We LOVE hacks! The word itself will make me click on any and every story. We are always low on time and sometimes lazy to replenish products, so if you tell me my kitchen has things that can be used to replace products that I am too lazy to buy (or can’t afford), I am literally all eyes and ears. Sometimes it’s not even the laziness, it is just the sheer thrill of creating a mask from contents in your fridge. Our grandmothers and their mothers used kitchen ingredients all the time, why shouldn’t we? I am not denying it, some of these ingredients are DEFINITELY really good and work beautifully (hello, turmeric), but sometimes these hacks seem to cross the line.
There are a lot of popular beauty hacks are going viral because they worked for a couple of people but it might not necessarily be good for you! So let’s talk about some of those viral hacks and why they are bad for you shall we?
1. Deodorant as a primer
Well, on paper it makes sense. It stops your armpit from sweating and also keeps it matte, essentially that is what a primer does. RIGHT? But we are missing a supremely important point here, biologically speaking, YOUR FACE IS NOT AN ARMPIT. Extreme dryness, irritation and redness, flaky skin are just a few reasons I could give you for not using an antiperspirant on your face! It has harmful salts and fragrances that could gravely affect your skin.
2. Using toothpaste on your pimples
This isn’t the first time you’re hearing this. Yes, the toothpaste will dry your pimple out because of the baking soda bicarbonate it contains BUT it will also cause the surrounding area skin to itch and flake. Keep the toothpaste for your teeth and use a topical cream with salicylic acid, please!
3. Scrubbing with lemon or lime
Seriously, this you need to stop right away. The feeling the lemon gives to your mouth when you have some juice unfiltered is the same thing it will do to your face. Do you know there’s a lemon related hack where you douse your hair in lemon or lime juice and then go out in the sun and it naturally gives you highlights? Now imagine putting the lemon juice on your skin, washing it off but not getting it all and then going out in the sun. Lemon on the face, NO! Dilute it with water, honey or oil and make sure you don’t step out in the sun immediately.
4. Using glue for blackheads
This disturbing hack has been doing the rounds lately, where people mix regular school glue (Fevicol) with activated charcoal powder and use it as a nose pore cleaning strip! There are a lot of ingredients in the glue that could potentially dry out and harm the skin, not to mention the accelerated effect it has when mixed with charcoal. Please just get nose strips!
Also Read Vaseline Beauty Hacks For Face
5. Setting makeup with hairspray
Again, on paper, it makes sense. It sets my hair in place so it can keep my makeup in place too. I THINK NOT! The mildest hairspray still has a lot of harmful ingredients. When you’re at a professional salon getting your hair done have you seen how they shield your hairline so the hairspray cannot make contact with your skin? Yes. They know what’s good! Stick to translucent powder and a setting spray made FOR your face!
Seriously, there are a lot of wonderful hacks out there, but give things a thought before giving them a shot to avoid taking a shot (get it?).
Images: Shutterstock
