If given the choice, everyone would wish to stay youthful and active for as long as they lived. Dealing with lesser stamina everday is difficult enough on its own, without being faced with a reminder each time you look in the mirror. While ageing is inevitable, there are certain practices that accelerate our skin ageing process. The belief that homemade DIY products are always the best bet for your skin may sadly not be true in all cases. Even innocuous-looking pantry items might prove to be disastrous for your skin in the long run. Read on for a couple of DIY ingredients that do more harm than good. 

Lemon

The internet may be singing praises about lemon’s ability to make red spots and scars fade away. While not completely untrue, but putting undiluted lemon juice directly on your face can have scarier outcomes as well. Being highly acidic in nature, it can harm the protective barrier of your skin by disrupting the pH balance of your skin. If you happen to expose your skin to direct sunlight after its application, it might result in second-degree burns or rashes and discolouration, which could take months to fade away. 

Baking Soda

Baking soda is often touted as being the low-cost replacement for exfoliating scrubs. As opposed to lemon juice, baking soda is highly alkaline in nature. You might feel that your skin seems to be clearer after an exfoliation session with baking soda. However, in reality, you are stripping your skin of its protective oil barrier and altering its pH level. By doing this, you might be turning your skin into a breeding ground for bacteria and bad breakouts. Also, high pH levels often lead to skin irritation, loss of moisture and premature skin ageing. 

Sugar

Sugar, an ingredient surely present in every pantry, is amongst the most favourite exfoliators that leaves you with a shiny and clear complexion. However, overusing this trick might end up causing micro-tears to your skin, leaving it prone to redness and inflammation. The tiny white crystals also possess the power to damage the lipid barrier of your facial skin, leaving it more vulnerable to flakiness and adding at least 10 years to its age. 

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is a famously used astringent that claims to clear zits and make blemish marks fade. However, if used undiluted, it can cause burns on your precious skin. If you have sensitive skin, even using apple cider vinegar that is diluted in water can be strong enough to burn your skin. 

Toothpaste

Toothpaste is often lauded as the instant overnight fix for pesky zits. Without denying this fact, it pays to bear in mind that its main ingredients are baking soda and hydrogen peroxide, which might not be that great for your skin. Even though it can bring down the inflammation temporarily, it might also eventually lead to deep skin irritation. You could get scarred for life, with discolouration staying on even after your acne has faded away. 

Dr Arun (#askdrarun), co-founder of Pure Cure + Co. emphasises, “Ayurvedic ingredients, like Jeevaniya Gana Kashayam, are packed with rich antioxidants and nutrients that play a vital role in nourishing the skin from within. That results in better moisture retention, accelerated new cell growth and protection against damage by free radicals.” Rather than lathering up anything and everything on your precious skin, it makes more sense to eat healthier instead. Anti-Ageing from Pure Cure + Co., is the perfect solution that helps smooth away untimely wrinkles and fine lines without the danger of any side-effects.

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