Time To Bust Some Popular Beauty Myths - Delhi Times (TOI)

LEMON JUICE TO LOSE A TAN,OR FOR FRESHER ARMPITS

“One of the most wildly popular hacks is to replace deodorants with lemon juice. This involves rubbing slices of lemon under your armpits or other areas of the body that are prone to perspiration,to supposedly kill odour-producing bacteria and have you feeling lemon-fresh all day,”says blogger Anuradha Mohan.

Busted:While lemon juice does little to prevent body odour,cosmetic dermatologist Rinky Kapoor says,“Your skin is mildly acidic,with a pH of less than seven. Lemon,on the other hand,is very acidic with a pH of around 3.5 or 4. When applied,the citric acid in lemon juice could cause chemical burns and make your skin sensitive to sunlight,resulting in more pigmentation.”

Almost everyone you come across has a ‘miracle cure’ for skin issues that their grandmother handed down, or that they came across on the internet. Trouble is, no matter how outrageous the hack, if you have an army of acquaintances or influencers extolling its virtues, the temptation to follow it is strong. This can often have a disastrous impact on your skin and hair, both in the long and short term. Here, experts break down some of the most common beauty hacks, for skin and hair, that you should steer clear of.

TOOTHPASTE TO DRY OUT PIMPLES

“I applied toothpaste to my pimples before bed,hoping they would dry out the next morning. But I was horrified to find that they had become inflamed,”says media professional Amrita Mukherjee. “The pimples eventually healed,but left scars that took time to fade.”

Busted: “Toothpaste contains calcium carbonate,which is also found in the lime cement plaster applied to walls,and this can irritate already inflamed skin. None of the ingredients contained in toothpaste reduces acne,”says Dr Kapoor. Dr Shah says that other ingredients added to toothpaste,can also cause superficial burns on the skin,while post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation could result in the pimples leaving a scar.