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Hey,
This is my first post. I haven't posted on a forum since I was 13. I'm 21 now so it's kind of a big deal that I'm trying out a forum again. I kind of decided, long ago, that I was going to give up forums altogether-for no other reason than they are ADDICTIVE.
However, I felt obligated to make an exception because I have some information that may(or may not) be helpful to some of you. I am fully aware that there is a relatively awesome chance that what I'm about to tell you will in absolutely no way help your acne, but I'm going to give you the information because it is working for me! I have this magical idea in my head that it may also work for others and that I will convince some acne sufferer out there to give this a shot and improve their confidence by a megaload. That would make me happy. So here goes...
I've had mild to moderate acne on and off since the age of 12. And it sucks. Duh. For the first several years, it was ALL on my forehead. The rest of my face? Totally clear. Clear like a baby's bottom. When I turned, say, 19 years old, it started to "branch out" to different places on my face. I'd get a few on my cheeks and even fewer on my chin, but for the most part..the breakouts in those areas were here and there and few and far between so I didn't panic. It stayed like that for quite some time- most of the pimples on my forehead, a few on my cheeks. I tried all different products to try and control the breakouts but for the most part, they stayed the same.
I'm now 21. About 6 months ago , I started getting HORRIBLE breakouts...around my mouth! I'm talking SUPER irritated, inflamed, mega pimples. Like, 4 or 5 at a time. And they hurt so terribly! Talk about a loss of all self confidence. My confidence was lower than low during these breakouts. Didn't matter how much concealer I put on them, they were still so noticeable. I had never had any pimples in that area. I wasn't used to it at all. It hurt every time I would smile.
I was crying all of the time. I couldn't stand for anyone to see me without makeup on my face, just so they were at least halfway covered up. Even my boyfriend of three years , I felt embarrassed for him to see me totally bare faced. Same with family. I was just ashamed of how bad my face looked. I couldn't take it anymore. These over the counter products were just not cuttin' it. So, I started researching.
Here are the changes I made:
1.) Drinking water. And only water. All day long. As much as possible. At the very least, half of my body weight in ounces.
2.) Vitamin D3 and zinc supplements. 5,000 IU's a day and 50mg's Zinc.
3.) CHANGED TOOTHPASTE FROM CREST TO COLGATE
I had been drinking the water and taking the vitamin D3 for a month with a slight notice in pimple reduction, mainly on my forehead. For the most part, the water, D3 and zinc seemed to really help with the tiny little pimples that were under my skin on my forehead. You know, the tiny clear ones that are IMPOSSIBLE to get to come to head? I hardly have those anymore, just a few. As oppose to 20, or so. Seriously. So, the vitamins in the water were definitely making a change. My forehead looked noticeably better. But the vitamins in water did not help the breakouts around my mouth-at all.
Then I decided to change my toothpaste from Crest to Colgate and that's when I stopped getting breakouts around my mouth. I had read that ALOT of people's breakouts around the mouth area discontinued almost immediately after switching to an organic toothpaste, or, at the very least, switching from Crest toothpaste. Supposedly, there's something that's just in CREST toothpastes that doesn't agree with sensitive skin type's. I had been using Crest toothpaste for several months and just couldn't catch a break from those pesky mouth pimples. I never thought for an instant that it could possibly have anything to do with my choice of toothpaste. I found an article about toothpaste and pimples around the mouth area and how several people said that those breakouts stopped when they decided to stop using Crest. I had nothing to lose! I instantly switched toothpastes and noticed a difference in the size of the pimples the VERY NEXT DAY. It's been two weeks now and I have not one single pimple around my mouth. I went from Crest 3D White to Colgate baking soda and peroxide whitening. Now I'm totally clear except for one tiny pimple on my cheek and a few on my forehead. I mean, they are TOTALLY gone. Nothing there. The skin around my mouth is 100% clear. It looks like I've never had a pimple in that area. Ever. It's so awesome!
If your suffering from breakouts around the mouth, it could very well be your toothpaste. I'm also very aware that it could be a number of other things. Regardless, its definitely worth a try to just switch your toothpaste. I mean, it cost me two dollars to pick up that Colgate at dollar General , and trust me, I wasn't confident that it was going to work. I just did it because I had nothing to loose. If you don't use Crest but are still having bad mouth breakouts, I would suggest going to your local whole foods store and getting an organic toothpaste. That will do away with a ton of nasty chemicals that are in your regular toothpastes. Chemicals that don't have any business coming in contact with sensitive/acne prone type skin!
