6 No-No DIY Beauty Ingredients

There are so many DIY recipes on the internet for your skin. Some are good some are downright horrible. DIY treatments are quite popular because they are low cost and easy to make.

Some may think that DIY ingredients are even safer compared to skin care products that have hard to read ingredients, which is not always the case.

I love DIY beauty treatments. Some ingredients like yogurt, avocado, oat flour, white clay and honey could have beneficial effects to the skin. However, there are some ingredients that are no-no for our face.

What are those no-no DIY ingredients?

The lipid (sebum) layer on the skin is composed of fatty acids secreted by the sebaceous glands. This sebum layer prevents moisture loss and protects skin elasticity. Further, our skin has a pH of around 5, which prevents the growth of bad bacteria, development of infections and acne. Any disruption of this delicate balance could make our skin very unhappy resulting in irritation, dryness, excess oiliness or acne.

1- Baking soda

Some use baking soda as an exfoliant in DIY treatments. Baking soda has a high pH around 9-10, which could alter the natural pH of your skin. Balanced skin pH is important to protect moisture and against irritation and bacterial infections. So use baking soda with caution.

2- Citrus fruits

DIY recipes use citrus fruits for acne, lighten the skin or exfoliation. Citrus fruits like oranges, lemons and grapefruits if used in excess can irritate the skin. These fruits have a lower pH of 2 and can disturb the natural pH of the skin. The amount of citric acid in citrus fruits causes the low pH. Between different citrus fruits the level of the citric acid could change even between different kinds of lemons. Thus, using Meyer lemons versus another kind of lemon could change the pH of the DIY recipe.

Additionally, citrus fruits are considered phototoxic, which means causing sun sensitivity of the skin. Phototoxicity or photosensitization could occur when you have lemon juice all over your face during daylight and skin becomes sensitive to sun resulting in irritation and damages easily [2].

Citrus fruits like lemons contain psoralen that makes the skin extremely sensitive to the sun [3]. Psoralen stays on the skin for 24 hours. So if you want to use citrus fruits or lemons in your DIY recipes please do not use it directly, dilute it or use a minute amount, and avoid sun exposure for 24 hours.

If you have wounds, dry or sensitive skin, you should avoid DIY treatments with lemon juice. Avoid using citrus fruit juices (like lemon) on areas with thin skin like lips and eyes.

3- Eggs and egg whites

Although egg white mask can provide a tightening effect on the skin, it is temporary. Raw eggs can also have Salmonella, which can cause health problems. Please CLICK HERE for egg white mask article.

4- Coarse coffee granules and sugar crystals

Uneven, sharp and coarse edges of big coffee granules and sugar crystals can cause micro-tears on your face and destroy the natural barrier of the skin.

These micro-scratches will irritate your skin and the sebum layer making the surface rough and flaky instead of smooth and soft. Sugar and coffee grains can be preferred to be used in body DIY exfoliators.

If you would like to have a physical exfoliation either choose skin care product suitable to your skin type or visit your skincare specialist.

5- Vinegar

White vinegar or apple cider vinegar both have a distinct odor and low pH around 2 to 3. They can eliminate certain bacteria and yeast. If used directly on the face, vinegar could disturb the pH of the skin. Additionally, vinegar smell is not pleasant. So please do not use white vinegar or undiluted apple cider vinegar on your skin.

6- Spices

Some spices used in DIY facials can be irritating to some people. For instance red pepper is a spice and it can burn you and your skin. Adding cinnamon to a DIY facial could be risky since our face is sensitive and can get easily irritated. Using turmeric in the facial mask can stain your skin to orange without expected benefits. To be on the safe side, stay away from spices in DIY facial recipes.

:)

Dr.Ebru

Scientific References

1-Skin pH: from basic science to basic skin care. Ali SM, Yosipovitch G. Acta Derm Venereol. 2013 May;93(3):261-7.

2- A study of the phototoxicity of lemon oil. Naganuma M, Hirose S, Nakayama Y, Nakajima K, Someya T. Arch Dermatol Res. 1985;278(1):31-6.

3- A tropical skin eruption. Greenaway C. Can J Infect Dis. 2002 Mar;13(2):82-142.

Dip not: Bu yazi reçete, ilaç, medikal veya tedavi edici tıbbi önerilerin yerine kullanılma amacını taşımamaktadır. Bu nedenle, sağlığınızla ilgili konularda, lütfen profesyonel sağlık personeline danışınız.

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