DIY skincareoften pushes the idea of 'natural' ingredients for your skinbut some of these items can do more harm than good. While it may feel good to put cucumber or tea bags on your eyes, there some products that are best kept off your face.
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Lemon
Many people who promote homemade skincare advocate for lemon as a skin brightener due to the levels of vitamin C. However, lemon can actually cause a lot of damage to the skin and even cause burns. Dermatologist Rita Linkner exclaimed:
If used on sun-exposed skin, [lemon] can cause a blistering reaction and hyperpigmentation.
In fact, many fruits can cause reactions or discolouration on theskin and should always be patch tested before use.
Toothpaste and baking soda
No doubt every teenager has tried to diminish the odd hormonal pimple with toothpaste. But, it may be better to stick to properly formulated spot treatments as both toothpaste and baking soda can be harsh on the skin and cause dryness and inflammation that will only infuriate the acne gods.
Sugar and coffee grinds
Both sugar and coffee grinds are regularly used in DIY face scrubs and exfoliating masks but these two ingredients can ruin your skin.
Sugar and coffee grinds have quite large fragments and with sharp edges that have no uniform shape. The when used on the skin these granules will create micro-tears in the skin and result in dryness, inflammation and redness.
Vinegar
Vinegar can often be promoted as a good way to make a DIY toner but due to the acidity, this ingredient is definitely a no-go. Dermatologist Shasa Hu once detailed to Allure just how much damage vinegar can cause for the skin:
The potentially harmful effects range from irritation, exaggerated sunburn, superficial chemical burn (from repetitive application), and depigmentation as a result of the initial irritation.
Spices
Just like fruits, spices are best left formulated by dermatologists because that 'natural flush' from your cinnamon mask is actually inflammation and irritation.
While turmericdoes have benefits for the skin it may still stain your face a nice carrot colour. So, while turmeric may not be the end of the world it is best to limit the time spent with it on your face.
While these DIY ingredients are obviously are a crime to skincare this is not the final list. Check out the video above for even more products to avoid.
