DIY hacks are everywhere nowadays. Log on to Facebook and you're guaranteed to find a DIY something on your newsfeed, right? The hobby of making it all on your own is cheap, easy and fun — or so they say. As you read this there's probably some Pinterest addict building a table out of trash or slathering a turmeric yogurt mask on their face. However, there are some things, that perhaps, we shouldn't do on our own: Such as skin care.
So, what's wrong with DIY skin care? Well, a lot of the so-called tinctures simply don't work, and worst of all, some actually do more harm than not. And all natural and organic may be great for what you put on your plate, but it's not always the best when it comes to skin care.
With all that in mind, proceed with caution: And check out four DIY skin care hacks that you should stop... right now!
Image via Imaxtree
Lemon Juice as a Brightener
Lemon is a trendy ingredient in skin care. I'll even admit that I am a lemon trend follower. One of my favorite exfoliators contains lemon extract, and it works wonders to brighten my skin. Pure lemon, however, is a different dangerous story. Using pure lemon on your face can break down the skin's natural barrier, and can cause intense burning, irritation and make your skin even more sensitive to sun exposure. In super confusing scientific speak: An ideal pH level for your skin is anywhere between 4-5. A lemon's pH is a very low, very acidic, 2.
Image via Géza Bálint Ujvárosi/EyeEm/Getty
Instead of Lemon Juice, Try...
Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop, $23
If you want the benefits of lemon, try a product that is safely formulated with lemon extract instead. Let the fancy scientists do that work for you! But, if you're looking for a brighter complexion, then you'd benefit even more by using a vitamin C serum, such as this option from Klairs. The K-beauty favorite does everything you think that lemon in your fridge does and more. It also helps protect the skin from pigmentation and reduces appearance of fine lines. And honestly: Can a lemon do that?
Toothpaste as an Acne Spot Treatment
This DIY is tricky: Toothpaste does, in fact, have the potential to shrink pimples, and that's because, it dries your pimple out. That's it. All it does is dry your skin. But, a pimple is a build up of oil and dirt — it's an infection — and toothpaste does nothing to actually treat the real issues at play.
Toothpaste is for your teeth — it says it all in the name — and, so, its ingredients aren't formulated to benefit your skin. It's made with harsh chemicals, fragrances and additives that in the long run can f-you up, and lead to skin irritation, clogged pores, drying and scarring.
Image via Yunio Baro Gomez/EyeEm/Getty
Instead of Toothpaste, Try...
Cosrx Acne Pimple Master Patch, $5.
If you really want to kill a zit, try an acne patch. These convenient little colloidal stickers not only shrink pimples, they also breaks down all the impurities under your skin to help remove them completely.
