Hello everyone! I am so happy to be back on the blog after going through some life and career changes. Everything is going fantastic and I can’t wait to post regularly again!!
So for today’s topic we are signing into our Pinterest accounts, going to our “skincare” boards and deleting everything.
I am only sort of joking.
In a world where information is at our fingertips, everyone seems to be a professional. It is also popular to try budget hacks that use household items. I’m all for saving money, but alot of times you can do more harm than good with these hacks and end up having to spend double the money eventually seeing a professional. Same with dying or cutting your hair at home…us professionals didn’t go to school just for fun?! We have knowledge we want to spread and sometimes I want to literally shout it from my rooftops when I see these sorts of things online.
1) Coconut oil coffee Face scrub
Here’s the ingredients (1/4th cup of raw coconut oil, ½ cup of coffee grounds, few drops of vanilla extract, 4 tablespoons of brown sugar)
Although this sounds super yummy and delicious, it is too abrasive for the delicate facial area. I would recommend this for the body perhaps, but definitely not the face. Coconut oil in general is not bad for the face, but not as great as alot of people think it is. It is an occlusive product, meaning the skin does not absorb it fully and it creates a barrier in the skin which can clog pores. I would not use pure coconut oil ever on the face, only diluted or as an added ingredient.
2) Honey Lemon Face Mask
This one makes me cringe so hard. If you use your bottled honey in your pantry and squeeze some lemon juice into it then put it on your face, I guarantee you are doing more harm than good. Lemons are extremely acidic and can be too strong for the skin’s PH (even though our skin is already naturally acidic!). Using raw lemons on your face make it much more susceptible to sun damage as well. And honey in skincare is great, but it needs to be controlled and extracted properly.
3) Exfoliating Mask
This one uses a tbsp of baking soda with a 1/2 cup of water.
Baking soda is alkaline on the pH scale and can also cause alot of disruption to the skin. Our skin is naturally a 3.5-4.5 on the pH scale where baking soda is a 9. Using this directly, only diluted in water, can cause redness and itching, as well as chemical burns!
4) Any Peel off mask that involves glue
This should really go without saying, but hey, if it went viral online you may have the urge to try it. But please don’t! Glue is not made to be used on the skin and has chemicals that shouldn’t go near your eyes or mouth either.
5) Toothpaste for spot treating Pimples
This is a hack that has been around quite a while. I’ve used it before I knew better! It really isn’t benefitting the skin at all. Toothpaste is drying out the pimple due to the ingredients menthol and peroxide, but it is not helping the skin! A spot treatment is an easy replacement that is designed for use on the skin and won’t be as damaging and helps to prevent further pimples.
I’m not trying to discourage anyone from trying skincare because everyone should be involved in their skin health! And we all have to start somewhere. The best option is to see a professional who can prescribe a proper home care regimen for your skin type and that way you don’t have to waste money on the wrong products or by damaging your skin with cheap DIYs! Spend some money upfront, and save a ton in the long run…and look better!
Have you tried any of these hacks? What do you think of them??
Let me know below! Thanks for reading 🙂
