over the last 15 years we've been around, we've seen many a rare-to-find acne-safe toothpaste come and go as companies face supply issues or close down completely, but here's a list of what we've found recently.
interestingly, it was quite easy to find acne-safe toothpaste in french and greek pharmacies, as i discovered during a trip there in summer 2023. while living in asia, i also found a few acne-safe ones also, with a patient and careful eye. based on these experiences, it may actually be easier to find abroad than here in the US.
AS ALWAYS, make sure to use our product ingredient checker tool, then double and triple check ingredients of what you are looking to buy and use, even when refilling the same exact thing. manufacturers often will change up ingredients to non-acne-safe ones without any notice.
rest assured that all w&w brand products (and all else we sell on the shop) are always acne-safe, and we will never reformulate with cloggy ingredients!
the safest bets
desert essence's prebiotic plant-based toothpaste with perilla seed
now available in our
online shop, this desert essence brand, prebiotic plant-based toothpaste is the same one kim uses, and can be found in most natural food / health stores in the bay area.
beware other formulas from the same brand are not acne-safe, but this particular one is.
ingredients: calcium carbonate, glycerin, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) leaf water, sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, mentha piperita (peppermint) flower/leaf/stem oil, cellulose gum, hydrolyzed pea protein, cichorium intybus (chicory) root extract, inulin (agave), perilla frutescens extract (perilla seed), glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice) root extract, equisetum avense leaf extract (horsetail), quillaja saponaria bark extract (soap bark), melia azadirachta (neem) bark extract, mentha arvensis leaf oil (wild mint), mentha viridis (spearmint) leaf oil, melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) leaf oil, hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) extract, glutathione, sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), zinc citrate, calcium ascorbate (vitamin c), phytic acid, sea salt, stevia rebaudiana leaf/stem powder
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spry xylitol peppermint toothpaste
this spry xylitol peppermint toothpaste (
with and
without fluoride) was also safe, easily found at rainbow grocery here in sf.
ingredients: water, glycerin, silica, xylitol, erythritol, lauryl glucoside, sodium methyl cocoyl taurate, zinc citrate, cranberry extract, aloe vera, xanthan gum, cellulose gum, stevia, natural peppermint flavor, sodium benzoate, titanium dioxide
kiss my face
whitening cool mint gel fluoride free
triple action cool mint gel fluoride free
sensitive citrus mint gel fluoride free
kids berry smart gel fluoride free
we used to sell
this brand but it was tricky to restock over a few years, i suspect due to supply issues. however it looks like they are selling them again, and they're all acne-safe (we've tested them!), which is great news. they used to have pastes that were comedogenic but these gels are fine.
gutology
i've not tried or tested
this brand, but the ingredients themselves look safe to try. many of the fancier brands tend to be comedogenic, but this ones does not appear to be.
the maybe's
sensodyne has long been a questionable one as well. christine, skinSALVATION's very first official esthetician hire (and earliest clients too!), cleared up dramatically after seeing kim for several months. she still broke out around her mouth though, and once she stopped using the acne-safe-on-paper sensodyne and switched to kiss my face, she cleared up completely. thus, we've always written it off as not acne-safe.
active ingredients: potassium nitrate 5%, sodium fluoride 0.25% (0.15% fluoride ion)
inactive ingredients: water, sorbitol, hydrated silica, glycerin, peg-8, cocamidopropyl betaine, flavors, xanthan gum, sodium saccharin, titanium dioxide, sodium hydroxide
the definitely not's
this would include most all toothpastes commercially available - even ones marketed as being 'natural' (like tom's! big eye roll). if the ingredient listing reads any of these cloggers, move on to investigating the next tube!
- sodium lauryl sulfate
- sodium laureth sulfate
- carageenan
- chondrus chrispus
- coconut oil
- argan oil
- any seaweed, kelp, spirulina or iodine-rich ingredients
mouthwash
i personally mix filtered water with several drops of peppermint essential oil for breath freshening between clients (maybe about 30 drops to a 10oz glass bottle), but if i have them i'll also add any or all of the following: spearmint, myrhh, tea tree, clove, cinammon essential oils to the mix too. i give the bottle a good shake before swishing into and expectorating out of my mouth.
reminder, these washes are not to be ingested! and use a glass bottle as essential oils can have caustic reactions with metal, plastic, styrofoam containers.
but if you want something that's already mixed up and ready to go, you can try nature's answer brand periobrite mouthwash. it's full of very healing botanicals that are known to be great for gum, teeth and overall oral health, and is pretty affordable. in fact, we used to sell it in the clinic and it was a favorite among our estheticians to freshen up throughout their work day.
toothpicks
not necessary something to worry about being acne-safe but something nice to have, i love these minty toothpicks. they are made of wood and are infused with perky essential oils like tea tree, mint, cinnamon and neem to offer deeper gum cleaning and fresher breath. you've probably seen them by the cash register or personal care aisle of most natural food stores, or online.
i always have these toothpicks with me in a little wooden lipstick-sized case like this for easy carrying, you can find them online by searching "wooden toothpick case." they're also sold to securely store sewing needles!
lipbalms
and of course, lip balms. these you definitely want to make sure are acne-safe because most on the market are not. the usual cloggy suspects include coconut oil, cocoa butter, soybean oil, argan oil.. the only acne-safe oils i trust are shea butter, shea oil, safflower, sunflower and rice bran oil.
i always have my trusty with & within spf-free lipbalm on hand, i have several that i keep in different places to avoid the daily nuisance/stress of misplacing and searching. i find the organic spf-free one moisturizes better than the spf ones, but the spf ones in lavender-mint and spearmint are also really nice.
these all can be used as a moisturizing balm for chapped noses (winter cold or allergy season), dry cuticles and faces (airplanes!) or impromptu SPF while adventuring - just break off 1/4", melt it into your fingers/hands and pat into the skin like you would a balm or thick cream.
aquaphor is SUPER CLOGGY so i'd avoid it at all costs - i double checked this recently after seeing another acne clinic deeming it as safe and.. it is absolutely not. vaseline is a much acne-safer bet, but given that it's a refined crude petroleum product that i'd be ingesting, i'd much rather use something that's natural and non-toxic like our 100% shea butter.
