1. Hair Spray. You
may have heard somewhere that it will help set your makeup, but it
should NEVER be applied to your face because it contains lacquers and
alcohol that will dry our your skin, causing your skin to become
dehydrated and you to look older. Plus, hair spray has repellents in it
that could irritate your skin, leaving it red and bumpy.
2. Deodorant. Just because it keeps your
underarms from sweating through your shirt does not mean it should be
swiped over any area of your face that might perspire in hopes of
keeping your makeup from melting down your face. You want your skin to
be able to breathe. It's doing what it needs to for a reason, and you
don't need to stop it. If you want to learn how to keep your makeup in
place when temperatures rise, read
this.
3. Hair Color. If you color your hair regularly and want your brows to match, use a vegetable-based colorant or tinted brow
mascara
on your arches instead of your at-home hair color, since the formulas
are less harsh. Box dye can be too irritating for the skin around your
eye area and can even make your eyes burn and tear up.
4. Vegetable Shortening. Even though this can be
applied to your body skin to help treat psoriasis, it's far too heavy
for your face and may even clog your pores, leading to breakouts.
5. Shampoo. The
same surfactants that clean your hair, stripping it of excess oil and
dirt, are not the same ones that you should be cleansing your skin with.
Shampoos are manufactured to clean and do things to your hair shaft,
they're not designed to deal with the delicate molecules of your skin.
If you washed your face with shampoo, it would end up being really dry
and flaky.
6. Hair Serum. Just because a formula has
the word "serum" on the label doesn't mean it's the same kind of serum
that your skin can handle. You're trying to coat the hair shaft with
different types of ingredients that you wouldn't normally use to treat
fine lines or any other skin woes. Plus, a lot of them contain
fragrances that can heavily irritate your facial skin.
7. Body Lotion. It
would be nice to just slather on one lotion and be done with it, but
body lotions should NEVER be applied to your face because they're
usually a lot thicker and typically contain fragrances that might
irritate your facial skin. On your face, you should always use something
more gentle and delicate. Think of body lotions and creams like spackle
— they're there to fill in lost moisture, not to target your facial
needs like
anti-aging.
8. Foot Creams. This is basically a
no-brainer, but if you're desperate and only have a foot cream laying
around, DO NOT put it anywhere near your face — even if you just have a
tiny dry patch. They're just too rich, thick, and sticky to be applied
to your facial skin. They're formulated to break down thick calluses on
your feet and often contain chemical exfoliants at percentages that you
would never want to use on your face.
9. Nail Polish. Trying
to paint your face for a Halloween or costume party? This only belongs
on your nails. It has acrylic molecules that will actually dry the skin
out. So, if you're thinking about doing up your face for a theme party,
only use paint designed for your face.
10. Acetic Acids aka Vinegar. Yes, you
can apply vinegar onto your face as a toner, but it's better to get a
toner that contains the ingredient instead of whipping a bottle out of
your kitchen cabinet. Vinegar can lose water over time and become
stronger, so if you use it on your skin, it can actually burn it if you
don't know exactly how long it's been in your possession.
11. Mayonnaise. This ingredient is in a
lot of DIY hair masks because it's hydrating TO YOUR HAIR. But it's not a
good idea to put it on your skin because it's too acidic and too
occlusive, meaning it doesn't allow your skin to breathe and can clog
your pores. If you want to try any at-home facial masks, here are a
few that are safe to whip up.
