Shitty Beauty Hacks & Bad Advice You've Seen Online or Heard IRL - How do I make my hair grow faster? How do I get rid of stretch marks? How do I whiten my teeth naturally? Etc.

[Gaussiana]

And overuse of exfoliation can make acne much, much worse by irritating the skin ever further.

It's surprising how much of what people say about acne is total bullshit and may make it worse. The desperation for it to go away that makes a rational person start to consider weird remedies is real though.

Another area where there is a tremendous amount of BS, scams and cooking products used as cosmetics is anti aging. An older female relative used to open a vitamin E gel capsule and use that as a face mask every week. She also has one of those rose quartz face rollers that I don't think do much.

Some people I know also swear by doing facial exercises/gymnastics to slim down your face.

 

[Cheesegirl78]

It's surprising how much of what people say about acne is total bullshit and may make it worse. The desperation for it to go away that makes a rational person start to consider weird remedies is real though.

Another area where there is a tremendous amount of BS, scams and cooking products used as cosmetics is anti aging. An older female relative used to open a vitamin E gel capsule and use that as a face mask every week. She also has one of those rose quartz face rollers that I don't think do much.

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Some people I know also swear by doing facial exercises/gymnastics to slim down your face.

The rollers are great if you keep them in the freezer and use them on your face if you get too much sun, or a hangover. I was sick a couple weeks back, and it's great if you have a fever as well.

 

[Retired Junta Member]

It's surprising how much of what people say about acne is total bullshit and may make it worse. The desperation for it to go away that makes a rational person start to consider weird remedies is real though.

Another area where there is a tremendous amount of BS, scams and cooking products used as cosmetics is anti aging. An older female relative used to open a vitamin E gel capsule and use that as a face mask every week. She also has one of those rose quartz face rollers that I don't think do much.

View attachment 2885243
Some people I know also swear by doing facial exercises/gymnastics to slim down your face.

Rollers are legit BUT you have to use them everyday and massage your face properly. They’re especially good if you tend to puffiness or fluid retention.

The fact is that like many other beauty routine techniques, rolling only pays after months/years of use and to have noticeable results you need to combine it with product/exfoliating/whatever.

 

[𝕺𝖑' 𝕯𝖎𝖗𝖙𝖞 𝕱𝖆𝖙𝖘𝖔]

I didn't know that. Well, she uses that shit for her body so there's no problem.

I use a mix of olive oil and sugar as a substitute for hand lotion. Leave it on for like 5 minutes, wash it off with some gentle soap and it works like a champ.

 

[NoReturn]

EURASIAN WOMEN, DO NOT USE BLACK HAIR HACKS! Asian and European hair is different all the way down to the follicle. Also, it just looks fucking silly.

 

[Sparkling Yuzu]

EURASIAN WOMEN, DO NOT USE BLACK HAIR HACKS! Asian and European hair and Asian hair is different all the way down to the follicle. Also, it just looks fucking silly.

Yeah, that's just asking for hella greasy hair.

No way, why is it bad? My sister makes her own "exfoliating cream" with sugar and she says it does work. I tried it myself but didn't see any difference.

Sugar and salt are fine for a scrub if they're not too coarse. They dissolve pretty fast which keeps them from doing much damage. Salt is good for oily skin and sugar has humectant properties which is good for dry skin. Lemon juice is bad for your skin because it has a photosensitizing chemical that properly formulated products remove and coffee grains are too rough, don't break down and can grow mold easily. Honey, plain no sugar added full fat yogurt and avocado are fine for DIY face masks though.

I don’t know if I’m a total sucker or not yet but I fell down the micro needling internet hell hole. Have no clue if I look better or just am placeboed into thinking I do. The lure of not looking like shit is strong.

Most OTC microneedling only helps your serums absorb a bit better, it needs to be deep "surgical microneedling" to effect the collagen level in your skin:

Poking your skin with a needle studded roller is technically referred to as Percutaneous Collagen Induction Therapy (or CIT). CIT has been used by dermatologists for the last decade or so as a way to reduce wrinkles and scar tissue without significant side effects. Basically, the process involves numbing your face and then poking it with fine needles a few millimeters long. These micro perforations trigger increased collagen synthesis which can fill in wrinkles and help heal scars. Other benefits include improved skin tightness, reduced acne scars and stretch marks, as well as improved scar color.

Amazing, isnt it? Here’s how it works: The needles cause an inflammatory response which triggers a complex series of reactions involving chemotactic factors, neutrophils, and fibroblasts. This process leads to the creation of new skin cells that promote collagen deposition. But here’s the catch: for this procedure to be effective the the needles need to be at least 1.5 mm and have a diameter of 0.25 mm. So, because of potential side effects (not to mention potential pain), only a trained dermatologist should administer the procedure.

Will micro-needling help acne scars?