I'm going to keep using the D3 and the zinc and *hopefully* it will get my acne completely under control. I realize that supplements take awhile before the outcome turns up completely on your skin. They've helped a lot but I still don't have the clear skin that has been the object of my desire for the past 9 years. Even if the Vitamins and water never get my skin totally under control, they're still good supplements to be taking. So , again, nothing to loose there.
Anyway, I'm very delirious and sleepy. Way past my bedtime. Please try the toothpaste switch. What do you have to loose? There's only two things you could possibly loose here: Acne or a couple of bucks for a new tube of toothpaste. DO IT!!
Oh, wow. I use Crest 3D whitening as well 
And I have persistent small zits around my mouth - my foreheads completely clear and my cheeks are off and on clear. But geez that pesky mouth area just won't clear up. Well, I'm off to buy some new tooth paste! 
Er, well, I mean I'll be off to do it in the morning...it's way past my bed time as well haha. Let's hope this works!
Oh, and congratz on clearing up most of your acne!
GAH- I just have to ask you about the dog in your picture. Is he a chow chow? I'm a chow fanatic. My best pet's have been chow chow's. They are so intelligent, proud, beautiful and awesome. I just adopted a badly abused chow from an animal control shelter, he's a very good boy. He loves me but he's a wossy around everyone else. I've never worked with an abused dog before, so it's a unique experience. Rewarding, though. I'll have to put a picture up. Hopefully that's a chow in your picture or I feel really silly now.
Anyway, yes, try the toothpaste switch and please let me know how it goes. I'd love to hear about your results. That's funny that you use 3D as well. I guess there's a good chance that a toothpaste switch might really help you, then.
I'm crossing my fingers for you!
I should have been to bed 30 minutes ago. See what I said about forums being highly addictive? It's terrible! Goodnight.
That's cool that you adopted a new dog! Ryder (my boyfriend's family's dog) actually does look quite a bit like a chow chow, but he's actually just a blend of a whole bunch of breeds I think. I'm pretty sure he has some lab and german shepherd in him. He's only a puppy in the picture which is why he kind of looks like a chow chow haha
Btw, does the new toothpaste you got have fluoride or sodium laurel (or laureth) sulfate in it? I stayed up waaay too late last night on these forums and those seem to be the two things in toothpaste that cause people's acne to flare up. These forums are crazy addicting -_- lol
Aw, well he's precious!
You know, it's funny. This toothpaste DOES have flouride and sodium lauryl sulfate. I did read that the sodium lauryl is the culprit when it comes to the breakouts but some people said that switching from Crest to Colgate cured the problem anyway so I got Colgate. I wanted to get an organic toothpaste but I couldn't afford it at the time.
I want to find a really basic toothpaste that has no SLS or Fluoride in it( I hate, hate, hate fluoride. I've done way too much research on it and I'm a total paranoid mess over it , but it's a very hard thing to escape considering it's in like 95% of toothpastes and all the water, eh, but that's a whole different conversation).
Anyway, I'm getting off track. Yes, it does have both of those but it still fixed the problem for me. There seems to be something in Crest that's not in Colgate, don't really know what that something is, though. Mainly because the Crest doesn't have their ingredients listed on the back of the 3D white(mine at least doesn't), but Colgate does. So I don't really know what's in Crest. But it's something that doesn't agree with my skin, at all. I would suggest getting an organic toothpaste , that seems to be the best option. (If you can afford it, get's pricey) and if not, at the very least, just get off the Crest and see if that helps.
I've stopped using Crest and while the change has not been dramatic, the around-the-mouth breakouts have definitely lost momentum. I've only had maybe one or two NEW pimples in the mouth region (as opposed to old ones flaring up) since Thursday. Fingers crossed for more improvement in the next two weeks!
Good topic to bring back! lol, I used to use the big brand toothpaste all the time too (Crest / Colgate / etc.) then switched to a flouride-free toothpaste about 6-7 months ago. I could go on and on about flouride, buuuut I'll spare everybody & just say that switching to the stuff I'm using now helped reduce spots around my mouth (imo the most annoying type of acne) drastically. Not trying to advertise, but give Xyli White Refreshmint toothpaste by Now Solutions a try. I get it off of iHerb.com where I also get my multi-vit with no iodine (also worked wonders for me).
If anyone switches to more natural toothpaste update us on how it works out! Good luck wombat and stella!
Good topic to bring back! lol, I used to use the big brand toothpaste all the time too (Crest / Colgate / etc.) then switched to a flouride-free toothpaste about 6-7 months ago. I could go on and on about flouride, buuuut I'll spare everybody & just say that switching to the stuff I'm using now helped reduce spots around my mouth (imo the most annoying type of acne) drastically. Not trying to advertise, but give Xyli White Refreshmint toothpaste by Now Solutions a try. I get it off of iHerb.com where I also get my multi-vit with no iodine (also worked wonders for me).
