At this point, social media has become Pandora’s box for beauty, skin and hair care hacks. We see a bunch of new tips and tricks popping up almost every other day. While there are some hacks we swear by, there are others that are absolutely bizarre and need to be done away with, pronto. Here are the top five worst beauty hacks of 2021 that need to die before the new year.
- 1. Excessive foundation
- 2. Sunscreen contouring
- 3. Teeth filing
- 4. High-frequency facials
- 5. Full face wax
1. Excessive foundation

Image courtesy: Allure
Unless you live under a rock, we bet you’ve seen videos and reels of women smearing half a bottle of foundation on their face aggressively while lip-syncing to trending songs. We can’t help but wonder how cakey they must look when they step out of the glow of their ring light. All this excess foundation not only clogs your pores but is just a waste of product too. Nah, don’t want this to ring in the New Year with us!
2. Sunscreen contouring

Image courtesy: drdorabaccouche
The trend is basically about not applying sunscreen to the areas you want to contour and stepping out in the sun to tan the areas, giving you a contoured look. The idea of having a semi-permanent contour at all times seems tempting but is it worth the damage your skin will go through? Hell, nah! Let’s leave this trend back in 2021 and make smearing sunscreen overall a trend. And if you want a no-makeup tan, you can always choose self-tanning alternatives that won’t leave you with permanent skin damage.
3. Teeth filing

Image courtesy: insider
With the lockdown forcing many to become their own hairstylists, some decided to take it up a notch and become their own dentists. The trend is about filing your teeth with a nail filer to make them look even. This trend for obvious reasons caused panic among dentists who feared incorrigible enamel damage. So, please stick to using a nail filer to file your nails, because they’ll grow back, but your teeth won’t!
4. High-frequency facials

Let’s understand what high-frequency facials are. The treatment uses a glass electrode that produces either argon or neon gas, releasing a small electrical current. It works beautifully for treating acne, wrinkles and large pores. However, the matter of worry is that people are using these professional-grade tools at home and most likely using incorrect methods, which might leave lasting effects on their skin. When it comes to anything electrical, leave it to professionals and save yourself from the pain and damage.
5. Full face wax

Image courtesy: razutle Swinakponav
In this past year, if there’s one thing that became popular overnight, it was this trend. Literally, every third waxing reel was people smearing or pouring hot wax onto their face and waxing it off. Now, these videos, while highly satisfying to watch, can cause more damage than we realise. It can suffocate a person or cause a trauma shock if the wax is not pulled right! Now thinking about it, is it seriously worth 15 seconds of fame? Sis, no! I’d rather be a hairy rambutan than a dead peach.
Written by Anyuktha Nallani on Dec 10, 2021
As a skincare and makeup hoarder who watched The Devil Wears Prada a hundred times, this seems like the perfect place to be! A writer with a degree in fashion, I love everything beauty, fashion, art, and literature. When I’m not working, you will find me talking about energy cleansing, binge reading books and binge watching Kdramas while trying to select the right shade of lipstick to go grocery shopping!