The facial skin is a very sensitive area of our body. So, it needs to be taken adequate care of, that is, we need to be very cautious about what we apply onto it and how often we clean it. When it comes to cleaning the face, there are a lot of cleaning methods out there; however, not all of these methods are beneficial. In fact, most of the methods you already know may be doing more harm to your skin than good.
Below, there is a list of 10 ingredients that you should never apply onto your face. Let’s take a look:
Lemon
Lemon is a highly acidic fruit which can cause permanent skin damage, that is, it can change the natural pH of the acid mantle and cause skin irritation, sun sensitivity, and hyper pigmentation.
Hairspray
A lot of women tend to apply hairspray onto their face after applying makeup in order to make it last longer. However, you should avoid doing this because hairspray contains alcohol which can cause damage to the skin and the eyes. Furthermore, your facial skin will later be sticky and flaky. This spray is made for the hair so you should definitely avoid applying it onto the face.
Toothpaste
A lot of people tend to apply toothpaste onto pimples and zits to dry them out quicker; however, toothpaste will also destroy healthy moisture from the surrounding skin areas and may also burn the skin and leave dark patches. Avoid using toothpaste for this purpose and instead opt for tea tree oil or benzoyl peroxide.
Petroleum jelly
Petroleum jelly should not be used as a skin moisturizer for a longer period of time. Even though the skin feels soft after the first few applications of petroleum jelly, long-term use causes dryness due to the enclosure of both the moisture and the debris under the skin.
Hot water
Warm or hot water opens the pores and this allows dirt to enter and cause inflammations and infections. Instead of using warm or hot water to wash your face, you should use lukewarm water and avoid spending too much time showering, especially in the winter period when the skin is more prone to dryness and itchiness.
Hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide should never be used as a cleaning agent for the facial skin because it can lead to burns and blisters due to oxidative stress.
Body lotion
You should never cleanse the face with body lotion because if it was created for the facial skin, it would not be called body lotion. The facial skin is different from the skin on the rest of the body so it requires different cleaning methods.
Rubbing alcohol
Rubbing alcohol can be used for disinfection of minor wounds; however, using it as a facial cleaner is not recommendable because it may lead to infection and inflammation.
Baking soda
Opposite to what you may have thought by now and what numerous beauty bloggers advise, baking soda is not a good skin cleaning agent because it is an alkaline ingredient which destroys the acid mantle of the skin which protects it from pollution, damage, and bacteria, removes the oil and moisture from the skin, and makes it more sensitive to sun exposure.
Sugar
Unfortunately, cleaning the face with sugar can damage the skin and dehydrate it. Although it can be used as a scrubbing agent for other body parts like the legs, using sugar to clean your facial skin is a no.