Homemade beauty treatments can be a lot of a fun and a great way to save time and money. However, you have to be very careful about the ingredients you choose. Some ingredients are safe for the body, but not for the face. Others are dangerous when exposed to sun, and yet more are best to be left to the professionals!
1. Lemon
Lemon has many benefits from antibacterial to lightening, however, it is very acidic and can become phototoxic which means it can cause blisters or sunburns when exposed to light.
2. Toothpaste or Milk of Magnesia for pimples
Toothpaste and Milk of Magnesia are often thought of as home remedies to zap a zit. Except for the fact that toothpaste belongs in your mouth, not on your skin and Milk Of Magnesia belongs in your tummy, not on your skin. These can also cause skin irritation, an allergic reaction and clog pores, says Dr. David Bank, a dermatologist, and author of Beautiful Skin: Every Woman’s Guide to Looking Her Best at Any Age, and founder/director of The Center For Dermatology, Cosmetic & Laser Surgery in Mt. Kisco, NY.
3. Tomatoes
While tomatoes are commonly used as a lemon substitute in popular sugar exfoliating scrubs, adding a tomato will do more damage than good because it contains high levels of lycopene, says Sara O’Brien, Sr. Beauty Consultant at. When exposed to longer durations of sunlight or UV light, excessive lycopene can cause collagen breakdown, which is not what you want. Use alternatives like Jojoba Beans in your scrubs instead.
4. Lavender
Lavender is likely to cause hyper-pigmentation because it contains Coumarin. If darkening your skin was not what you were looking for, steer clear of lavender oil in your homemade skincare mix, says O’Brien.
5. Egg Whites
Egg whites can offer a mini face lift by tightening the skin, however salmonella is always a risk if you accidentally ingest it, says Loving.
6. Tumeric
Tumeric is a wonderful anti-inflammatory, especially when used in foods, if you use it for DIY beauty make sure to blend it well as it can potentially burn the skin and even stain, says Loving. Tumeric extract would be a better option if you decide to use in recipes for beauty.
7. Hydrogen Peroxide
This is a well-known ingredient for lightening and as an antibacterial ingredient, however it is very harsh on both hair and skin as it is photo toxic and can lead to blisters and sunburns, says Loving. If used on skin daily it will prevent healing of the skin if repeatedly applied.
8. Sugar
Sugar is a favorite exfoliant but it is much better for our bodies than our face because it is too aggressive and harsh of a scrub to use on our sensitive facial skin, says Loving. A better alternative is jojoba beads for the face.
9. Preparation H
Some think that Preparation H will help cure bags under the eyes, wrinkles on the body, and even cellulite. This is simply not true. Preparation H is an inflammatory that is used to shrink hemorrhoids and any claim that it can shrink puffiness in or under the skin is not medically based, says Dr. Bank.
10. Alcohol
Washing with alcohol cannot and will not remove blackheads. Using alcohol on your skin will result in excessive drying and may even increase blemishes, says O’Brien. Try raw honey instead, it has endless skincare benefits.
11. Olive Oil
Are you using olive oil as a cleansing oil? Stop. There are absolutely no benefits in adding this to your face, especially if you are prone to breakouts, says O’Brien. A safer oil alternative is Grape Seed Oil.
12. Walnut Shells
Walnuts shells are often considered as a DIY skin exfoliator but this is a terrible idea because they may contain irregular shaped particles with sharp edges that can break capillaries in the delicate facial area, says Dr. Bank.
