Will Saliva Cure a Pimple? Old Indian Folk Remedy Decoded
All of us have had an experience at least once in our lifetime where one fine morning you look in the mirror and what you see is a red and puss-filled zit on your face. It astonishingly happens right before an important presentation, a social gathering or your first date and you start being desperate for some quick and magic fix. If you are someone from India who is keenly observing beauty and trends online, then you may have heard about a rather odd, age-old home remedy: to directly place morning saliva (aka, basi thook) on your zits.
Now that it's gained attention from contemporary celebrities and beauty influencers, this centuries-old beauty hack is being celebrated for its capability to soothe the pimple, dry out active acne and vanish dark marks gradually when applied repeatedly.
So does it even actually work?
Is there some ancestral science behind this age old wives' tale or would you simply be smearing bad oral bacteria onto your sensitive skin barrier?
Let's decode its history, examine the biochemistry and discuss in detail precisely what you'd be doing if you applied your spit on pimple.
Why Did Our Ancestors Trust This Basi Thook?
Before science gave us such remarkable inventions such as salicylic acid sheet masks and hydrocolloid pimple patches, we, as primitive humans, believed in our bodies own immune system, our closest resources to heal and restore balance in skin health. A Basi thook, a type of saliva present in a person's mouth upon waking and before consuming water or any oral care, was used as healing components by Indians since ancient times. The practitioners identified several observations as:
Connection to the Animal Kingdom
Animals have a biological need to lick their wounds for cleansing and acceleration of healing. These ancestors presumed the same instinct works on the human body.
Fasting & Pure Saliva Benefits
Morning saliva contained greater proportions of enzymes that could provide beneficial soothing to the skin because the saliva has been resting in a closed environment (the body) at a constant temperature for six to eight hours overnight, at which point the spit was thought to have a greater effect.
Cooling beliefs
A sore, hot, or throbbing active pimple was seen through vernacular folk wisdom as an overactive or heated element, the heat being the direct cause of the breakout. Applying wet, cool morning spit, was believed to alleviate that local heat.
To a present-day skincare lover, this seems crazy, however, it was a generational remedy of being used as a free instant spot treatment.
The Science Of The Folk Remedy
To understand how this folk medicine has endured the tests of time, we need a deeper look into the properties of saliva itself. Saliva is not merely plain oral water but in reality, human saliva is basically a highly interactive, biological substance enriched with enzymes, proteins, antibodies and electrolytes. Supporters of the saliva hack claim the presence of the following specific factors to back their use of saliva:
Lysozyme and Lactoferrin
Lysozyme is a protein found in saliva which is an antibacterial enzyme that attacks and destroys some types of bacteria by breaking their cell walls. Lactoferrin is also present here and has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties to protect your teeth from bacteria.
Histatins
Histatins are a group of healing proteins that are commonly present within saliva. This is because they heal much quicker if you cut yourself, bite someone else and burn yourself compared with any other injury that happens anywhere else on your body. Histatin promotes cell migration and tissue repair.
Interestingly, some scientists have looked at it. The study conducted by a team at the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology assessed the effectiveness of human whole saliva as an anti-acne agent in vitro. Researchers found out that saliva constituents are able to suppress some types of acne-causing bacteria such as Cutibacterium acnes.
Why Doctors Tell You Not To Do This
Saliva does have trace amounts of beneficial enzymes but it cannot be said as an effective anti-acne solution for pimples. Every single dermatologist would advise against putting saliva on zits and breakouts because
1.It's Loaded With Bacteria
The mouth hosts around 10 million bacteria. Your mouth is full of countless types of oral microbes, including: Streptococcus, Porphyromonas and Fusobacterium. At nighttime, your production of saliva slows down dramatically and throughout the night these bacteria multiply even faster (which is the cause of morning breath). When you smear your morning saliva across an open popped, oozing or inflamed pimple, you are exposing the pimple to more bacteria.
2.This Can Lead To Secondary Infections
The root cause of acne is a bacteria called Cutibacterium acnes which is thriving and feeding on your skin oils. The enzymes in your spit do not have a stable enough punch to battle C. Acnes. Instead, the oral bacteria can result in a secondary skin infection or morning saliva acne.
3.It Irritates Your Skin Barrier
A slightly alkaline (high pH) solution containing enzymes, for example saliva and amylase. These are active to break down food (basically sugars), not your face. Your facial skin needs to be slightly acidic (acid mantle) to be healthy, so as to avoid the germs getting any further than the skin barrier. Rubbing the skin barrier with these alkaline solutions and enzymes strips the barrier making your skin irritated, red, dry and more likely to be damaged with disrupted skin microbiome.
4.Food Or Plaque Residue
Even if you have not eaten since morning, there are still traces of food that may be left in your saliva when you first wake up. It may also include dead cells from your mouth and particles of plaque from your mouth. Leaving this on a saliva pimple myth and allowing it to dry will further block the spot, trapping underneath, both the oil and the dead cells by simply intensifying the problem.
What Dermatologists Recommend
The best routine recommended by the dermatologists is ideally the one that is basically simple, economical as well as consistent. You need products that are safe, effective and high quality. A good acne routine should be thoughtfully curated including
- A gentle cleanser that removes oil, dirt, sweat as well as acne-causing germs effectively
- Acne-fighting ingredients that help clear pimples in a gentle manner
- Hydration support so the skin can calm the irritation
- Non-comedogenic formulas that will prevent clogging of pores
- Non-drying care that is suitable for use on a daily basis
Morning Routine
Begin by using an acne-fighting cleanser. Start by taking some of Alite Anti-Acne Face Wash. Lather lightly onto wet skin, then wash it off completely. It helps to eliminate overnight oil deposits. Also it prepares your skin to be ready on a daily basis. It's very convenient to use every morning as there are no drying effects nor soaps used so it’s very gentle for your skin.
Post cleansing use Alite Anti-Acne Gel for acne prone skin. Sunscreen is an important last step as it helps to prevent further acne marks and inflammation due to long-term sun exposure. Lightweight and non-comedogenic sunscreens tend to be a good option. End by applying an effective sunblock to protect yourself from ultraviolet rays while outdoors.
Evening Routine
It’s essential to double cleanse well after a day in the sun, dust, sweat and stress. Use Alite Anti-Acne Face Wash as part of your night-time routine for double cleansing to effectively remove the day's impurities. Moisturizing cream Alite Spots Reduction Cream application after the niacinamide gel.
Summary
Morning saliva was used as an acne cure by folk due to its healing, cooling and beneficial oral enzymes.
Some saliva components may inhibit bacteria in laboratory settings, including lysozyme, lactoferrin and histatins. The research showed that saliva is able to fight certain acne-causing bacteria outside of the body (in vitro), but it is not a proven therapy for acne.
Saliva should not be used on pimples as recommended by dermatologists because there are many bacteria present within our mouths that could spread infection through application on pimples. It might even lead to a secondary infection.
A simple, regular acne care regimen includes gentle cleansing, acne treatment, hydration with non-comedogenic products and sunscreen, followed by an evening cleansing and moisturizing routine with Alite Spots Reduction Cream.
