When you want to pamper yourself at home, there are lots of great skincare and beauty hacks that actually work – and a number of others that you should avoid. Here are a few of our favorite at-home hacks to try, as well as few popular tips often found online that are best to skip.
Skincare Hacks to Try
Give these beauty hacks a try to give your skin an extra boost.
Rinse with cold water when using a glycolic acid cleanser. Hot water can strip your skin of natural oils, leaving you feeling dry and flaky. While an effective chemical exfoliant, glycolic acid can be drying to the skin. Rinse with cold or tepid water when using a glycolic acid cleanser to avoid dryness. Use a glycolic acid cleanser only once per day or several times per week if your skin is becoming too dry or flaky.
Put eye cream in the refrigerator. Not only does chilled eye cream feel refreshing on your skin, but the cool temperature can help the product remain effective for longer. Chilled eye cream also deflates under-eye puffiness more effectively, helping you to use less. As soon as you use the eye cream, put it back in the fridge to avoid fluctuating temperatures. Note that not all skincare products do best in cold temperatures.
Use Zerafite body cream as a leave-in conditioner for your hair. The gentle ingredients in Zerafite body cream can double as a leave-in conditioner for your hair to get a smooth, soft look without a greasy residue. Simply apply the cream to your hair, style it, and head out for the day – no need to rinse until your next shower.
Combine sugar and honey for a lip scrub. Honey is chock-full of antioxidants and also has antimicrobial properties. Sugar acts as an exfoliant to help remove flakes of dead skin and other debris. Combine these ingredients together for the perfect at-home lip scrub.
Place cucumbers on your eyes to reduce redness. Cucumbers possess strong anti-inflammatory properties, helping to reduce redness and under-eye puffiness. Because of their high water content, cucumbers can also help to temporarily hydrate your skin.
Place tea bags on your eyes – but NOT earl grey. Place cool, wet, caffeinated tea bags over your eyes to reduce swelling. The caffeine in the tea helps to constrict blood vessels, which reduces swelling and redness. Tea also has anti-inflammatory properties. However, do not use earl grey tea because the bergamot in this type of tea can make your skin sensitive to the sun.
Use aloe for burns. Aloe vera is an excellent natural remedy for sunburn and other burns, thanks to its cooling and anti-inflammatory properties. You can even harvest the aloe gel directly from the leaves of an aloe plant if you happen to have one on hand, or buy 100% aloe gel from most drug stores.
Skincare Hacks to Skip
Some common beauty hacks are best avoided, as they can do more damage than good to your skin.
Using coffee grinds for exfoliation. Coffee grinds are too harsh to use as a physical exfoliant on your skin and could cause irritation and even abrasions. Instead, use the honey and sugar scrub listed above on your body. Sensitive skin types should avoid physical exfoliation on their faces.
Using lemon juice on your skin. Because of their high vitamin C content, lemons are often recommended as an at-home skin brightener. However, lemon juice is very acidic and can cause chemical burns, especially if you go out in the sun after applying it. Instead, stick to dermatologist-recommended skin lightening ingredients like vitamin C serum, kojic acid, niacinamide, hydroquinone, and others.
Use caution with coconut oil. Coconut oil is all the rage right now, but it is known to clog pores and can therefore cause acne and other skin problems. I recommend using argan oil instead. Interestingly enough, coconut extract is high in lauric acid and therefore does help to clear acne.
Bottom Line
Some at-home hacks are great to try, while others can end up damaging your skin or making existing conditions worse. If you’re struggling with a specific problem like persistent acne, dry skin, or rosacea, work with a dermatologist to make sure you are not unknowingly making your symptoms worse.
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