Lemon Juice to ACV: 7 DIY Ingredients That Harm Your Skin Over Time

As we age, our skin becomes thinner, less elastic, and more prone to wrinkles and other signs of aging.

In this article, we’ll look at some of the ingredients in everyday beauty products that can harm your skin over time – from lemon juice to ACV (acetic acid) to retinoids.

By learning about these ingredients and how they can impact your skin, you can make smarter choices when it comes to skincare products.

What is Lemon Juice?

Lemon juice is a citrus fruit that contains juice, oil, and pectin. It is used in many household items, such as cleaning supplies and kitchen tools.

Lemon juice is also used as a natural cleaner and disinfectant. It can remove dirt, oils, and stains from surfaces. Lemon juice also has anti-bacterial properties.

Lemon juice contains high levels of acidity (pH 3). This high level of acidity can cause skin irritation and damage. However, lemon juice can be damaging to the skin over time.

In addition, lemon juice contains high levels of citric acid. This citric acid can act as a skin irritant and cause skin damage over time.

What is ACV?

Acetic acid is a naturally occurring compound in many fruits, vegetables, and vinegar.

It’s also used as a household cleaner and to make pickles.

What is lemon juice?

Lemon juice is made from the sap of lemons. It contains acids that are good for your skin.

One of the acids in lemon juice, citric acid, is suitable for removing dead skin cells and toxins from the skin. Citric acid also helps to make skin look younger and smoother.

When you use lemon juice on your skin, it will remove the protective oils that are protecting your skin from damage. However, too much citric acid can be harmful to your skin. This can leave your skin dry and unprotected from the sun and other elements.

To prevent this, only use lemon juice as a toner or lip balm if you use it sparingly. Also, make sure to keep the lemon in the lemon Juicer so that you’re getting the full citric acid content.

How Lemon Juice and ACV Damage Your Skin

Lemon juice and ACV (apple cider vinegar) are common ingredients many people use daily. However, these ingredients can harm your skin over time.

Lemon juice and ACV are both acidic. This means they cause injury to your skin when applied to it in large quantities. Lemon juice and ACV contain acids that break down the skin’s barrier function. This allows harmful bacteria and other particles to enter the skin and cause inflammation.

Additionally, lemon juice and ACV can damage the skin’s lipid barrier. This is the layer of fat that protects the skin from penetration by environmental toxins and harmful molecules. Lemon juice and ACV can break down this barrier, leading to more damage to the skin surface.

In short, lemon juice and ACV can damage your skin by exposing it to acids, breaking down the barrier function, and damaging the lipid barrier. If you’re using either of these ingredients daily, you must be aware of their risks.

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How to Avoid These Harmful Ingredients in DIY Recipes

Lemon juice and ACV are two ingredients that are often used in DIY skin care recipes. However, these ingredients can harm your skin over time.

Lemon juice is acidic and can cause irritation and dryness on the skin. ACV is also acidic, which can lead to skin blemishes and sensitivity. Both of these ingredients can also cause damage to the skin’s barrier function. This can lead to inflammation and other skin problems down the line.

Choose products made with natural ingredients, like oils or butter, instead of chemicals. These products will provide nourishment and protection to your skin without causing any damage. To avoid these harmful ingredients in DIY skin care recipes, it’s essential to read the recipe carefully and select elements that will not harm your skin.

Please 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 can damage skin, especially over time.

Think twice about DIY methods for 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.

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1. Egg whites

Oh, how convenient it would be to make your morning omelet, slick a 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 the residue.

Most serious potential: A crack in the concept is that raw eggs can be contaminated with Salmonella. By placing an uncooked egg so close to your mouth, you risk contracting a gastrointestinal tract infection.

A localized infection on the skin is also possible, and the danger is upped when applying to open wounds — for instance, if you’ve got a scratch from Kitty or a few healing blemishes.

Plus, the contaminant can hang on surfaces for several hours, making your bathroom a health hazard.

However, contracting Salmonella from raw eggs is rare, especially if you’re using pasteurized eggs from the store rather than ones sourced straight from your backyard cluckers.

2. Lemon or lime juice

A squirt of lemon or lime juice on an acne scar or any hyperpigmentation is said to lighten the blemish.

Lowest-risk scenario: You’ll feel a sting and maybe reap the benefits of a bit of fruit juice exfoliation.

Most serious potential: Using citrus fruits on the skin could leave you with more significant worries, like a second-degree burn.

When exposed to UV light, the psoralens in lemons and limes can cause a phototoxic reaction on your skin. Your attempt to fade a red spot could result in a big blister.

The rash or burn, called phytophotodermatitis, often appears one to three days after you’ve gotten some sun — and it could last for months. Talk about the juice not being worth the squeeze!

3. Cinnamon

The “Cinna mask” gained notoriety after a beauty blogger, who goes by EnjoyPhoenix, extolled cinnamon’s purifying power. But this red spice may not play nice on your face.

Lowest-risk scenario: You’ll feel a tingling sensation and experience some redness.

