The Internet has become the holy grail of all things beauty. From expert tips to ingenious hacks, it's nothing short of a treasure trove for us beauty buffs. But there are some beauty hacks where we draw the line on accounts of either causing harm, irreversible damage to our skin or just plain stupidly misguided! We’ve curated five beauty hacks and trends you should steer clear of to maintain a healthy relationship with your skin.
- 01. Skip sunscreen to get a natural contour
- 02. Glue as a pore cleanser
- 03. Toothpaste for acne
- 04. Lemon juice on the skin
- 05. Roll-ons as primer
01. Skip sunscreen to get a natural contour
The idea behind this hack is to skip sunscreen on the areas of your face you want contoured and step out in the sun. The hack is to help achieve a bronzed tone on the exposed areas owing to the tan. But is it seriously worth damaging your skin cells and exposing your bare skin to harmful rays? Hard pass! A contour powder is a much safer and cost-effective option. Don’t forget to use sunscreen on your face before, though!
02. Glue as a pore cleanser
Before a dermat gasps for air because of this hack, let us tell you this: no X infinity. Playing with liquid glue as a child and peeling it off your hands is one thing but relying on it for skincare? Nah. First of all, the consistency of glue is too thin to pull off the stubborn gunk and grime out of your pores. Secondly, it has innumerable chemicals that should never get access to your skin in general and especially your face, which is prone to be more sensitive to products comparatively.
03. Toothpaste for acne
We are all guilty of trying this hack because our skin just senses when you have a big day coming up and breaks out its weapons of destruction—pimples. But toothpaste is meant for your teeth, not breakouts on the skin. Plus, the antibacterial compound triclosan that was once an active part of its formulation is no longer widely used in making toothpaste. So time to trade in toothpaste for zit patches.
04. Lemon juice on the skin
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, or if you’re having a bad day, a mojito. But don’t rub it on your skin to make it glow. Of course, lemons are a great source of vitamin C, but here’s the catch. Along with vitamin C, lemons also carry other acids in a bigger ratio than our skin requires. And every lemon has a varying ratio of vitamin C, which might not always be the best decision for your skin. So next time you’re yearning for a brighter, glowing and supple skin, opt for vitamin c skincare like the Lakmé 9to5 VitC+ facial serum or Lakmé 9to5 VitC+ Clay with Niacinamide, Kaolin and Bentonite Clay. It’s a healthier skincare choice.
05. Roll-ons as primer
The internet is especially notorious for making alternative uses of one product. While we usually love a good money-saving tip, deodorant rolls on or lubricant as a primer is a no-brainer pass! Lubricant on the face can lead to skin sensitivities or allergies to some of the ingredients often found in lube, like castor oil, chlorhexidine, and spermicide. And deodorants are usually made with pore-clogging ingredients such as magnesium and parabens, and well, guess we don’t have to say it out loud, but who likes clogged-pores? Instead, invest in a good and safe pore-minimising primer like the Lakmé Absolute Blur Perfect Makeup Primer. You can have smooth skin and keep your pores healthy; it’s THAT simple.
Written by Anyuktha Nallani on Dec 25, 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!