Toothpaste on pimples? Dermatologist warns it can make spots worse

Dabbing toothpaste on a spot may dry it out briefly thanks to ingredients like baking soda or alcohol, but dermatologist Dr Rosalind Simpson of the University of Nottingham warns that menthol and sodium lauryl sulfate are highly irritating to skin. They can increase inflammation and worsen scarring and pigmentation, so she does not recommend it as a spot treatment.