What should you do about zits？ When an acne outbreak seems impossible to control or makes you feel very sad and withdrawn， talk to your doctor. Sometimes working with a skin doctor， or dermatologist， is best. He or she can help come up with a plan to treat breakouts that works for you. They may even point you to medications or cleansers available without a prescription. A dermatologist mentions one humorous acne cleanser： toothpaste！

Acne and dirty teeth have something in common： bacteria. These tiny germs live on every part of your body. In the mouth， a population of them that grows out of control can lead to tooth decay. On the skin， germs may play a role in acne.

Toothpaste contains ingredients meant to kill the bacteria that grow in peoples mouths. Some of these ingredients also work against microbes on the skin. One such ingredient is baking soda. Fluoride， another common toothpaste ingredient， helps clean the teeth， but can sometimes irritate the skin.

Since not all toothpastes contain the same ingredients， the dermatologist cautions that "you have to pick the right one". A toothpaste with low fluoride or no fluoride is the safest bet. Also， solid white-colored toothpaste works better than gels. The solid white kind will suck oils out of the skin. This can help to dry out pimples and reduce redness and swelling.

Although toothpaste works for mild acne， you shouldn't slather it on. Toothpaste may dry out or irritate skin. If you do decide to try this home remedy， use a finger （not a toothbrush！） to apply white， low-fluoride toothpaste directly oan top of each zit. Leave the paste in place for several hours or overnight. Hopefully， you'll see an improvement in the morning. As a bonus， your face may smell minty-fresh the next day！