sodium laureth sulfate and sodium lauryl sulfate (the infamous SLSs!) are not the only pore clogging culprits to sneak into toothpaste and make them unsafe for acne prone skin - look out for carrageenan too! carrageenan (aka irish moss) is an extract from red algae (and as we know, algae extracts are pore clogging). it's added to toothpaste as a stabilizer, thickener and to make the paste texture smoother. basically, it gives the toothpaste structure and stops it from breaking down. but when you are brushing your teeth, working up that cleansing froth, when that foam escapes your mouth and reaches the surrounding skin, the carrageenan (and cloggy SLSs) are able to slip into the pores and start the formation of micro-comedones that eventually lead to breakouts. sneaky! in the past we've recommended the trader joe's brand of toothpaste, but on a recent revisit of the ingredients list, we spotted carrageenan! oh no! so even though the trader joe's toothpastes are SLS- free, they are still pore-clogging. so here are some more acne-safe toothpastes for you to choose from (in addition to the still-safe ones we recommended before). here's to your dental (and dermal) health!