Vic says…I’d like to know what you think of micro needle therapy to reduce acne scars? It says it also stimulates cell regeneration, reduces wrinkles, reduces pores, adds collagen. I’m not too sure… I think it does more harm than good, they are sharp needles after all. But my daughter wants to...

thebeautybrains.com

Not so much a 'hack' as a beauty scam: It's probably been mentioned here before, but I am incredibly pissed off by those 'femfresh intimate care' washes and cleanses. My housemate has them and I think theyre so stupid and a waste of time and money, for a number of reasons.

1. Using normal bodywash and water on the outside of your labia and gently on the inner labia is absolutely fine. If you're scrubbing your shit with exfoliator then yeah, that's a problem, but a mild soap and warm water is literally all you need to keep your genitalia clean, so there's no point buying a fancy wash and cleanse just for your cooch.
2. The implication that your vagina is somehow wrong and bad if it doesn't smell clean and fresh at all times and therefore must be flushed out (???) at regular intervals. This is not only untrue, but also leads men and women to have unrealistic expectations.
3. The stupid flowery euphemistic language on the bottles. 'Intimate care'. 'Personal areas'. 'Private areas'. Just say Vagina! It literally says nowhere in the main packaging, except in tiny letters, that the product is designed for use around the vagina. We're all adults here, we should all know by now that the vagina isn't some embarassing thing that you should never talk about or even say the name of in public. I actually think that having a bottle with all this coy language on it is worse than just having a big bottle with 'Pussy Soap' written on it.

(We live in a house with three girls and five men so I'm a little impressed at my housemate's brazenness leaving such embarassing things lying around. It's basically an admission that she thinks her muff stinks.)

Literally no one should be using these things. They're a complete lie and a scam, not to mention generally not good for you since the vagina is self-cleaning. If you actually have a problem like a yeast infection or vaginosis then you need a doctor, not a bottle of overpriced soap-less scented water.

Gyno told me once to use fragrance free Baby Dove bar soap and never any fragrances. Because I was a dumb tween using JUICY STRAWBERRY BODY GEL and wondering why I was red and sore.

 

[CaseyTatumm]

The rollers are great if you keep them in the freezer and use them on your face if you get too much sun, or a hangover. I was sick a couple weeks back, and it's great if you have a fever as well.

I bet it would be nice for a sinus headache or migraine too!

 

[umami's milk]

Not sure if this has been said before, but dermaplaning or shaving your face (not talking about coarse facial hair). It's supposed to scrape off the dead skin cells only, but retards will still purchase the cheapest face razor and go to town on their peach fuzz anyway. Then a few days later they break out with the worst cystic acne from all that ingrown hair. It should only be done by professionals with the proper training and tools.

 

[NoReturn]

coffee grains are too rough

Caveat: Coffee scrubs do work well on skin that you are actively looking to scratch up. Make sure it's still mixed with stuff like vitamin E, though.

I bet it would be nice for a sinus headache or migraine too!

Also good for helping hickies go away faster.

 

[Sparkling Yuzu]

Caveat: Coffee scrubs do work well on skin that you are actively looking to scratch up. Make sure it's still mixed with stuff like vitamin E, though.

Also good for helping hickies go away faster.

I was remembering the comment with someone saying a magazine said orgasms help head aches and everything and assumed you meant orgasms help heal hickies.

 

[Alligator Alcatraz]

I was remembering the comment with someone saying a magazine said orgasms help head aches and everything and assumed you meant orgasms help heal hickies.

My ex used to say orgasms helped with headaches. It has some premise, I suppose. The rush of blood throughout the body and melatonin release afterward to relax. Unfortunately I think that idea has less altruistic motives than wanting to help rid you of a headache. That orgasm has to come from somewhere.

Dont know if this has been mentioned but there was a period in time when people were overly obsessed with exfoliation. Surprise! you cannot literally scrub your acne away.

Exfoliation does help, I just wouldn't condone using both physical exfoliants alongside chemical exfoliants. I've seen some asianbeauty redditors stating to use a face brush and then also use an exfoliating serum and all I can imagine is red skin.

 

[seri0us]

This is a little off topic, but needs to be said: Fuck Proactiv. Never worked for me nor anyone I know who used it. The mud cream was the only thing that did anything, and that alone could be found for way cheaper. You lied to me, Claire's representative. You fucking lied.

Nearly two years ago I had a pretty bad allergic reaction to it and had to go to the ER.

 

[Alligator Alcatraz]

Not so much a 'hack' as a beauty scam: It's probably been mentioned here before, but I am incredibly pissed off by those 'femfresh intimate care' washes and cleanses. My housemate has them and I think theyre so stupid and a waste of time and money, for a number of reasons.

...

Literally no one should be using these things. They're a complete lie and a scam, not to mention generally not good for you since the vagina is self-cleaning. If you actually have a problem like a yeast infection or vaginosis then you need a doctor, not a bottle of overpriced soap-less scented water.

As a rule, I never make fun of people who are trying to smell nice. There's nothing to be ashamed about because the alternative is the person actively aware of stank and doing nothing about it. Any efforts to smell nice are ok, even if misguided.

