8 beauty tips that are actually dangerous
Using a bobby pin to create the perfect cat eye is a beauty hack we love, but there are plenty of other dangerous beauty tips floating around on the interwebz that we want to strongly advise against following.
While the Victorian era provided some of the most absurd, don’t-try-this-at-home beauty “tips” imaginable (think: squeezing orange juice directly into your eyes to make them glisten, oy!) there are some modern beauty tricks that are just as cringeworthy, but that many beauty mavens have tried (with terrible results).
Keep reading for eight beauty tips that are actually dangerous.
1Using a shot glass to plump up your lips.
Throwback to when I was stupid and did the #kyliejennerchallenge 😂😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/efGkAefWED
— Taylor Lopez (@TaylorLopez) December 9, 2015
We’ll kick off this list with a super-obvious beauty “hack” that should have a DNR label stamped permanently across it. The “Kylie Jenner Lip Challenge” — which consisted of squishing your lips into a shot glass and using the suction created to plump up your pucker — had a brief moment of internet popularity in 2015, but doctors quickly warned the trend was dangerous. And oh yeah, there were those videos. Shudder. Watch at your own risk.
2Using deodorant to mattify your face.
Last year, a tutorial made the rounds online suggesting that deodorant or antiperspirant can be applied to the face as a primer and to mattify the skin, since its “powdery ingredients” soak up sweat and oil and its “mineral salts…can help dry out zits,” according to the Instagram post above.
But products meant to stop sweating or neutralize odors under the armpits can actually be dangerous for the face, since the skin in those areas is so different. Deodorant can irritate the skin on the face, causing rashes and breakouts. And antiperspirants contain aluminum, which can negatively effect mental and motor function.
3Using cinnamon as a face mask.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUHxLUqNDIQ?feature=oembed
After French beauty vlogger Marie Lopez recommended the use of cinnamon as an ingredient in a DIY face mask, the trend blew up online. But some of her fans quickly noted that their cinnamon masks made their skin burn — and that’s not surprising: Cinnamon is a dermo-caustic, allergenic plant that’s known to have burning effects on the skin. Plus it’s a spice, which is used in cooking to generate heat, so it makes sense that it would irritate the skin. Remember: Just because something is natural, doesn’t mean it can be used for everything.
4Using Elmer’s glue to remove blackheads.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4WK1qsVFgw?feature=oembed
Not only can Elmer’s glue clog pores — since it’s not formulated for use on skin — beauty hackers who have tried this trick report that it hurts like hell. Plus, many of us are allergic to the ingredients in white glue but wouldn’t know it, because we don’t typically apply glue to our skin. Moral of the story? Skip this and stick to your nightly sheet mask.
5Using hairspray to set your makeup.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tad3gf9RSMI?feature=oembed
Many beauty vloggers have recommended spraying your face with hairspray to set your makeup, and to this we say: Please do not. Hairspray contains a lot of alcohol, which can dry your skin significantly and cause breakouts. Plus, you could have an allergic reaction and end up with a rash. Yeah. No, thank you.
6Using a Sharpie as eyeliner.
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We have Taylor Swift to thank for this absurd beauty tip. In 2010, the singer revealed that she used a permanent marker to line her eyes in a pinch, but quickly realized it was a bad eye-dea (ha ha), saying, “I definitely don’t recommend drawing on your eyes with a Sharpie.” Neither do we. First of all, the fumes from a Sharpie can seriously irritate your eyes, leaving them red and watery. Plus, the ingredients in a permanent marker are not meant for the face, so they can cause irritation and even lash-line pimples, which are super painful.
7Using lemon juice to lighten dark spots.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pmMBvQ9XFQ?feature=oembed
Not only is lemon juice drying to your skin and highly acidic — and therefore irritating — it’s also phototoxic, meaning it can actually aggravate dark spots if you go out into the sun with lemon juice on your face. Instead of lightening dark spots, you may end up with what looks like a sunburn.
8Using the contents of a glow stick to make glow-in-the-dark nail polish.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmWBYfjojcc?feature=oembed
Watch the video above and you’ll learn that mixing clear nail polish with the contents of a glow stick to make glow-in-the-dark nail polish (a concept popularized on Pinterest) doesn’t actually work. But more than that, this bizarre beauty tip can be dangerous. According to the Illinois Poison Center, the liquid inside a glow stick is considered “minimally toxic,” but can cause irritation to the mouth and throat if swallowed, and to the skin if contact is made. Think about how often you put your fingers in your mouth — is it really worth it for nail polish that doesn’t actually glow? We didn’t think so. Try this glowing nail polish option instead (it even comes in a skull-shaped bottle!).
In general, don’t put stuff on your face that’s not meant for your face. And if you really want to put something ~DIY~ on your face, talk to a dermatologist or aesthetician first. Please. For your own good — and ours. We worry.
