. These abrasives can include: Aluminum hydroxide, Calcium
carbonate, various Calcium hydrogen phosphates, various silicas and zeolites,
and hydroxyapatite. Abrasives can damage skin cells and even block pores,
causing new acne outbreaks.
Fluorides are the most popular active ingredient to prevent cavities. Sodium
fluoride is the most common source of fluoride in toothpaste. Fluorides can
irritate the skin, causing itching, redness and even swelling.
Surfactants or Detergents are mainly a foaming agent that enables the uniform
distribution of toothpaste. These can also act as skin irritates and have the
same effect on your skin as fluorides.
Flavorants give toothpaste its taste and colour; most common tastes are
peppermint, spearmint and wintergreen. Other components are also added to
prevent toothpaste to dry into a powder for example glycerol, sorbitol and
xylitol. Depending on the specific flavorant compounds used, negative effects
can range anywhere from minor irritation to blistering and allergic reactions.
Rad more: 4 vitamins that help acne fight
The concept of using toothpaste as a pimple
treatment arose from the fact that many types of toothpaste contain triclosan.
Triclosan, or Zinc chloride, is an antibacterial ingredient that effectively
kills bacteria. It is also found in acne treatment products but as a
preservative and not an active ingredient.
Toothpaste is said to dry out the acne as it
contains alcohol. This is true and is why it is only to be considered a
temporary fix and not a long-term solution. In the same way that toothpaste can
dry out your acne it can also dry out your skin far more than is healthy.
Toothpaste has a different effect from person
to person, on some it might dry out the pimples and on others it can have an
adverse effect and irritate the already inflamed area making your acne much
worse.
Some allergy-like symptoms can be seen in the
form of redness, swelling, itchiness, discoloring and severe blistering. It can
also aggravate your acne, causing your skin to have even more breakouts.
Now that you are aware of all the facts, you
can make an educated decision to use or not to use toothpaste on such a
delicate part of your body.