There is a lot to be said about DIY skincare and most of it starts with — dont! This isn’t just because professionals and beauty brands prefer that you spend your money with them, it actually has much to do with the health of your skin and how much you put that at risk playing kitchen chemist and easy bake esthetician in your bathroom.

We can lay some blame for DIY skincare and treatments on the whole “natural skincare” craze and how easily sharable information through apps like Pinterest can be the reason the skincare novice runs across beauty think pieces that pander to concerns about toxic chemicals in your daily skincare products or simply how to save money doing it yourself!

This typically leads down a rabbit hole of chemicals to avoid with little to no evidence backing toxic claims or worse, suggesting you take food ingredients from your kitchen cabinet, mix them in a bowl and slap them onto your face as a better alternative. To all of this I say—no.

Skin and beauty brands work alongside teams of chemists and researchers to create and perfect formulations for products that are safe and consistently effective for a reason. Skincare professionals also prioritize the safety of their clients by following specific protocols during treatments and using tools specifically designed to carry out those services, these things are not done just for looks— there is a purpose and a necessity behind it all.

Here are 4 DIY skincare treatments that are no good for your skin in the long run and exactly why you should be turning the other cheek on using them!

Lemons and Salt Exfoliation.

Exfoliation is a process used to speed up the rate of cell turn over that naturally happens within our skin. This process helps us shed dead skin cells that could potentially cause congestion leading to clogged pores and breakouts— this DIY combination will offer the exact opposite.

The acid from a lemon is not the same type of acid as a chemical AHA or BHA and when combined with the harsh abrasion of salt you have the perfect recipe for a self induced chemical burn! Lemons on the skin is commonly used to promote skin lightening for those dealing with hyperpigmentation however a safer route would be to find a product that has ingredients such as Azeliac acid or Koijic acid to specifically target sun damage and scarring.

At Home Microneedling.

Microneedling is a cosmetic procedure that involves pricking the skin with tiny sterilized needles, this helps promote the formation of cologne and elastin in the skin which ultimately can help treat skin conditions such as wrinkles, acne and pigmentation issues. More recently beauty retailers have started carrying at home micro needling tools leaning further into the DIY skincare trend, what they aren’t selling you though is the proper protocols for administering such treatments to the skin — especially skin that is basically being wounded in the process.

At home miconeedling can lead to infection, the spread already present bacteria, inflammation leading to pigmentation and all sorts of other unfavorable skin things! What should you do instead? —Leave it to the professionals! Its important that these services are performed safely and in a sanitary environment, not over top of active acne standing in your bathroom next to the open toilet lid.

Face Razoring for a Brighter Complexion and Hair Removal.

The short of this one is — scrapping your face with a beauty supply razor from the bottom of your makeup bag is not the same thing as Dermaplaning. While you may find instant gratification in removing peach fuzz from your cheeks what you don’t immediately see are the tiny lacerations caused by the sharp blade or the damaged barrier that will soon ensue. Consistent scrapping can also lead to hyperpigmentation and if your tools are not properly cleaned — and usually they are not — you again put yourself in danger of redness, irritation, increased pigmentation and more.

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DIY Sunscreen Recipes.

Coconut oil does not offer you adequate sun protection, in fact it only has an SPF of about 5 whereas the recommended range for sun protection factor is between 30-50. Sunscreen can be very hard to formulate and takes cosmetic chemists lots of time with the proper materials. Due to the fact that skin cancer is less common in Black people many of them assume they do not need sun protection — because ya know, Black dont crack — or that they are safer using natural resources — Because of this skin cancer in Black people is often not diagnosed until later stages. DIY skincare recommendations can actually cost you your life in instances such as this, totally not worth forgoing professionally formulated products.

There is also the fact that slathering yourself in a batch of mixed oils you call sunscreen and laying out by the pool will increase your risk of sunburn as you’re basically frying like chicken under the suns hot rays. Sunscreens sold in the US legally have to follow certain guidelines as it pertains to chemical filters used and much of the discourse on it being toxic is untrue and harmful.

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