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.
Applying toothpaste to reduce acne isn't scientifically backed. Although many people use toothpaste to banish blemishes, it can actually irritate your skin further. There are safer methods for removing acne, such as dermatologist-approved over-the-counter products.
You may have heard this suggestion, but experts on acne say don't try it. Toothpaste could make that spot on your skin even more red, irritated, and noticeable.
Mint in the toothpaste is a natural active ingredient that will open your pores and kill bacteria. Toothpaste also deep cleans pores and plucks out blackheads. Salt is a natural disinfectant and helps defoliate your skin. Salt never dissolves in toothpaste and thus it is the best combination.
Use Products With Salicylic Acid
One go-to ingredient for eliminating blackheads is salicylic acid, a beta hydroxy acid that increases cell turnover and unclogs pores, says Saedi. Suozzi adds that the acne treatment can help dry active acne lesions because it is a mild chemical irritant.
4. Don't: Treat with Hydrogen Peroxide. Regardless of whether you have sensitive skin or not, it's a safe bet to treat blackheads with gentle products that are free of fragrances and irritants. Hydrogen peroxide is a commonly misused solution and is neither a gentle nor a valid long-term treatment.
You can use toothbrushes to scrub away blackheads around your nose—it really works. Really, really well, according to Gretchen Frieling, MD, a board-certified dermatopathologist.
"I would never recommend this method to any patient," San Francisco-based dermatologist William Kwan, MD, told Health. "Vaseline can clog pores and applying plastic wrap is physically occluding the pores.
Exfoliate. Use an exfoliating scrub on the skin once a week to help remove the dead skin cells that contribute to blackheads. A scrub may also improve the overall appearance of the skin. Avoid exfoliating if it irritates the skin, and stop using a scrub if it makes the skin feel dry or sore.
Via Refinery29, Elizabeth Tanzi, M.D., agrees that after the clay mask brings all the junk to the surface, physical massage can "indeed dislodge clogged pores and whatever's inside them."
Unfortunately, however, there are no permanent and comprehensive fixes to said issue of blackhead pores/holes. But you can minimize the appearance of these pesky pits by tightening your pores and using techniques to prevent the holes from clogging again.
Other ingredients commonly found in toothpaste that were suspected of acne help include alcohol, hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. Each of these ingredients can work as a drying agent for your zits and were believed could shrink them through this drying process.
Most blackheads are close enough to the skin's surface to attempt safe removal. If you've tried to remove a blackhead and the blockage won't come out, leave it alone for a day or two. In most cases, your skin will clear the blockage on its own if you give it time.
Don't use rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide on wounds or to control oily skin or acne breakouts. They're not effective and they can damage your skin, making the problem worse. Just use soap and water to clean a wound, and for acne, use an over-the-counter product with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide.
Washing the face correctly can spare a person with blackheads the need to visit a dermatologist. It is often the case that cleaning the skin at home is the best first-line treatment for acne and blackheads. Good skin hygiene can help to keep the pores unclogged. However, over-scrubbing can do more harm than good.
Acne. While certain types of acne (such as cysts and pustules) are inflammatory, witch hazel may possible benefit noninflammatory acne (blackheads and whiteheads) too. The idea behind witch hazel for acne treatment is that it can act as an astringent by drying out your acne blemishes, much like other OTC treatments.
Home remedies for blackheads are green tea, tea tree oil, salt scrub or sugar scrub. Green tea helps lower the oil production on your skin while tea tree oil can stop the growth of bacteria. The salt or sugar scrub exfoliates your skin and removes the dead skin that is clogging the open skin pore.
Exfoliate. Use an exfoliating scrub on the skin once a week to help remove the dead skin cells that contribute to blackheads. A scrub may also improve the overall appearance of the skin. Avoid exfoliating if it irritates the skin, and stop using a scrub if it makes the skin feel dry or sore.
Some factors can increase your chances of developing acne and blackheads, including: producing too much body oil. the buildup of the Propionibacterium acnes bacteria on the skin. irritation of the hair follicles when dead skins cells don't shed on a regular basis.