A common belief that toothpaste and Salonpas pain-relief patches can help clear acne is incorrect, as both products have insufficient antibacterial content and could instead irritate the skin, the Food and Drug Administration said in a safety notice on its Web site this week.
The rumor might be based on certain ingredients in toothpaste, such as the antibacterial triclosan and an abrasive material that helps remove bacteria and fluoride to prevent cavities, the agency said.
However, the antibacterial effects of triclosan in toothpaste are not strong enough to offset infection by Cutibacterium acnes, the bacteria that usually cause acne, it said.
Acne treatments usually involve antibiotics in the form of an ointment or oral medication, although the agency recommended using anti-inflammatory medicine first, rather than immediately resorting to antibiotics.
The myth that Salonpas patches could help remove acne might have arisen from confusion between the product’s ingredient methyl salicylate and salicylic acid, which is usually used to “dissolve” keratin plugs that clog pores and cause acne.
Methyl salicylate can relieve muscle and joint pain, but whether it would have the same anti-inflammatory effects as salicylic acid remains to be clinically proven, it said.
Salicylic acid use in cosmetics is regulated and capped at 2 percent, it added.
Using the patch on the face could instead cause a rash or other unintended consequences, the agency said.
Salonpas is a brand of over-the-counter pain relief medication manufactured by Japanese company Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical Co.
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