Published: February 28, 2025
If you have oily skin that’s prone to breakouts, you’re probably aware of some of the many DIY acne hacks out there. Applying toothpaste to pimples is a popular one, with many drawn to how easy and inexpensive this reputed ‘cure’ is.
The big question is…does this actually work? Can a humble tube of toothpaste really be the solution to your blemishes? Keep reading as CBGärdN explores the truth behind some of the most common DIY acne hacks around.
Using Toothpaste on Pimples
The toothpaste for pimples hack is one that has been perpetrated for generations. No one knows where it actually came from, although, back in the day, most kinds of toothpaste used to contain a chemical called triclosan, which was believed to be capable of killing acne-causing bacteria.
Toothpaste also usually contains menthol. When applied to the skin, this ingredient causes a tingling sensation, which can help to numb the painful/irritated feeling that often accompanies pimples.
With this in mind, it’s easy to see why so many people turn to this acne hack when they’re faced with new breakouts. However, while toothpaste may provide relief for a few minutes, research points to how, in the long run, it can actually make acne worse in a couple of ways…
An Increase in Irritation and Inflammation
When it comes down to it, toothpaste is designed for your teeth, not for your skin. Your skin is much more sensitive than tooth enamel, meaning that many of the ingredients in the average toothpaste will only end up irritating your skin.
If you have acne-prone skin, irritation and inflammation is the last thing you need. The chemicals in toothpaste will more than likely exacerbate your breakouts over time, making them even harder to treat.
An Increase in Sebum Production
While every skin type can develop acne, it’s most common among those with oily skin. The excess sebum produced by the skin ends up mixing with bacteria, dead skin, and more. This forms the pore blockages that then end up inflamed, leading to pimples.
While some of the ingredients in toothpaste, such as alcohol and baking powder, may have an immediate, albeit temporary, drying effect on the skin, they can often push things to the other extreme. Over-drying the skin only activates the sebaceous glands, stimulating them into producing even more sebum. This then leaves your skin oilier than ever, meaning that breakouts become more prevalent.
A Damaged Skin Barrier
Another issue with the topical use of toothpaste is when it comes to pH. Skin has a natural pH of around 5.5, meaning that it’s slightly acidic. Maintaining this is essential if you want to keep your skin barrier healthy and well-functioning.
Toothpaste, however, has a pH of between 7 and 10. It’s much more alkali than the skin. Applying it to your skin will affect your skin’s own pH level, causing it to swing out of balance. This then inhibits skin barrier function, which will leave your skin susceptible to a whole host of problems. And yes, one of those is an increase in acne breakouts!
What Should You Use Instead?
Although toothpaste may not be the quick fix you were hoping for, there are, fortunately, plenty of other steps that you can take to reduce and prevent the appearance of acne. Here are some of the most effective:
Switch Up Your Exfoliator
It’s no secret that exfoliating regularly can be a game-changer when it comes to improving the look of acne-prone skin. By keeping your pores free of blockages, pimples won’t be able to form in the first place.
Hopefully, you’re already regularly exfoliating. However, if clogged pores are still a common occurrence for you, it could be time to switch up the exfoliator that you’re using.
Our recommendation? The CB Microexfoliant Peel from CBGärdN. Its lightweight gel format quickly ‘peels’ dead cells and other impurities away from the skin, leaving the skin feeling clear and refreshed. Most importantly, it doesn’t contain any harsh ingredients that could irritate your skin or trigger inflammation. In fact, thanks to the inclusion of nettle leaf extract, it will do the opposite and will soon calm your complexion down.
With that said, as gentle as this peel may be, don’t use it every day. No matter how oily your skin is, exfoliating daily will only damage your skin’s natural barrier. Instead, aim to exfoliate two to three times a week.
Add Clay to Your Routine
One of the main points of exfoliation is to clear away dead skin and excess sebum to prevent clogged pores. However, there’s another easy way to do this too…
Clay has been used for this purpose for centuries. It’s loved for how it binds itself to sebum, meaning that rinsing the clay away then leaves the skin feeling less greasy.
