5 Harmful Skincare DIYs That Can Ruin Your Skin

We are all looking for a solution to different skin issues varying from acne to dark spots and uneven skin tone. And who doesn’t want to save some bucks on those solutions/ treatments? 

And when you scroll through Pinterest you will find that every skincare issue can be solved by using kitchen ingredients. While some of those ingredients might work but a majority of those DIYs are harmful to your skin’s health.

Today I thought of talking about 5 most commonly known skincare DIYs that are famous in every household and why you should NEVER try them! While we’re at it, I’ll also try to suggest safer alternatives so you can still treat your skin the right way!

1. LEMON

Lemon is my favourite thing in the world. I drink lemon tea daily and mixing it with warm water every morning really helps my gut. BUT what I don’t love is using lemon on your face.

Every other DIY treatment on the internet involves lemon because it has Vitamin C and citric acid. People use it often to reduce acne scars and uneven skin tone.

Can you all relate with this skincare meme made by yours truly on her Instagram? (Don’t forget to check out my profile)

Why Isn’t It A Good Idea?

For those who think citric acid in a lemon (an AHA) can exfoliate your skin, sorry to pop your bubble – it can’t penetrate the skin deep enough to remove dead skin cells.

Lemon has a very low pH ranging between 2 and 3. Remember sulfuric acid from Chemistry lab? Its pH is 1 and I think this would give you a better idea of how acidic lemon is.

To put things in perspective, our skin’s natural pH is also acidic (ideal being 5.5 but ranges from 4.8 to 6) and any product that has a pH below 3-3.5 should be a big NO.

What To Do Instead?

If you want to reduce uneven skin tone and hyperpigmentation, there’s nothing better than Glycolic acid. It gets rid of the dead skin cells and also reveals brighter-looking, fresh skin.

Product Recommendations:

• Pixi Glow Tonic (Contains 5% Glycolic Acid)
• The Ordinary 7% Glycolic Acid Toner
• The Ordinary 30% AHA + 2% BHA Peeling Solution (Very potent. Use only if your skin is used to acids)
• Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum
• Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial

If you’re confused between the Pixi Glow Tonic & The Ordinary Glycolic Acid, check out this detailed post where I’ve compared the two.

2. TOOTHPASTE

Not going to lie, I have done this as a teenager after reading an article in the newspaper that suggested to use toothpaste as an acne spot treatment. 

The simple logic behind this famous DIY is that Triclosan in toothpaste kills bacteria and whenever I used it, my pimple dried down. It was my go-to acne spot treatment as a girl who just hit puberty and didn’t know any better.

But consistent use of toothpaste left my skin dry, flakey and irritated. I don’t know when and how I stopped this “spot treatment” but I’m glad I did.

Why Isn’t It A Good Idea?

Ingredients like baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, menthol and triclosan in toothpaste help pull moisture from your pimple but it also irritates the skin. If you don’t want skin that’s red, dry, flakey and itchy – stay away from toothpaste. 

Instead, use the same toothpaste to brush your teeth twice a day, this would help you stay away from cavities… isn’t that a revolutionary tip? LOL!

What To Do Instead?

There are plenty of acne spot treatments available in the drugstore so look for ingredients like Benzoyl Peroxide and Salicylic Acid. You can buy a 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide ointment from any pharmacy and it’ll help you in reducing the size of the pimple really fast.

A 5% concentration is generally advised but its potent nature causes dryness too so check out what works the best for you.

Product Recommendations:

• Benzoyl peroxide gel – 2.5% or 5%
• The Ordinary 2% Salicylic Acid Solution

3. SKIN FASTING

Skin fasting is the latest skincare trend that suggests you take a break from your usual skincare routine in an effort to improve the way your skin functions. This doesn’t involve any kitchen ingredients but I like to call it a “DIY Skin Destruction”.

The theory behind it is that skin fasting allows your skin to go on a reset-mode and take better care of itself. Yes, this means no cleansing, no moisturisation and no exfoliation. This trend is my biggest skincare pet-peeve!

Why Isn’t It A Good Idea?

Imagine the dirt and dust from surroundings, sweat, oils and dead skin cells just sitting on your face for weeks and you refuse you clean it. Would you do that to your body? Like not taking a shower for a month so that your body “resets” itself. Sorry, but that’s just gross!

If your skin is naturally oily or dry, skin fasting won’t change it. You see not using products can’t alter genetics.

What To Do Instead?

If your skincare routine is working just fine for you then continue it. You don’t have to try anything new because it’s trending and your favourite beauty magazine’s editors swear by it.

If you feel that your skin is acting weird and irritated then stop using a lot of products and switch to basics – a gentle cleanser, oil-free moisturiser and sunscreen. And notice how your skin starts reacting to it. Once your skin gets to a normal stage, start exfoliating it twice to thrice a week with a glycolic acid based exfoliator like Pixi Glow Tonic or The Ordinary Glycolic Acid Toner.

And after all these things if you feel that your skin needs extra attention, visit a dermatologist.

4. BAKING SODA

Baking soda is used as a scrub for its “remarkable” exfoliating properties. You will find several easy DIY recipes that suggest using baking soda to get rid of dead skin cells.

Dead skin cells can get trapped in the hair follicles on our skin (pores) and when combined with sebum they clog pores and result in comedones – blackheads and whiteheads. So making sure you get rid of dead skin cells is important but baking soda isn’t the right way to do it.

Why Isn’t It A Good Idea?

Baking soda scrubs are abrasive and might cause tiny micro-tears in the skin which triggers various skin issues like acne and fine lines, to name a few.

Not just micro-tears, baking soda is highly alkaline and has a pH between 8-9. Remember when I just talked about our skin’s acidic nature? A highly alkaline product would strip your skin and make it very dry & dehydrated.

What To Do Instead?

Try including exfoliators in your skincare routine and your best bet would be to look for the ones that have glycolic acid and/or salicylic acid in them.

I’ve suggested a few product recommendations for the same under the first and second point. Apart from those, there are a few more salicylic acid based treatments I’ll list below.

Product Recommendations:

• Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid
• COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid
• Paula’s Choice Advanced Pore-Refining Treatment 4% BHA

Note: It’s advisable to start with 2% salicylic acid.

5. NEOSPORIN

Neosporin has been used as a spot treatment for pimples for years. The logical explanation is that neosporin is an antibiotic used on cuts, scrapes and burns to prevent infections. 

So it basically kills bacteria and since acne is caused by the bacteria P. acnes, Neosporin will make you acne-free (or would it not?)

Why Isn’t It A Good Idea?

While Neosporin does kill some bacteria, it won’t kill the bacterias that cause pimples. So it’s great for healing cuts and wounds but is not effective to kill acne-causing bacterias.

What To Do Instead?

The same as toothpaste. Use over-the-counter benzoyl peroxide gel and include salicylic acid in your routine.

To sum it up, you might find a lot of miraculous ingredients in your house that claim to solve your skin issues but it’s always advisable to do a little research. Some harmful DIYs are being recommended by everyone on the internet but that doesn’t mean it’s safe for your skin.

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