DIYs are always tempting. It’s less expensive, sometimes easier, more natural, and can be made with things you already have lying around. But the DIY skin remedy craze in particular has gone a little off the rails. Often people get so caught up in the novelty of using household items to make skin products that they don’t think twice about what they’re putting on their face. One of the biggest examples of this are treatments to get rid of the blackheads on your nose, when really, those aren’t blackheads at all! They’re called sebaceous filaments, and they regulate an oil on your skin called sebum. If you touch or abuse them with aggressive treatments, you’re only making it worse. There’s a reason products get tested and reworked before they hit the market, so you should be wary of what a DIY internet article may be telling you. Our skin is delicate and temperamental, so there are some ingredients dermatologists say you should steer clear of to avoid irreversible damage.
Lemons
This fruit is deceptively fresh and tart, leading you to believe that it’s doing wonders for your skin. Sometimes lemons are useful for helping clear up stretch marks or acne scars, but often it’s suggested you apply them (along with other ingredients) directly to the skin. Don’t do this—lemon is so acidic that it breaks down the enamel in your teeth, so imagine what it does to your skin! To top it all off, if you go out into the sun after applying a DIY lemon concoction, you can end up with some nasty burns.
Toothpaste
I’ve also fallen victim to this old trick. It’s a popular remedy that toothpaste will dry out a pimple that pops up on your nose or cheeks if you’re in a pinch, or that it works as a scrub for clearing out blackheads or other bumps. It may very well dry out your zit, but it can also burn and damage the skin and leave scars that will last much longer than the actual blemish.
Sugar
While sugar, lemon and honey seem like a dream trio for face treatments, the truth is actually much less glamorous. Sugar might be okay for body or leg scrubs, but the crystals are too hard and sharp for the skin on the face. It may leave skin feeling smooth, but it’s actually creating small tears and scratches that will end up aging your face in the long run.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Vinegar has been hailed as the elixir of life lately, said to cure things from small blemishes to chronic digestive problems. However, this is one ingredient you should use sparingly, if at all. Directions to apply this stuff overnight or for more than 24 hours have led to serious burns that caused much more damage than the initial problem. Diluting it with plenty of water and applying for 50 seconds may not be terrible, but applying it to your face directly is always a bad idea. It smells bad and is too acidic, anyway.
Rubbing alcohol
You should watch out for this ingredient even in products you find in stores. Alcohol is one of the most drying, damaging things you can apply to your face. The stinging and tingliness may lead you to believe it’s working, but it’s really breaking down your skin cells. It even breaks the DNA in the cells, leading to prolonged dryness, redness, and irreversible damage that can prematurely age your skin. If you decide to keep using any of these products, make sure it isn’t this one!