Toothpaste for Acne

Using toothpaste for acne? The first time someone suggested this to me, I thought they were delirious! Admitted that toothpaste (and the brushing it is involved in) can keep our mouth healthy, but the skin?

After I tried it out, I was finally convinced that I had found my God send solution to acne. No sticky creams to keep on all night, and no worrying about scars. Toothpaste on acne was my savior! But was it really? Here are a few pros and cons of doing the toothpaste acne trick.

Benefits of using Toothpaste on Acne:

1. Firstly toothpaste works well (for most) as a spot treatment for acne. The triclosan in the toothpaste dries up the oil and kills the bacteria, causing the inflammation of the skin to reduce.
2. Secondly, the cooling effect of the toothpaste works a little bit like ice and brings down the swelling that is ordinarily the cause of the bump of the zit.
3. You only need to keep the toothpaste on for 5 minutes to see a difference. It soothes the inflammation and beings down the swelling in a short time.
4. While you may not be able to find ice, or expensive acne creams everywhere every time, toothpaste for acne is mostly available quite freely.
5. Lastly, the calcium carbonate in the toothpaste leads to drying up of the pimple. This causes the pore to clear out (relatively) and can keep a zit from appearing there again.

Cons:

1. Firstly, toothpaste on acne is strong and if left on for even the slightest extra time can cause reddening and irritation of the skin.
2. If you mistakenly apply a thick layer of toothpaste, instead of a thin one, there are chances that your skin in that spot becomes excessively dry.
3. People often get confused about which toothpaste to use. Any toothpaste that is a plain white can be used. The whitening or gel kinds of toothpaste can cause drying up of the skin and irritation
4. If one does not apply moisturizer to the affected area after taking of the toothpaste, there are chances that the skin there will get too dry and get ruptured.
5. Lastly, applying toothpaste too often will lead to more skin troubles like dryness, roughness and uneven complexion.

Now that we have seen the pros and cons of using toothpaste on acne, it is clear that neither are the pros that strong, nor the cons. Using toothpaste for clearing acne is more of a home remedy in case of emergencies. Do not think of it as a replacement for skin care in general.

Cleanse your face regularly, once in a week use a mild but efficient exfoliating scrub and get a massage every now and then. Stay away from extremely oily foods, and stay stress free. If you do all these, and still manage to get the occasional zit, using toothpaste on it is alright. However, don’t leave it on for long, and moisturize the affected area afterwards.