If you get a red rash with bumps around the mouth area, it could be a condition called perioral dermatitis. It’s not completely proven but it is thought to be from either an allergy to eating strawberries and/or from fluoride found in toothpaste.
How to know if it’s from your toothpaste? Try fluoride-free toothpaste for a few weeks and see if it clears up. (The only commercially available toothpaste is Sensodyne without fluoride.)
People who brush their teeth with their right hand will invariably develop more perioral dermatitis on the left side of the mouth, so if it’s more concentrated there, it might be a sign that it’s from your toothpaste.
How to know if it’s from strawberries? If the rash suddenly appears and you ate strawberries within the last 24 hours, this could be a sign.
More women will develop this condition because their facial skin is much thinner than that of men; their collagen and elastic fibers are packed more loosely and arranged differently; and more readily irritated by external influences on the skin.
Did you know that dairy can cause cystic acne blemishes on the chin?
Which skin care products are best for you? See our nine skin types or take the Skin Type Quiz and get products recommended.
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Celebrity Esthetician & Skincare Expert
As an esthetician trained in cosmetic chemistry, Renée Rouleau has spent 30 years researching skin, educating her audience, and building an award-winning line of products. Her hands-on experience as an esthetician and trusted skin care expert has created a real-world solution — products that are formulated for nine different types of skin so your face will get exactly what it needs to look and feel its best. Trusted by celebrities, editors, bloggers, and skincare obsessives around the globe, her vast real-world knowledge and constant research are why Marie Claire calls her “the most passionate skin practitioner we know.”