If anyone switches to more natural toothpaste update us on how it works out! Good luck wombat and stella!
Whoa, that is a nice paste! The one I was looking at was Green Beaver... I was also considering going back to the toothpaste I was using earlier in the year... I did have spots around my mouth on occasion, but it was never the debacle that I experienced recently with this monstrosity called Crest Pro Health... huge, red, inflamed cysts ALL around my mouth! I couldn't even fall asleep because the pain and burning was out of this world! I couldn't smile when talking to people, because it hurt so bad to stretch my mouth, so I asked people to try and be as unfunny as possible around me. I also had to rip any large food into tiny pieces just because I couldn't open my mouth very wide at all.
Aaaaanyway... I don't know if it's the fluoride, the SLS, what... I think the primary suspect is just the Crest Pro Health itself... needless to say, I'm steering clear of Crest for the rest of my life. I've used big brand pastes all my life (Colgate, Aquafresh, Crest on occasion), but I don't think I've ever reacted this badly.
My main concern is tartar buildup and whatnot... I tried fluoride-free Tom's of Maine (that stuff still has SLS) last fall, and ended up having to go to the dentist and get the black tartar scrubbed off the bases of my teeth. The dentist told me not to bother with fluoride-free pastes because I'm "too young" to be experimenting like that. Well, what does she know about not being physically able to smile? 
Have you experienced increased teeth problems? Or do your teeth stay pretty clean? Is it necessarily the fluoride that keeps the plaque away, or just a good-old fashioned rubbing and scrubbing? I'd love to give this particular paste a try. Please respond...
. I hate going to the dentist! Whoa, that is a nice paste! The one I was looking at was Green Beaver... I was also considering going back to the toothpaste I was using earlier in the year... I did have spots around my mouth on occasion, but it was never the debacle that I experienced recently with this monstrosity called Crest Pro Health... huge, red, inflamed cysts ALL around my mouth! I couldn't even fall asleep because the pain and burning was out of this world! I couldn't smile when talking to people, because it hurt so bad to stretch my mouth, so I asked people to try and be as unfunny as possible around me. I also had to rip any large food into tiny pieces just because I couldn't open my mouth very wide at all.
Aaaaanyway... I don't know if it's the fluoride, the SLS, what... I think the primary suspect is just the Crest Pro Health itself... needless to say, I'm steering clear of Crest for the rest of my life. I've used big brand pastes all my life (Colgate, Aquafresh, Crest on occasion), but I don't think I've ever reacted this badly.
My main concern is tartar buildup and whatnot... I tried fluoride-free Tom's of Maine (that stuff still has SLS) last fall, and ended up having to go to the dentist and get the black tartar scrubbed off the bases of my teeth. The dentist told me not to bother with fluoride-free pastes because I'm "too young" to be experimenting like that. Well, what does she know about not being physically able to smile?
Have you experienced increased teeth problems? Or do your teeth stay pretty clean? Is it necessarily the fluoride that keeps the plaque away, or just a good-old fashioned rubbing and scrubbing? I'd love to give this particular paste a try. Please respond...
Hey wombat! Your Crest Pro Health spiel sounds like hell! Sounds really painful... and you couldn't laugh 
, ugh, that's when you know you've had enough. I know how you feel too... though I haven't had cystic spots around my mouth in a while, I used to have them all the time in high school and a year or 2 in college and it was horrid... I forced myself to eat through the pain of opening my mouth up, tried not to smile too. That's definately not the way it's supposed to be!
Not sure why you may have reacted so badly... maybe it was influenced by something you ate or maybe the manner in which the teeth are brushed (brushing too vigorously and irritating the skin around your mouth, etc.), but I think reducing the problem should be step by step so I recommend giving that Xyli White a try first! I spent many years of my life using paste with flouride in it, switched over to the flouride-free (among other things) stuff, have gone to the dentist twice since I started using it and have left the dentist with no issues each time and my teeth look and feel fine. I brush twice a day at least and floss like once every 2 days. Lol your dentist said you were too young to experiment? I think experience is the best teacher for a lot of things, so why not start young? Well, google "flouride useless" and take a look at some of the articles. You might be pretty surprised! Ya know how you used to be told not to swallow toothpaste? That's b/c fluoride in "large" quantities is actually quite poisonous to humans... not something I personally want to use! Though iirc it isn't documented very well, I feel there's a strong link between flouride and acne. Look at this thread here on acne.org for another success story on this topic: http://www.acne.org/messageboard/topic/313938-sharing-my-success-clearing-persistent-mouthjawline-cysts/
Best wishes!
