Don't apply tomato and toothpaste mix to your skin, experts warn | Fact check
The claim: Tomato and toothpaste mix rejuvenates the face
[En Español: Expertos: no se debe aplicar mezcla de tomate y crema dental en la piel | Hechos]
A Feb. 5 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) shows a video clip of what appears to be an image of Albert Einstein produced by artificial intelligence, asserting that mixing toothpaste with the juice of a tomato helps rejuvenate facial skin.
“Rejuvenate your face with TOOTHPASTE and TOMATO. Natural Recipe!” the post reads in Spanish.
The post garnered more than 1,000 likes in two weeks. A similar version of the claim was shared on Facebook.
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Our rating: False
Experts warn against using this combination on the face, saying the mix can irritate and damage the skin.
Using toothpaste on the face could damage the skin
Dr. Adam Friedman, professor and chair of the Department of Dermatology at George Washington University, told Paste BN that using toothpaste on the face is dangerous for the integrity of the skin.
“Toothpaste is supposed to remove tartar, junk and food from your teeth. It's designed to be abrasive," Friedman said. "But teeth can tolerate it. Teeth are made up of minerals and calcium, and all these things, so they can handle the abrasive nature of toothpaste. Our skin absolutely cannot.”
The Cleveland Clinic warns against using toothpaste on the skin because many varieties contain triclosan, an ingredient used in cleaning products that could harm the endocrine system.
Fact check: Experts say rubbing orange peels on teeth does more harm than good
There are many types of toothpaste on the market with different ingredients, making it difficult to determine whether one type is more harmful than another, but some ingredients could be more dangerous, Dr. Alyx Cali Rosen Aigen told Paste BN in an email.
“Toothpaste with flavoring, coloring or whitening additives could potentially be more harmful to the face in terms of triggering allergic or contact dermatitis," said Aigen, a dermatologist at the University of Miami Health System.
She added that toothpaste identified as natural can include essential oils or baking soda that alters the skin’s natural acid mantle barrier and causes harm.
Paste BN reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Univision also debunked the claim.
Our fact-check sources:
- Adam Friedman, Feb. 15, Phone interview with Paste BN
- Alyx Cali Rosen Aigen, Feb. 16, Email exchange with Paste BN
- Cleveland Clinic, June 6, 2023, Don’t Put These 5 Things on Your Face
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