Setting your make-up with hairspray
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It holds your hair in place, so why not have it pull double duty as a make-up setting spray? Answer: irritation, dryness, flaking... Stick to translucent powder or a setting spray that's actually formulated for the face.
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Toning with rubbing alcohol
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This is like the nuclear option of toners. It will obliterate oil, as well as all of skin’s moisture, leaving it tight, dry, and possibly (probably) irritated. Your skin may also counterattack by producing more oil. No thanks.
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Dotting glue on blackheads
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We get it, blackheads are the worst and you’re willing to try just about anything to get rid of them. But, while certainly not toxic — school glue is, after all, made for kids — it could potentially irritate skin. Rather than risk it, talk to your dermatologist about an Rx retinoid, which, unlike glue, has been proven to really stick it to dirty pores.
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Mattifying with deodorant
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If you’re desperate for a mattifier and can’t get out to buy a primer or powder, here’s a crazy hack that actually works: toilet seat covers from public bathrooms make excellent oil blotters. As for antiperspirant, it suppresses sweat, not oil production. And, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, the powdery ingredients in it may leave facial skin irritated and rashy — or could clog pores.
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Spot treating with nappy rash cream
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No, um, butts about it, this spot treatment stand-in is chock-full of soothing and anti-inflammatory zinc oxide and is designed to treat redness on the most sensitive of skins. But the creams usually also contain stuff (occlusive ingredients like mineral and other oils, paraffin, and synthetic beeswax) you don’t want anywhere near your face if you’re acne-prone, much less on a blemish.
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This skin-tightening “secret” has been around for ages. You know what else has been around for ages? Salmonella.
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Applying raw egg whites to tighten your face
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Putting toothpaste on spots
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Sure, it might dry out spots and blemishes thanks to ingredients like baking soda and peroxide, but there’s a good chance it might also leave the area redder and more irritated. In fact, for some people who go all out while brushing, migrating toothpaste can cause tiny red and rashy bumps around the mouth. Toothpaste + skin is just not a great combo.
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Exfoliating with sugar, salt, or baking soda
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Three more to file under “Fine for your body, not your face.” The granules — commonly used in DIY exfoliating scrubs — can have rough or jagged edges, or may simply be too harsh on sensitive skin, potentially leaving it red and raw. A kinder, gentler way to glow: lightly rub skin in a circular motion with a soft washcloth while cleansing.
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Eliminating dead cells with lemon or lime juice
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You know how even just a drop of lemon juice makes your mouth go all puckery? That’s pretty much how your face will feel if you force these super-acidic juices on it: they're way too harsh. Even worse, if you’re anywhere near the sun, they can trigger a chemical reaction that causes a rash, a severe (blister-level) burn, or blotches of hyperpigmentation.
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Using coconut oil as a face moisturiser
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This is a controversial one considering coconut oil is the thing right now. But here’s the good news: By all means, keep cooking with it and rubbing it in your hair and all over your dry body bits. But as a face moisturiser? Unless you never ever break out and your skin is Sahara-level dry, you’re asking for clogged pores.
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