What's the Worst Skincare Advice You've Ever Received?

February 18, 2010

Earlier this month, I asked you about the worst makeup advice anyone ever gave you, and the comments were pretty amazing. This got me to thinking about other faux pas committed as a result of other people's well-intended suggestions. This time around, let's talk skin care.

Back in high school, my friend told me that isopropyl alcohol would cure my acne, but all I got was dry, cracked skin with splotchy red patches all over my mug. What about you? From cringeworthy shaving advice to a DIY concoction gone wrong, tell us your skincare advice stories now.

Skin Care Bella Poll

36 Comments

singinglawgirl 3 years 4 weeks

Second on the tanning advice. bad bad bad.

CoronaLove 3 years 5 weeks

Proactiv - Is the worst. Made my skin terrible. I'll never forget it. :(

NeelaChloe 3 years 8 weeks

Using an aspirin + honey mask on your face is good to treat acne.. it's great until you discover you're probably allergic to aspirin! Months and months of using aspirin and stuff containing salicylic acid.. multiple large, painful nodular acne all over my face all the time. Stopped using it, and my face cleared up so much.Also was told to go tanning to clear up my Keratosis pilaris.. haha, no. My family has a HIGH risk of skin cancer (grandmother had it 3+ times, her brother died from it, my mother is on constant watch for it)

NeelaChloe 3 years 8 weeks

Using an aspirin + honey mask on your face is good to treat acne.. it's great until you discover you're probably allergic to aspirin! Months and months of using aspirin and stuff containing salicylic acid.. multiple large, painful nodular acne all over my face all the time. Stopped using it, and my face cleared up so much. Also was told to go tanning to clear up my Keratosis pilaris.. haha, no. My family has a HIGH risk of skin cancer (grandmother had it 3+ times, her brother died from it, my mother is on constant watch for it)

3 years 11 weeks

Don't wash my face for a week and all the pimples will disappear? SILLY! Don't wear a bra for a week and boobs will magically grow bigger? EMBARRASSING!

LightningBug 3 years 12 weeks

Here let me do your eyebrows for you...

3 years 12 weeks

toothpaste,lol hat oneactually worked for me.... buti actually used a organic toothpaste made of clay and lavender. gross as actual toothpaste..it was burts bees. they discontinued their toothpaste probdue to yuck tasting

3 years 12 weeks

hmm..well I was told that since salicylic acid is good for acne...wart remover has a high percentage of it and would work a lot quicker...within a minute, it burned a hole in my cheek! still kickin' myself for that one.

redscorpio 3 years 12 weeks

Many years ago I had read in a magazine that putting toothpaste on a pimple overnight would have me pimple-free the next morning. They even suggested putting a Hansaplast on it, so that the toothpaste does not rub off on the pillow. I had one of those PMS chin pimples so I thought I'd try it.Well, the pimple was definitely gone since I got a severe, deep skin burn! It took me several weeks before my skin there had completely healed.

redscorpio 3 years 12 weeks

Many years ago I had read in a magazine that putting toothpaste on a pimple overnight would have me pimple-free the next morning. They even suggested putting a Hansaplast on it, so that the toothpaste does not rub off on the pillow. I had one of those PMS chin pimples so I thought I'd try it. Well, the pimple was definitely gone since I got a severe, deep skin burn! It took me several weeks before my skin there had completely healed.

lotuslight 3 years 12 weeks

Oh, man, these made me laugh and brought back memories. I've been there and done MOST of them! Proactive, isopropyl for acne, tanning beds, toothpaste on a zit, dial bar soap as a face cleanser....the list goes on. I've also been told to put vaseline all over my face as a moisturizer, use a hot spoon directly on a zit to get rid of it (hello, burn), and been prescribed accutane (awful for me, though I know it works for others)

3 years 13 weeks

jeez! comet? thats bleach! was this person insane?

3 years 13 weeks

A neighbor lady once told me that I should make a paste out of Comet (a powdered bathroom cleanser) and apply it to my pimples - I took one whiff of the stuff and never took her seriously again!!

GummiBears 3 years 13 weeks

Paula bleeping Begoun suggested in the beginning that baking soda mixed with Cetaphil is the best skin cleanser. Well I broke out in an weird hybrid of acne and raw rash, the worst I have ever seen. Another suggestion was to use Dawn as a facial cleanser, ouch never again. Proactiv, 'nuff said, except it was forged in the devil's workshop. Tea tree oil on acne would cure acne. Uh not for me. Turns out I am allergic to tea tree oil anything. Not saying that it is a bad product, just not for me. Someone also suggested using a exfoliant like the beloved St. Ives to get rid of acne. I tend to break out after using it without fail. Basically what works for others usually doesn't work for me.

3 years 13 weeks

I read once that a bit of sea salt mixed in water would clear up acne. I bought some, mixed it up, and put it on my face. My face turned BRIGHT red and stung like hell -- for five or six hours. Luckily, I was able to stay home for the evening.

jocupcake 3 years 13 weeks

I have a Greek friend who's mother suggested that we put a yogurt mask on our hair the day before prom to make it shiny and encourage a healthy scalp. We tried it that night but when we rinsed it out we could NOT get the yogurt smell out of our hair. While we were freaking out, her mom was just like "What? Yogurt is a good smell." Haha. How Greek.

intensebandgeek 3 years 13 weeks

Yup, I agree. Proactive gave me horrible cystic acne as well. Worst. Idea. EVER.

3 years 13 weeks

I have tried single thing everyone has mentioned, all suggestions from friends....proactiv was probably the worst thing I have ever done! It gave me cystic acne....NEVER again! Toothpaste is also another one that i have tried and it did nothing but dry out my skin and irritate into even more pimples.

sblilac 3 years 13 weeks

PROACTIVE!!!!!!!!!! The worst thing to ever put on your skin. The minute I stopped using it my acne came roaring back, even worse than before. WORST THING EVER!

3 years 13 weeks

in middle school, someone told me to put tooth paste on my pimples. too late of a suggestion. I tried that way before she suggested it, and it did nothing for me.

Jaeie 3 years 13 weeks

To use rubbing alcohol to get rid of my pimples.Never. Again.

Jaeie 3 years 13 weeks

To use rubbing alcohol to get rid of my pimples. Never. Again.

secondstar 3 years 13 weeks

My mom actually uses isopropyl alcohol on her face every day. I know she has very oily skin, but I still don't know how her skin can stand it.

socalbeachgal 3 years 13 weeks

Bella, I'm another one that was told to use isopropyl alcohol to cure my acne, I tried it for a few days until my skin was so red and raw; it was awful.

Faylinn 3 years 13 weeks

I was told that I would get a better and faster tan if I used baby oil out in the sun. I've never had a worse sunburn in my life. I was also told that tanning would clear acne, which it did in the short run but it got worse in the long run.My mom gave me this Polish cure-all tonic and told me to use it for my acne. I applied it to my face and my skin felt like it was burning. The fumes made my eyes burn so badly that I had to bury my face in a towel until the fumes went away. I went through all that pain for nothing because it didn't help my acne at all. Never again.

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