Busting Beauty DIY Myths

Beauty DIYs are some of our favourite (and wallet-friendly) things to do, but did you know that some ingredients should either never go on your face or be used sparingly? Poon Li-Wei lists them out.

- Poon Li-Wei

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

If there’s one natural ingredient that the Internet swears by, it’s ACV. We’ve seen it pop up everywhere on the Internet – whether as a face rinse, deodorant (true story!), hair rinse or face mask – but is it really as great as it’s touted to be?

FACT OR FICTION?

According to dermatologist Dr Jonathan Wolfe, “Scientifically, the use of ACV (which can lower skin bacteria by changing the pH of your skin) can help.” Additionally, Dr Mary Jihn agrees that it may help with dandruff as “the acidity could increase the sloughing of the skin on the scalp, and it does have some anti-fungal properties.

Exercise caution!

However, ACV on its own can be overly acidic. As explained by dermatologist Dr Michael Lin, “One terrible example was a man trying to treat genital warts. When he came into the office, the entire area was raw, burned by the vinegar. I don’t know if he was using it full-strength, but whatever he was doing, it was too strong.” So, if you really want to give it a whirl, he advocates buying one from a reputable brand that states the acidity level and to never use it undiluted.

LEMON JUICE

Due to its vitamin C and citric acid content, lemon juice is a highly popular ingredient in concoctions meant for a brighter complexion and to keep pimples at bay. Not to mention, you’ll find convincing before and after pictures of lighter underarms after applying lemon juice to them.

FACT OR FICTION?