The 9 Most Toxic Beauty Trends On TikTok

Toxic Beauty Trends On TikTok

Face Slugging

"Slugging is a way to create a physical barrier to trap in moisture and dead cells, so that the skin will not shed them," Ciraldo says. "With acne, it is very important to exfoliate away dead-cell buildup, as that is one of its main causes. Also, slugging will trap in unhealthy skin oils in acneic skin."

While it seems like slugging with vaseline (which is where you apply a large amount of the product to your skin overnight) locks in moisture, it actually locks in the things that will exacerbate any skin problems that you're facing.

Removing Skin Tags Yourself

Removing skin tags is a bad idea because there's a chance the process isn't actually harmless. "Not all things that seem to project off our skin surface are benign tags, and it is important to know the exact diagnosis of the lesion removed," Ciraldo says.

"If you have a difficult time getting into a derm for a visit, consult your primary physician about diagnosis and treatment of things that you think are simply skin tags."

Microneedling

Professional microneedling stimulates collagen production to help correct skin problems, but when you try it yourself, you can actually cause more damage to your skin. "This could advance makeup into microchannels created by the microneedling and give some tattoo-like complications if the pigment gets into the newly created channel," Ciraldo says.

Coffee Scrubs

Similar to how you don't want to use inflammatory skin-care products, you want to avoid any homemade products that will aggravate your face.

"[Coffee scrubs are] at best worthless. At worst, they may abrade skin to cause irritation and inflammation," Ciraldo says. "If you want to try a homemade scrub, I recommend you do this on your body skin, like your legs, instead of more delicate, thinner, more sensitive facial skin where you are more likely to get a bad reaction."

Henna Freckles

"Putting a henna tattoo on your face and then watching it fade unevenly as the days go on is a mistake," Ciraldo says. But since freckles are a result of overexposure to the sun, you shouldn't feel like you have to forgo the sunscreen to get them. "Just take a thin waterproof [light brown] eyeliner and paint on these spots."

More Beauty Mistakes

Forgetting SPF

It might be easy to forget to apply sunscreen, but it's definitely harmful in the long run. "It’s important to understand that not using SPF can lead to sunburn, inflammation and in some cases, skin cancer," Jamie Long, Lead Stylist as HD Brows, says. "When applying SPF, remember those forgotten areas such as your scalp, eyelids, fingers, ears and neck.”

Overusing Fake Lashes

We love the volume and the glam that fake lashes give, but using them too many times in a row can cause eye infections, allergic reactions, or can even damage your natural lashes. If you really want fake lashes, Nouveau Lashes' International Lash Trainer Debbie Law recommends washing your eyelashes daily with a gentle, oil-free eye makeup remover and using a foaming cleanser twice a week to remove bacteria.

Exfoliating Too Harshly

Exfoliating is a good way to get rid of dead skin, but too much exfoliation can do more harm than good. Over exfoliation can lead to irritation, redness, and breakouts. If you're suffering from these negative effects, Long recommends applying a moisturizer that's fragrance-free, or treating your skin with aloe.