Taking care of your skin is essential for maintaining its health and appearance. The skin on your face is thinner and more prone to sensitivity than the skin on other parts of your body. There are certain products and substances that should never be applied to your face to avoid skin damage, irritation, or other adverse effects. Here are seven things that should never go on your face:
1. Hair spray While hairspray may come close to your face, it should never go on it. An old wive’s tale once said that hair spray was good for setting makeup on your face, but this is highly untrue. Hair spray dehydrates your skin and dried out skin tends to look older. If you want your skin to look young and vibrant, keep the hairspray away from your face.
Zax's Original Tip: Use a setting spray made for the face instead.
2. Hair color Hair color is WAY too irritating for your skin, especially around the eye area. It can also cause your eyes and skin to burn. If you want your eye brows to match your hair color, darken your brows with a vegetable-based colorant.
Zax's Original Tip: Look for a tinted brow gel or mascara instead of hair color.
3. Body lotion While you may want to spread your body lotion on your face, resist the temptation. Body lotions are thicker than facial lotions and they may contain fragrance and other ingredients that are irritating to your sensitive facial skin.
Zax's Original Tip: Stick to a high quality facial moisturizer.
4. Toothpaste is sometimes touted as a quick remedy for acne or pimples due to its drying effect. However, toothpaste is not formulated for use on the skin and can contain ingredients that are irritating or abrasive. Applying toothpaste to a pimple may cause redness, peeling, or even chemical burns.
Zax's Original Tip: It's better to use acne-specific treatments recommended by a dermatologist or cosmetician at your local beauty store or counter.
5. Hot water Just as hot water isn't recommended to use in the shower or bath, it isn’t advisable for your face too. Direct use of hot water on your face can dry your skin and reduce its moisture making it feel dull. It may also cause a burn.
Zax's Original Tip: Rather use lukewarm water especially when applying steam to your face.
6. Hydroquinone Unlike the rest of these substances, hydronquinone shouldn't go anywhere on your body. Hydroquinone, traditionally used in a number of skin lightening treatments, is considered highly hazardous to your health by the Environmental Working Group because of its toxicity. Specifically, it can cause respiratory issues and it’s been found carcinogenic, even in low doses.
Zax's Original Tip: Look for beauty products that are hydroquinone free like our Zax's Original Darkspot Cream.
In general, it's important to be cautious about what you put on your face and to use products that are specifically designed for facial skincare. It's a good idea to always perform a patch test on a small, inconspicuous area of your skin before trying a new product to check for any adverse reactions.
Written by Alyssa Rolnick, Co-Founder of Zax’s Original Products, Registered Dietitian and Mother of 3 active kids.