Written By Empress Of Pearl
Sarah Anderson April 24, 2026
Did you know that many DIY skin-care ingredients can harm your skin. Numerous at-home ingredients that claim to be safe for your skin, can actually damage your skin cells.
Is your favorite scrub or mask causing you more harm than good? Here are 12 DIY ingredients that you want to steer clear of.
Baking Powder And Baking Soda
While Baking soda (and baking powder) offer numerous health and household benefits these seemingly harmless ingredients are actually detrimental for your skin.
Their high alkaline pH disrupts the skins natural pH balance, the barrier that protects skin from bacteria, leaving it raw and vulnerable to moisture loss, increased dryness, infections and acne.
Using them even once will damage your skin and prolonged use will compromise your skin's ability to regulate itself.
Lemon
Lemon is also detrimental to your skin because of its high acidity. So when you apply pure lemon directly to your skin, the acids immediately disrupt your skin's acid mantle and causes significant irritation, chemical burns, blistering rashes, dryness and peeling. Say no to lemon.
Toothpaste
Guys and Gals, stop applying toothpaste to your pimples and dark spots. Some think it dries out zits, but what it actually does is cause redness and peeling. Dermatologists say that toothpaste is not an effective way to treat your skin, and can in fact damage your skin.
Toothpaste contains irritants like alcohol, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium fluoride, and essential oils, that can tear up your skin and lead to chemical burns. Dermatologist Dr. Leslie Baumann said these ingredients are "consistent irritators of the skin" that "strip the natural lipids from the skin" sometimes worsening conditions like dermatitis.
Instead turn to a Pearl Powder facial. It is an acne and dark spot treatment that will clean your skin, clear away acne and lighten dark spots and hyperpigmentations.
Hot Water
Although hot water is not an ingredient, it's worth mentioning here. Hot water strips your skin's moisture barrier and will literally wipe out your skin's lipids. It will leave your skin red, irritated, and itchy, which is especially detrimental for people with eczema, psoriasis, or keratosis pilaris whose skin barrier is already compromised.
Plus, hot water drys out your skin and will put your oil production into overdrive, causing more acne and breakouts.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is one of the best ways to prevent infections in minor cuts and burns, but as a DIY ingredient, it's a horrible idea.
Not only is hydrogen peroxide a common allergen that can result in inflammation and burning of the skin with prolonged use, it will decrease your skin's ability to heal itself and strip away all of your skin's protective barriers and moisture levels.
Body Lotion For Face
Most body lotions are filled with fragrance and little nourishing ingredients, unlike an active facial moisturizing ingredient. Body lotions are fine for your tough, resilient body, but they are irritating and comedogenic for your face.
Body lotions are a Pandora's Box for anyone with acne, rosacea, or eczema because they add fuel to the fire for those who have skin conditions. Even if your complexion is flawless, you're still likely to have a reaction, because fragrance is the top-three skin irritant for most people.
Sugar
Oh my goodness. This one is a tough because many people are led to believe that sugar makes and excellent exfoliant. WRONG. You might as well exfoliate with sand.
Using sugar on your lips is totally fine, because your lips tend to be more resilient and sturdy; but the jagged, angular edges of a sugar crystal are far too abrasive for your face, and can cause micro-tears in skin that cause inflammation, red marks, and irritation.
In fact, even store-bought face scrubs are most often too harsh for the skin; coffee beans, nut shells, and other natural exfoliators have sharp edges. Instead, look for a scrub like Pearl Powder which gently exfoliates skin without tearing it up.
Rubbing Alcohol
Rubbing alcohol is a wonderful antibacterial disinfectant used to sterilize wounds to avoid infection, and clean your home. However it is one of the most drying, damaging ingredients you can put on your skin.
Rubbing alcohol strips your skin barrier of essential lipids and proteins, and robs it of moisture allowing an increase of bacteria and irritants to get in. And applying it topically to your skin can be inhaled, which can lead to alcohol poisoning and other problems.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is detrimental to the skin primarily because it contains cinnamaldehyde, a potent compound that causes severe irritation, inflammation, and allergic reactions (contact dermatitis) in many individuals.
It may leave a tingling sensation but can also cause redness and burn your skin. If you're tempted to use cinnamon or any spice in a DIY mask, always do a patch test on a tiny spot in front of your earlobe. But my advise to cinnamon for your skin is, avoid it.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Users have claimed that Apple Cider Vinegar helps clear acne, fade acne scars, age spots, and even remove moles. However, using undiluted Apple cider vinegar can cause a nasty burn on your beautiful face due to its highly acidic levels.
Apple Cider Vinegar does have wonderful health benefits, but Vinegar can be caustic if you apply it to your skin, and it should never be used to treat wounds.
If you have acne sores, you are at risk for burn and major irritation. Plus, using it as a facial puts your eyes at risk. If you get it in your eyes, you could experience inflammation or even a cornea burn.
Witch Hazel
Witch hazel comes from the bark and leaves of a tree. It is a natural anti-inflammatory, commonly used as the main ingredient in DIY cosmetics. But, witch hazel is usually immersed in alcohol as a preservative which can literally rip apart the skin's hydrating barrier, leaving it dry and flaky.
In addition, the natural fragrance in witch hazel is eugenol is a potent irritant. Eugenol is extracted from certain essential oils especially from clove oil and cinnamon which can burn and dry out your skin.
Mayonnaise
Almost everyone loves Mayo, especially on a ham sandwich or BLT, and it surely is a great nourishment for your hair, but is it good for your skin? Absolutely not.
Mayo is primarily made of oil and fat and can bring on a full fledged attack of acne, plugged pores, and encourages skin bacteria to grow. Using mayonnaise for a face mask is a grease-o-rama, and the perfect primer for acne and pimples.
Conclusion:
You should never try a DIY treatment without doing your homework. Even if the ingredients seem harmless and natural, the wrong ingredients could scar you for life. Always remember, just because you are using a natural ingredient does not mean it will not harm your skin.
