10 Dangerous Self-Care Mistakes We Make When Trusting Beauty Bloggers

The internet gave birth to an enormous amount of beauty gurus who advertise, advise, and sometimes even invent various tricks to take care of themselves. However, the abundance and affordability of information require increased critical thinking because not all of these so-called advisors are experts in the beauty sphere. Perhaps you have already been inspired by someone’s example and do vacuum cupping or cleanse your face with ultrasound brushes. In this article, we are going to talk about the disadvantages of these methods.

We at Bright Side carefully studied some products and procedures that have been widely used, as well as some beauty habits that are pretty popular nowadays. That’s why we would like to tell you about all the pitfalls and warn you against the possible negative consequences.

10. Buying cosmetics with light-reflecting particles

The manufacturers of cosmetics oftentimes accentuate the sparkly properties of products by adding glitter and reflective particles into various products — from body scrubs to decorative cosmetics.

However, experts believe we should be very careful with these products. These particles that are supposed to give a fresh and healthy look to the face can cause irritation, skin dehydration, and the appearance of rashes. Those who are prone to acne should be especially careful with these products.

9. Doing vacuum cupping

Vacuum cupping on the face (used to fight against wrinkles and aging) and legs (used to fight against sagginess and cellulite) has become extremely popular in recent years. However, these procedures are not as secure as they might seem and they don’t suit everyone.

Thus, the main contraindication for this massage is the presence of rashes and warts on the skin. For body cupping, fragility and permeability of blood vessels, which can cause spider veins and varicose veins to appear, is a contraindication as well. That’s why, despite the seeming simplicity and safety of the method, it’s always better to consult with a specialist first.

8. Using lotions that contain alcohol to get rid of greasy shine

Every woman who has oily skin has probably tried to get rid of the greasy shine to deal with the problem of excess sebum production with alcohol-based products. Yes, this method gives an instant drying effect, however, in the long run, it brings even more unpleasant consequences because the microbiome gets ruined and the lipid barrier of the skin gets damaged due to these products.

At the same time, it’s worth noting that alcohol can be different. Ethyl, denatured, or, less often, isopropyl alcohol refer to the harmful types. While fatty alcohols, like cetyl, stearyl, and cetearyl, are much more gentle and have a softening effect. Therefore, products with the presence of these alcohols in small quantities are suitable for any type of skin.

7. Removing body hair with depilation cream

Depilation cream is a tempting product: it is affordable, easy to use, and promises the same effect that wax depilation gives but without any pain. The problem is that hair falls out or dissolves due to a strong mixture of chemicals, and there’s no way to use this without harming the skin.

The minimum it can do is cause irritation and an allergic reaction, the maximum — a person can get chemical burns. Therefore, it is worth using this kind of product with great care, definitely not too often, and taking into account the characteristics of your own skin.

6. Applying perfume to hair

Even though we know all the points where it’s best to spray perfume, still, we sometimes get tempted to spray it all over ourselves like in movies or commercials. There is nothing negative about this if you do it every once in a while.

However, if you are the one who likes to spray perfume on your hair regularly, you should keep in mind that ethanol, which is almost always in perfume, has a very aggressive effect on hair. Thus, its contact with the hair leads to damage of the hair structure and causes split ends, while frequent contact with the scalp can lead to dryness and dandruff.

5. Moisturizing skin with coconut oil

Many people perceive coconut oil as a universal beauty product and it is often used for moisturizing the skin. However, it’s not that simple. It’s true that thanks to elements like lauric and capric acid, vitamin E, and saturated fats, coconut oil effectively softens and repairs the rough skin of elbows and heels.

But that doesn’t mean that coconut will act the same when applied to the face or another body part. You should keep in mind that coconut oil is one of the most comedogenic oils — it can clog pores and cause rashes. It’s good when this oil is one of many components of a beauty product but it’s not worth using this oil in its pure form as a facial mask or moisturizing product.

4. Trying to moisturize the skin and remove black spots with Vaseline

Vaseline is also one of the top products out there when it comes to moisturizing. However, this product doesn’t actually have this effect. In fact, we get the feeling of hydration after using petroleum jelly because it clogs the pores and traps moisture underneath wherever it’s applied.

And together with moisture, petroleum jelly retains excess sebum and dirt in the skin. It all causes an unpleasant effect in the form of comedones. However, petroleum jelly is still able to soothe dry skin, soften chapped lips, and heal minor wounds but it should be used with caution and in reasonable amounts, especially for people whose skin is prone to acne.

3. Doing lash lifting at home

Lash lifting seems to be moving from being a salon procedure to a procedure that can be done at home. But experts are concerned about this trend and do not recommend doing it on your own, since beauty masters perfect their skills for many months to learn the most sterile and safe technique for performing this procedure.

Even a tiny mistake in the process can lead to unpleasant consequences like damaging lashes, eyelids, and even eyesight. The products that you buy yourself might turn out to be fakes that don’t have the necessary certifications, which can also cause a direct threat to your health.

2. Using tape for other purposes

Kinesiology is a relatively new type of treatment that is used for reducing pain and removing muscle spasms. It sounds and looks pretty harmless but kinesiology tape doesn’t suit everyone and can’t be used on any occasion — there is a range of contraindications to it. Moreover, the idea that kinesiology can be used in the belly area for slimming down is a big misconception.

First of all, no research proves its usefulness. Secondly, existing research focuses only on abdominal support after cesarean section for continued exercise as part of postpartum physiotherapy. This means that no one is saying that the taping itself helps you lose weight, that’s why these declarations should be taken with a grain of salt — if it seems impossible, it probably is.

1. Using ultrasound brushes to clean the face

Cleansing is the basis of beautiful skin. However, despite their popular status, facial scrubs and cleansing brushes act too aggressively, disrupting the natural pH balance of the skin and causing excessive dryness and irritation.

Moreover, many people forget that scrubs and brushes can’t be used on the skin with irritation and rashes because abrasive elements can worsen the situation. The best thing that can be done for the health of the face skin is to cleanse it well with foams or soft sponges while making sure to use high-quality moisturizers. Coarser cleansing should be done no more than 1-2 times a week.

Maybe you have already encountered the negative consequences of using trendy beauty gadgets or methods? Please share your experience with us in the comments!