The best way to add clay to your routine is with a clay face mask. However, rather than going with a regular clay mask, give a thermal clay mask, like the CB Purifying Heating Mask, a try. The way in which this mask heats up after it has been applied to the skin leaves the pores feeling dilated. This then allows the clay to extract even more sebum. The best part? This mask is also loaded with skin-loving extracts and antioxidants, all of which will give your complexion a brighter and clearer finish.
Hydrate Your Skin as Much as Possible
As we mentioned earlier, one of the reasons why toothpaste doesn’t do acne-prone skin any favors is because of how drying it is. While you don’t want your skin to be overly greasy, you don’t want to completely dry it out either as this will only encourage it to produce even more oil.
Likewise, the opposite holds true too. Give your skin plenty of hydration and you’ll be able to calm your sebaceous glands down. In the long run, this will leave your skin feeling significantly less greasy.
How can you bump up your skin’s hydration levels? The best way is by layering a few different hydrating products onto your skin. However, make sure that you pick formulas that aren’t going to clog your pores. Look for lightweight products that hydrate with humectants rather than thick occlusives.
The CB Facial Toner is one such product. It hydrates with sodium hyaluronate, which is revered for how it binds moisture to the skin. It also contains niacinamide, also known as vitamin B3. This is a great ingredient to use on acne-prone skin as it soothes the look of inflammation.
The CB Replenishing Serum from the CB Thermo-Repair Collection would also be worth adding to your skincare routine. Again, it contains sodium hyaluronate, which is joined by a duo of hydrating peptides. It’s loaded with antioxidants too, which will keep your skin cells feeling happier and healthier.
Retinoids Can Work Wonders
Vitamin A is another ingredient that is far more beneficial for your acne-prone skin than toothpaste! Vitamin A derivatives, which are more commonly known as retinoids, keep the pores feeling clear and clog-free while also lowering the feeling of inflammation.
There are different retinoids available, each one varying in potency. If you’re new to retinoids, start with something gentle, like retinyl palmitate. You’ll find it in the CB Göld Vitamin C Antioxidant Élixir from the CB Göld Collection.
If you already use retinoids and you’re not seeing an improvement in your complexion, it may be time to step it up. Speak to your dermatologist about prescription retinoids – these are often recommended for acne that’s particularly severe.
SPF is a Must
With acne being triggered by inflammation, it goes without saying that you’ll want to prevent your skin from feeling inflamed as much as possible. The more you can do this, the calmer your skin will feel and the less likely you’ll be to see pimples popping up all over your face!
While there are a number of factors out there that can trigger inflammation in the skin, the sun is one of the biggest. Even a small amount of sun exposure can quickly trigger an inflammatory response. This is simply your skin’s defense mechanism against sun damage, but it also has the effect of leaving your skin more prone to acne breakouts.
To prevent this from happening, make sure that your skin is always protected by SPF at all hours of the day. Yes, it’s true that many sunscreens can make acne worse, but there are also plenty of others out there that can help with the appearance of breakouts. The CB Multi-Active Moisturizer With SPF 30, for example, is a lightweight cream that not only protects from the sun, but also provides an array of ingredients that acne-prone skin will love. From aloe vera, which soothes the feeling of inflammation, to vitamin A, which we’ve already discussed, this moisturizer is definitely worth using on a daily basis.
Cool Your Skin Down
We’ve already talked about how thermal face masks can be beneficial when dealing with acne. However, cool temperatures have their place in your routine too!
Cold temperatures are known for calming the feeling of inflammation. They have an instant soothing effect too, which can be helpful when your skin is feeling particularly irritated.
If you’re looking for a quick way to minimize how angry and red a pimple looks, try wrapping a few ice cubes in a clean cloth and then holding this over the affected area of the skin for a few minutes. Once you’re done, your skin should look less inflamed, and feel less painful too!
Save the Toothpaste for Your Teeth!
While it’s easy to understand how the ‘toothpaste for acne’ hack became a ‘thing’, this DIY solution is one that you should avoid at all costs! Not only will it fail to help with your acne but, in the long run, it could end up making your skin so much worse. Instead, if you want to bring about a pimple-free complexion, follow the tips that we’ve shared above and you should soon start to see some improvements in your skin!
Click here to amplify your skincare routine with more bestselling products from CBGärdN.