This article does give nice insight.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/sep/04/the-vagina-is-self-cleaning-so-why-does-the-feminine-hygiene-industry-exist

Some highlights:

“It’s a myth that the vagina needs extensive cleaning with perfumed soaps or feminine hygiene products,” says Vanessa Mackay, a spokeswoman for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. .... Women are advised to use plain, unperfumed soaps to wash the area around the vagina (the vulva) – not inside it – gently every day. During a woman’s period, washing more than once a day may be helpful.”

• Womens hygiene products use predatory language that play upon the fears of women, most notably usage of the word "fresh" as if to imply a vagina merely washed with mild soap would be odorous.

For every mention of “fresh”, look for the fear at which it is aiming: fear that we smell of period blood or are leaking; fear that we smell in general; fear that our sexual partners will mock or reject us because of what our vaginas and vulvas look or smell like. ... There is a reason that “you smell” is one of the most powerful playground taunts: it is the accusation we fear most and the hardest to protest. We all fear fishy.
The odds are your vagina and vulva look and smell normal, because, when it comes to genitalia, normal is a very big category.

• Feminine douches are not regulated as medical products by the US Food and Drug Administration. They can contain hazardous parabens and antiseptics that harm the natural ph and flora of female genitalia.
• Women who used feminine douches were found to be more at risk of bacterial infection, cervical cancer, and premature births by the University of Pittsburgh.

Perhaps women with poor vaginal health are more likely to douche. The researchers did not enquire about risk factors such as a family history of ovarian cancer or whether the woman smoked.

 

[NoReturn]

As a rule, I never make fun of people who are trying to smell nice. There's nothing to be ashamed about because the alternative is the person actively aware of stank and doing nothing about it. Any efforts to smell nice are ok, even if misguided.

This article does give nice insight.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/sep/04/the-vagina-is-self-cleaning-so-why-does-the-feminine-hygiene-industry-exist

Some highlights:

• Womens hygiene products use predatory language that play upon the fears of women, most notably usage of the word "fresh" as if to imply a vagina merely washed with mild soap would be odorous.

• Feminine douches are not regulated as medical products by the US Food and Drug Administration. They can contain hazardous parabens and antiseptics that harm the natural ph and flora of female genitalia.
• Women who used feminine douches were found to be more at risk of bacterial infection, cervical cancer, and premature births by the University of Pittsburgh.

Something that is SO important for people to understand is the difference between the vagina and the vulva. People use the terms interchangeably but this can lead to a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding (especially in people who are less educated or haven't had good health information provided to them).
They'll hear things like "The vagina is self-cleaning" and think they don't need to wash the outside.

 

[smegma enthusiast]

Lemon juice is bad for your skin because it has a photosensitizing chemical that properly formulated products remove and coffee grains are too rough, don't break down and can grow mold easily. Honey, plain no sugar added full fat yogurt and avocado are fine for DIY face masks though.

Adding on to this to say that you should NOT spend time in the sun with any citrus juice on your skin, especially limes. It can cause severe burns called phytophotodermatitis. My little brother got seriously burnt even with sunscreen after a lime mukbang. JSYK.

 

[Alligator Alcatraz]

Something that is SO important for people to understand is the difference between the vagina and the vulva. People use the terms interchangeably but this can lead to a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding (especially in people who are less educated or haven't had good health information provided to them).
They'll hear things like "The vagina is self-cleaning" and think they don't need to wash the outside.

It's pretty much semantics until it's neccessary to be specific. Obviously nobody except actual autists would think a vagina is an umbrella term for female genitals. Nobody wants to keep saying genitals over and over and using terms like womens crotch, muff, groin, etc are either too vague, crass, or inappropriate.

 

[Neurotypical Mantis]

the only secret to anti-aging is antigravity.

and not smoking

 

[BroccoliBrain]

I am incredibly pissed off by those 'femfresh intimate care' washes and cleanses

Since you got a reply recently I gotta drop my 2c: there's nothing wrong with the brand with that actual name, it's not a soap, it's pH balanced for that area and explicitly tells you it's for external use only. The only thing possibly off is the marketing language and the scent but it has an unscented version and no product, not even those moon cups bluntly say they're for your vagina on the front. You hate stupid douching products but how do you know that's how your roommate uses whatever her product was and that she uses it incorrectly? That shit works for me just fine when I don't want to bleed all over a bar I don't feel like dropping.

 

[Letora]

the only secret to anti-aging is antigravity.

and not smoking

It's mostly sunscreen and avoiding the sun. Basically if you don't have a life and don't go outside, your skin looks nicer than people who do. Don't forget to apply sunscreen to the tops of your hands. Hands show age faster than anything because most people don't do that and hands get the most sun exposure.

Of course, avoiding alcohol and not smoking are important as well.

Or you could just not care and let your flesh bag age as it will. We're all dying anyway.

 

[PlumSyrup]

I can't believe no one has mentioned in this thread how many people swear by yeast infection cream for hair growth. It does absolutely nothing, I guess unless you have a yeast infection on your head, in which case you definitely have bigger problems than the length of your hair.