Girls, there are great skincare DIYs and then there are terrible ones. Some things work wonders for our skin but some do not – which also depends on your skin type. All of us have made some or the other skincare mistakes that we are never going to repeat. We too have made some mistakes and have applied things on our skin that we shouldn’t have. Team POPxo reveal the things we should have NEVER put on our skin, ever! Take note, ladies.
1. Apricot scrub? Uh Oh!
‘I know that half the world is all praises for apricot scrubs but for someone with sensitive skin like mine, it’s not so fabulous. The large granules in this scrub give me rashes and cause redness on my face. As gently as I may try to scrub, it ends up hurting my skin more than cleaning it. So, apricot scrubs are a no no for me.’ – Manika Parasher, Lifestyle Writer & Copy Editor
2. No wax on my face, please!
‘I used to find threading my upper lip too painful to bear, which is why I opted to wax it on multiple occasions – bad decision! My skin is super sensitive and every time I would wax it, it would turn bright red and turn into horrendous burnt scabs that would take a week to peel off. Believe it or not, this happened FIVE times consecutively after waxing my upper lip, in spite of using ice and aloe vera gel to soothe the skin after waxing. Needless to say, I learnt my lesson five times over about keeping hot wax far away from my face. Now, I suck it up and just thread the area instead, in spite of the pain.’ – Priyanka Ghura, Beauty Editor
3. Undiluted lemon juice = Bad idea
‘I had heard people talk about how great lemon juice is and so, I decided to use some on my face. Now, I know it’s probably my fault for using it undiluted but after just five minutes I started to feel my skin itch and burn and even though I immediately washed it off, the pimple on my face where I had applied it was suddenly larger and uglier. The bottom line here is, don’t apply things undiluted or without realizing what type of skin you have.’ – Isheeta Sharma, Senior Lifestyle Writer
4. Tea tree skin toner woes
‘For people like me who have combination skin, a facial toner is highly recommended. Not only does it soothe and refresh your skin from within, but also removes excessive oil and traces of pollution the city leaves behind. So, I tried a tea tree toner (tea tree being an absolute oily skin favourite), and boy, was that a bad decision! Initially, I thought it was the new unfamiliar product my skin was taking time adjusting to, but that wasn’t it. The toner broke me out terribly and I just had to stop using it for good! What I learned from this – not every product will suit you even if it is ‘recommended’ for your skin type. Always check the ingredients before making a purchase. It can be fantastic or a fail!’ – Sayunkta Jain, Editorial Coordinator
5. Don’t bleach without supervision
‘Bleaching the face is a common ritual for a lot of women before special occasions. I too had the curiosity to try it, but it’s definitely something I regret putting on my skin. I tried it without any expert recommendation and it just didn’t make my skin feel so good. It caused a lot of tingling and burning on my skin and the golden facial hair soon made me feel awkward and self-conscious. So in a nutshell, I don’t think it’s the best alternative to make your skin look flawless if you’re using it under no expert supervision. I would suggest asking a dermat first and also tweak the amount of time you leave the bleach on, as that affects how golden/light the hair turns.’ – Apoorva Poonia, Trending Writer
6. Oh, the smell of egg yolks!
‘Sure egg yolk, honey and almond oil, make fabulous ingredients for a homemade face mask, but somehow, I simply can’t stand the smell of yolk. I’ve heard many people say that the mask nourishes skin and helps get rid of acne marks and blackheads, but unfortunately, I haven’t mustered the courage to give it a shot myself. I’m fine with trying any homemade face mask that contains fruits or diary, but eggs, nope! Definitely not my scene.’ – Sharon Alphonso, Lifestyle & Beauty Writer
7. A big NO for mayo!
‘I came across a couple of articles claiming that mayonnaise is good for dry skin. But the thought of it makes me feel like throwing up! My face ain’t a sandwich that I must apply mayo on it to keep it greasy. Though mayo works quite well as a hair mask, applying it on the face is something I can never imagine myself doing! It’s actually quite a terrible idea because mayonnaise can clog pores and make your skin too oily.’ – Srishti Sabharwal, Fashion Writer
8. Aloe vera isn’t always a good idea
‘I have been told by many people that aloe vera gel works wonders for your skin – it reduces spots, acne et all. Having been blessed with good genes, I thought that the gel will help me attain a clearer complexion. But because I have normal to dry skin, the aloe vera gel only made my skin drier and patchy.’ – Amrita Paul, Senior Lifestyle Writer
9. Keep me away from baking soda
‘If I had a rupee for every time somebody told me to put baking soda on my face to get rid of blackheads, I’d probably be a millionaire by now (no, I’m not even exaggerating!). Considering I have sensitive skin that is prone to breakouts, I’m scared by just the thought of putting something so harsh on my face. This is something I will absolutely never let near my skin in any case! Plus, I’ve read that somehow it causes your skin to overproduce oil and God knows I don’t need any more of that on my face!’ – Srishti Gupta, Senior Lifestyle Writer
10. Peel-off mask nightmare!
‘I’ve always had sensitive skin and most of the times, I never even try anything new! Hence, when I saw the internet being flooded with peel-off face mask miracles, I wanted to try one on my face too. Not a wise decision I must say because I had the hardest time peeling it off. It’s not easy, it does not come off so soon and it hurts, like a lot! Eventually, I had to wash it off, which hurt a lot too. I swore of experiments on my skin that day and have never tried anything like that ever again!’ – Krithika Kumar, Features Writer
