From burns to infections, these raw unaltered ingredients carry more risk outside a bottle.
Leave it to the internet to give us wild ideas on what to slather on our skin as the latest pore minimizer or pimple destroyer. Unfortunately not everything we see from beauty bloggers and Instagram influencers is sage advice.
You’ve likely seen some of these ingredients in store-bought products — but when used alone or without proper sanitation and diluting methods, they have the potential to damage skin, especially over time.
Think twice about DIY methods from your fridge and pantry. Just because something is natural or raw doesn’t mean it’s good for your skin.
We’ve debunked these ingredients that range from gritty to goopy to gross so that you don’t have to give them a test drive.
1. Egg whites
Oh how convenient it would be to make your morning omelet, slick a little raw egg on your face, and then go about your day with tightened pores and smooth skin. That’s the claim made by proponents of the egg white face mask.
Lowest-risk scenario: Any tightening benefits will wash down the drain when you rinse off the residue.
Most serious potential: A crack in the concept is that raw egg can be contaminated with Salmonella. By placing uncooked egg so close to your mouth, you run the risk of contracting a gastrointestinal tract infection. Read more
