DIY Beauty Mistakes: What to Avoid When Experimenting at Home
By Jaqueline Alcala and Mason M.
DIY Beauty Mistakes: What to Avoid When Experimenting at Home
By Jaqueline Alcala and Mason M.
DIY beauty trends have taken the world by storm, offering a cost-effective, convenient, and creative way for individuals to experiment with their beauty routines from the comfort of their homes. From homemade skincare masks to at-home brow grooming kits, the appeal of DIY beauty lies in its accessibility and personalization. However, while these trends can be fun, they come with their fair share of risks. Mishaps such as skincare irritation from improper ingredient use, hair damage from DIY coloring gone wrong, lash extensions applied incorrectly, or overzealous brow grooming can lead to disappointing results- or even harm. To ensure safety and success, it's essential to follow best practices, use reputable products, and know when to consult a professional to avoid turning a beauty hack into a beauty disaster.
Skincare Pitfalls
There are a lot of educational videos about at-home skincare on the internet. But what some fail to consider is how not all ingredients are for every skincare type. For example, lemon juice is known for its brightening properties. But its high acidity can cause irritation or chemical burns, especially for sensitive skin. Other harsh chemicals include baking soda and apple cider vinegar, which are also sometimes used in at-home skincare. Baking soda has a pH of 9 to 11, while the face can only handle between 4.5-5.5 relative to the pH scale. Applying highly acidic ingredients will only harm the skin barrier and worsen its condition.
Toothpaste is also a popular remedy that people apply on pimples. It's commonly believed that it can help pimples dry or shrink, but in recent years, companies have removed triclosan from toothpaste formulas (triclosan being the bacteria killing chemical that is used to help with active pimples). Similarly, over-exfoliating with harsh sugar scrubs or using tools like facial scrubbers on delicate facial skin can strip away protective barriers, leading to redness, dryness, and increased sensitivity.
Hair and Lash DIY Mishaps
Hair and lash DIY projects can seem like a cost-saving and convenient alternative to salon visits, but they couldcome with risks when not executed correctly. At-home hair coloring, for example, can lead to uneven color, unexpected hues, or damage from overprocessing, especially when using harsh bleaching agents without proper technique or aftercare. Overusing heat tools like curling irons or straighteners without a heat protectant can intensify the damage, leading to brittle, weakened hair or lashes that are more prone to breakage. The delicate nature of both hair and lashes makes it essential to use high-quality products and avoid shortcuts that compromise safety. For complex or high-risk procedures, consulting a professional can lead to better results and also minimize the risk of irreversible damage. To abstain from this, it's highly recommended to conduct a patch test for our Double Lash and Brow Growth Serum and follow instructions carefully.
@glowforitshop Replying to @🃏 This is how you patch test to check if you can use our lash serum! While our lash serum is completely safe to use, we recommend patch testing to check for allergies to any of the ingredients that we contain 💕 #glowforit #glowforitlashserum #glowforitlashes #patchtest ♬ original sound - GLOW FOR IT
Brow Grooming Mistakes
For a lot of women, eyebrows can make or break your beauty routine. Women all over the world spend hundreds of dollars on eyebrow tinting a year, so cost can quickly add up. This leads to many women turning to DIY methods, which can be the more viable option, but only when taking the proper precautions.
Plucking brows with tweezers is a common way to groom eyebrows at home. Although the process seems simple, it’s important to be mindful of some common mistakes that can occur. Over-plucking the eyebrows can lead to irritation, in-grown hair and possible infection. Recovering from over-plucked eyebrows can take anywhere from 3-4 weeks, so it’s best to pluck with a light hand, and apply a soothing ointment post-pluck. If you stand back and realize you’ve removed too much hair, let the skin recover then go in with our Double Lash and Brow Growth Serum to turn back the clock and get your brows back.
Waxing can also be dangerous when uninformed and ill-prepared. The wax can be runny and messy, so make sure to map out your preferred brow shape with a brow pencil beforehand. We would also recommend pre-waxed strip sheets, like the Athena Wax Strip Kit for Face. This allows for more precise control and avoids painful, patchy brows.
General DIY Safety Tips
When trying anything new, it’s best to do your research to really understand what works best for you and your skin. As a rule of thumb, it’s best to test out new products and DIY methods before getting started. Consider a Patch Test-apply the product to a small patch on the wristand wait 24 hours before proceeding with your DIY project. This prevents a bigger allergic reaction from occurring all over the face versus a small reaction on a small patch of skin.
Another tip is to avoid using non-cosmetic items for cosmetic purposes. Remember, the skin is still an organ, and there is a reason why beauty tools and products must be regulated by the FDA. This leads us to the third tip-follow the instructions to the letter for the best results. It’s easy to skim over the back of a product and reason that we’ll “figure it out”, but there’s a lot of chemistry that goes into cosmetic products that must be followedto have fulfilling results. When in doubt, always double check the instructions.
When to Consult a Professional
As much as we love a good deal and trying new methods, understanding when it’s time to contact a professional can make all of the difference.Waxing your unibrow is one thing, but anything involving needles, blood, or the eyes should probably be left to the professional. Dermatologist suggest that processes like microneedling, dermaplaning, and laser hair removal shouldn’t be done at home because of the level of sterilization that needs to take place to prevent infection. These processes are more likely to cost you money in the long run, so it’s best to leave the pointy objects to the professionals.
Raw chemicals are another agent that should never be toyed with in the absence of a professional. Chemical peels, lash lifts, and injectables like Botox can cause serious damage to the skin and internal organs when mishandled. Chemicals must be FDA-approved before being used, and it’s far too easy to get unregulated chemicals when ordering DIY materials from third-party sites. Estheticians, Dermatologist and Cosmetologists go through professional schooling and training in order to execute these procedures safely, so trusting the professional is the best way to ensure consistent and safe results.
@lipsandlattes #greenscreen DIY home beauty remedies you should NOT be doing! There are many viral beauty hacks out there! Leave these aesthetic procedures up to the professionals. Just because you can do it, doesn’t mean you should! #beautytips #womenover40 #women #beautytok #beautyhack ♬ original sound - Nicole Smith Cosmetic Injector
Looking good doesn’t have to break the bank! With the proper research and planning, your beautification process can still be cost-efficient. Keep things simple and be sure to test all your products. Don’t be afraid to contact a professional if things go haywire, and remember to have fun! Thanks for reading. If you missed it, be sure to check out our blog from last week: Color Theory Choosing the Right Shades for Your Look
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