metapimple

my first pimple: the enduring mystery of toothpaste

I got my first pimple in the sixth grade, much to the delight and horror of my classmates—and my little sister.  If I remember correctly, I was the first in my class to get a pimple.  A distinct honor, to be sure.  After a day of publicly threatening to whip people’s faces with my braids (very effective when the person teasing you is standing behind you in line) and privately fretting and crying, I finally went to my mother for help.  One of her recommendations: put some toothpaste on it.* 

The year of this first pimple: 1991.

The year this article came out, claiming to have proven that toothpaste actually causes pimples, or “acne-like eruptions”: 1975.

This article (2009) is a nice summary that allows for arguments on both sides of the debate.  

As an experiment, I recently stopped using toothpaste altogether and brushed with baking soda alone.  Other than gagging every time I brushed my teeth, I noticed no measurable difference.  So, I started using toothpaste again—all natural toothpaste that doesn’t contain any of the potentially troublesome ingredients.  I got a pimple on my lip. 

And so … ?

*Please note: I do not mean to imply that my dear, sweet mother gave me bad advice.  I am merely pointing to the moment in my life when I unwittingly entered the toothpaste-as-acne-treatment debate.