| Home remedies for acne come in all flavors of | | | | growth and differentiation. One of the traits of acne |
| strange. There's the egg yolk mask, handyman soap | | | | includes improper shedding of the skin or improper |
| scrub, lidocaine rub and even a urine toner. And like | | | | skin cell separation. And according to research done |
| any trial therapy, homemade treatments may work | | | | by Chia-Ling L. Tu and colleagues, too much calcium in |
| sheerly because of the placebo effect. But, does | | | | the epidermis skin causes more hair follicles to grow, |
| toothpaste posses any properties that support its | | | | makes the skin more susceptible to outside attacks |
| usage as an acne treatment? | | | | and increases cell growth. |
| The first place to begin answering this question is to | | | | None of these activities help contain acne so taking |
| consider the ingredients in common toothpastes and | | | | away a little calcium from acne prone skin may |
| what effect they have on the skin. | | | | eliminate a cluster of zits. So we allot a point to |
| Fluoride: | | | | pyrophosphate as a possible acne taming agent. |
| In almost any tube of toothpaste you'll find sodium | | | | Try these ingredients in a better product and they |
| monoflurorophosphate, or simply put, some chemical | | | | will help with acne: |
| variety of fluoride. Fluoride prevents tooth cavities. | | | | Rounding out the toothpaste ingredients are minimal |
| But in the skin, fluoride typically causes more damage | | | | amounts of titanium dioxide and or baking soda |
| that it corrects. For example, medicals studies have | | | | (sodium bicarbonate). As far as the skin is concerned, |
| reported that large does of fluoride could cause | | | | these two agents are wonderful exfoliators, yet in |
| systemic poisoning. Though the amount of fluoride in | | | | some toothpastes, their presence may prove too |
| tooth paste is less than one percent you may not | | | | small to positively affect the skin. |
| want predispose yourself to risk. | | | | These guys may also absorb excess facial oils which |
| If toothpaste does help acne prone skin, it's most | | | | will definitely help bumpy skin heal faster. As |
| likely not due to the fluoride because this chemical | | | | predominant skin care ingredients, titanium dioxide |
| can irritate or burn the skin and sometimes provoke | | | | and baking soda sever as wonderful dermbrasion |
| skin allergies. | | | | agents, so you may want to try them in this form. |
| Glycerin, sorbitol and alumina: | | | | In short. proving whether or not your toothpaste will |
| Skimming down the list of toothpaste ingredients, we | | | | get rid of acne would require some costly research |
| arrive at agents with the potential to delete zits like | | | | and you would still have to face the ominous doubt |
| hydrated silica, sorbitol, alumina and glycerin. Silica and | | | | cast by the placebo effect. Toothpaste does contain |
| types of aluminum are used to treat acne via | | | | agents with the potential to control acne like |
| dermabrasive products. However, in the toothpaste, | | | | pyrophosphates that improve skin cell shedding, and |
| they are too fine to profoundly exfoliate the skin. | | | | skin exfoliators like titanium dioxide and baking soda. |
| Sorbitol is a flavoring agent while glycerin makes the | | | | The only problem is, toothpaste is formulated to |
| toothpaste feel good in your mouth. | | | | treat and prevent cavities, not pimples. You really |
| Moving on, we come to sodium lauryl sulfate, or the | | | | can't fully benefit from toothpaste's zit fighting |
| toothpaste bubble maker. You don't need suds to | | | | agents because they are not concentrated enough. |
| get rid of zits. Next! | | | | Instead, use acne products that contain right |
| Getting rid of calcium: | | | | proportions of bump fighting ingredients, whether you |
| Now we encounter sodium pyrophosphate, or some | | | | buy them at the drug store or make them at home. |
| relative of this chemical resting in our toothpaste. | | | | Sources: |
| Sodium pyrophosphate limits tartar deposits on the | | | | Tu, Chia-Ling L; Oda, Y; Komuves, L & Bikle D. The |
| teeth by removing calcium and magnesium from | | | | role of the calcium-sensing receptor in epidermal |
| saliva. It is with this calcium evicting phosphate that | | | | dierentiation. University of California Postprints; 2004; |
| we may find a potential acne curative. | | | | vol 35, no3, pp 265-273. |
| Skin levels of calcium directly influence skin cell | | | | |