Most serious potential: Several people who tried the cinnamon facial later posted about burns.

Although cinnamon does have some antimicrobial benefits and is used in wound healing, it’s also one of the more common spice allergies. And even if you don’t have a known allergy to cinnamon, you may still be hypersensitive to the spice on your skin or sustain a burn from cinnamon oil.

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.

TAKE THE SAME CAUTION WITH ESSENTIAL OILSMany essential oils provide therapeutic benefits, but like cinnamon, can burn or cause unwanted side effects. Most ingredients, including the ones listed, should be diluted in at least a 1:1 ratio before topical application.

4. Breast milk

Breast milk facials have become the rage at some spas in recent years to treat acne. Breast milk contains lactic and lauric acids, both of which have skin healing and antimicrobial benefits that some studies show have helped pimple-prone skin.

This information has prompted some folks to turn to their postpartum pals to pump a steady supply.

Lowest-risk scenario: You’ll notice a minimal reduction in irritation and sit there wondering why you have your best friend’s breast milk on your face.

Most serious potential: Breast milk is a bodily fluid that can transfer disease, and improper collection or storage could invite a bacterial infection.

If you head to the spa for a breast milk mask, ask about the facility’s supply source and safety practices.

5. Semen

What happens in the bedroom is your business — but if you’re promoting bottling bodily fluids to baste on your face, it’s no longer a private issue.

The semen facial blew onto the beauty scene in 2014 when lifestyle blogger Tracy Kiss posted a video touting the moisturizing, calming, and additional “benefits” that ejaculate had on her rosacea.

Others jumped on the bandwagon, stating semen stopped their acne. These claims have no scientific evidence, and dermatologists have widely debunked the concept.

Lowest-risk scenario: You’ll experience minimally softer skin and a lot of questions from your roommate about how you got your new skincare product.

“Looking at the semen ingredients,” says Yoram Harth, board-certified dermatologist and medical director of MDacne, “nothing can help with acne for the long term. In theoTheoreticallyroteolytic enzyme may cause some skin exfoliation, but this effect would be minimal and insignificant.”

Most serious potential: The blogger who started the viral trend said she sourced the semen from a friend, but this is a dangerous practice. Several sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can be passed through mucous membranes, and many go undiagnosed.

Additionally, some people have a semen allergy and experience symptoms ranging from a burning sensation to anaphylaxis when their skin comes into contact with it.

“There are many better, safer, and more effective treatments for acne that one can choose from,” Harth adds.

6. Urine

Some folks going for a golden glow have gleaned their urine as their go-to astringent or toner.

The theory behind the “pee facial” is that the urea and uric acid in one’s stream will do everything from hydrating skin and tightening pores to nixing acne.

Lowest-risk scenario: Nothing will happen except for wasted bathroom time. The efforts of the pee facial are a wash. Urine is approximately 98 percent water.

Certain skin products contain urea to help with conditions like acne or psoriasis. However, urea is synthetic and of a higher concentration than what’s found in human waste.

Most serious potential: Applying and leaving urine on the face, especially on inflamed skin, may invite infection.

ResearchersTrusted Source warns that, although urine is sterile, once it’s left the body, it has the potential to grow bacteria.

7. Apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) has been touted as the holy grail of DIY astringents. Users claim it helps clear acne, fade blemish scars or age spots, and even remove moles.

Lowest-risk scenario: Using ACV on your face will induce a stinging sensation and make you wince at the skunky smell. If ACV has saved your skin and you can’t use another option, dilute your ACV for safety.

Most serious potential: Long-term, undiluted ACV use could corrode your lovely face due to its highly acidic levels. Vinegar can be tart if left on your skin and shouldn’t be used to treat wounds.

Any acne sores are at risk of incurring a burn or significant irritation. You could experience inflammation or a cornea burn if you get it in your eyes. Plus, using ACV as a facial product puts your peepers at risk.

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Try these safe-for-face products instead.

While finding DIY solutions to our skin concerns is tempting, some ingredients aren’t facial-friendly.

When a natural ingredient is a glow booster, hydration helper, or irritation aid, it’s best used as a store-bought or prescribed product that has been thoroughly tested and safely diluted, packaged, and stored.

If you’re interested in the “pee facial,” for example, try the Eucerin line, which has long used synthetic urea to combat skin conditions. Or, if you want the brightening and skin tone-evening benefits of citrus without the potential burn, opt for this lime wash from Ursa Major.

Look into exfoliating acids, holistic acne treatments, and ways to minimize your routine.

Leave the mixing and testing to product manufacturers. Taking ingredients from your fridge to your bathroom — or vice versa — creates risks of contamination, infection, or damage that could worsen the skin issue you’re trying to solve.

Conclusion

It can be challenging to know what ingredients suit your skin and which ones might be causing you harm.

In this article, we’re going to cover seven DIY ingredients that can cause your skin problems over time.

By learning about these ingredients and how they can damage your skin, you’ll better understand what products you should avoid using on your skin and why.