Just skimming through your post and want to make the second warning about drinking that much water today.
Water intoxication has resulted in many accidental deaths. Drinking 2L within a two hour period can be all it takes to be intoxicated, severely brain damaged or dead.
If you plan to drink so much water, drink a sports drink with every liter of water. If you don't like the sugar, get one of those electrolyte icy poles they sometimes advertise on tv.
You mustn't drown out your electrolytes because they are imperative to our health.
Edit: My bad, didn't see when this post started! still though, for all those reading, be careful when choosing the water method!
Yeah, I agree with zefferson about drinking too much water....try to space is out during the day and don't chug it because that doesn't give your cells time to properly absorb it and it goes right through you (hence: bathroom trips!).
As for the toothpaste, crest was probably the worst for me too, along with mouthwash. I tried tom's of maine toothpaste and now I'm trying peelu on and off, but I think the xylitol is another ingredient that also breaks me out so I'm back on sensodyne (the one with no SLS).
Yeah, I agree with zefferson about drinking too much water....try to space is out during the day and don't chug it because that doesn't give your cells time to properly absorb it and it goes right through you (hence: bathroom trips!).
As for the toothpaste, crest was probably the worst for me too, along with mouthwash. I tried tom's of maine toothpaste and now I'm trying peelu on and off, but I think the xylitol is another ingredient that also breaks me out so I'm back on sensodyne (the one with no SLS).
Xylitol breaks you out too? I picked up some xyli toothpaste from Trader Joe's but haven't used it yet. So far I've been finishing up an old tube of Tom's of Maine Fluoride-Free... while my mouth acne hasn't receded completely, there definitely hasn't been any of the crazy inflammation I got with Crest. Also, I'm not sure Crest was the sole cause of the acne around my mouth, but it was a definite aggravator.
Yeah, I agree with zefferson about drinking too much water....try to space is out during the day and don't chug it because that doesn't give your cells time to properly absorb it and it goes right through you (hence: bathroom trips!).
As for the toothpaste, crest was probably the worst for me too, along with mouthwash. I tried tom's of maine toothpaste and now I'm trying peelu on and off, but I think the xylitol is another ingredient that also breaks me out so I'm back on sensodyne (the one with no SLS).
Xylitol breaks you out too? I picked up some xyli toothpaste from Trader Joe's but haven't used it yet. So far I've been finishing up an old tube of Tom's of Maine Fluoride-Free... while my mouth acne hasn't receded completely, there definitely hasn't been any of the crazy inflammation I got with Crest. Also, I'm not sure Crest was the sole cause of the acne around my mouth, but it was a definite aggravator.
It looks like it, I tested it out. I used to chew xylitol gum almost every day and would get inflammed pustules on my chin. They multiplied when I switched to peelu toothpaste, which also has xylitol. So I narrowed it down to either the xylitol or the mint, but I believe it's the xylitol because I quit chewing that gum and also stopped using the peelu toothpaste and the breakouts subsided. It was too bad though because the peelu toothpaste has excellent ingredients and is fluoride-free. I'm back to using my regular SLS-free colgate, although I still would like to avoid fluoride as much as I can because the water in my area contains it in high amounts as well. Tom's of Maine toothpastes caused me redness around the mouth, and they also contain xylitol. I'm cautious about things that contain carrageenan, as that might be another allergen. There's an old discussion thread here: http://www.acne.org/messageboard/topic/195240-carrageenan-salt/
I think brushing with water & baking soda might do the trick if your acne isn't fully gone.
Update on using natural toothpaste (Nature's Gate), sulfate-free, fluoride-free, and my chin acne is still persistent! It's like a frickin' whack-a-mole , they're pretty big and keep appearing one by one! I rinse well, though, and always make sure to not let the toothpaste go on my chin...
Hey Stella! I never thought about acne as being like whack-a-mole lol, but that's a pretty spot-on analogy. So, you've tried new toothpaste... how long have you been using it? Also, do you do anything else to irritate your chin (i.e., I personally and naturally prop my chin up with my hand or fist sometimes, which pisses off my skin). Some people (WishClean and Wombat666 at least) have said that xylitol may be an issue. It looks like Nature's Gate toothpaste has xylitol in it, so maybe that's something else to consider.
The be-all, end-all solution would be to just stop eating / fast for a while so you don't have to brush your teeth... (kidding of course... keeping narrowing stuff down!)