Natural ingredients that are harmful to your skin
There is a growing trend of using natural and organic products in skincare regimens. But what a lot of people don’t realise is that there are natural ingredients that can be harmful to the skin.
Facial skin, which is much more delicate than skin on the rest of the body, may react badly to some of these natural ingredients. As always, it’s always best to check with a dermatologist before adding any of these natural ingredients to your skincare.
Lemon is often promoted as a natural skin whitener, but it’s a nightmare for some dermatologists.
This is because lemon has a pH level of about 2, and is way too acidic for our skin which is about pH 4 or 5. Lemon juice can literally eat away the skin’s protective barrier, which makes the skin more sensitive to sunlight. This can lead to discolouration and blistering if it’s severe.
According to dermatologist Paul Dean, coconut oil has one of the highest comedogenic ratings, which means it can clog pores and become a huge problem for those with acne-prone skin.
This can lead to breakouts, which is exactly what we want to avoid when it comes to skincare. It’s also too heavy as a face moisturiser so the oil is best used for drier areas such as the elbows and knees.
Even so, coconut oil only acts as a top barrier on the skin.
Witch hazel is distilled using ethanol, with the extract containing about 15% alcohol which can damage and dry out the skin in the long run.
Moreover, witch hazel contains a volatile oil known as eugenol, which is a known skin irritant and can trigger pores to produce more oil in response.
The benefits of a cinnamon face scrub vary because it depends on the active chemical compounds in the cinnamon you buy from the supermarket. The active compound called cinnamaldehyde is also highly irritating.
If you feel any tingling on your skin, it’s not because it’s working but it’s because your skin is irritated and swelling up. While you can experiment just by using a minute amount, it’s best to skip using cinnamon altogether.
Baking soda is commonly recommended to be mixed with apple cider vinegar to make a mask and also as a face scrub on its own. Despite gaining various recommendations online, baking soda actually aggravates the skin.
According to Dr Annie Chiu, a dermatologist at Cedar’s Sinai Medical Center, baking soda has a higher pH than normal skin.
This can result in rashes and flare-ups. In short, baking soda is a huge no-no.