How to Prevent Allergic Reactions and Keep the Skin Safe and Healthy (guest post)

5 DIY Skincare Tips for Skin Health and Safety

To keep the skin looking and feeling great, you need to be aware of certain facts and facets of skincare. In addition to that, you need to have the basic info regarding skin types and the ideal treatment for each. To that end, following is a list of skincare tips that you could use, to maintain the healthiest and best looking skin possible, while averting any potential damage and allergic reactions that might occur.

Acidic ingredients should be used with caution

If you are using a DIY face scrub that consists of acidic ingredients, you should never use too much of the acidic ingredient, since it has the potential to be more damaging than developing. This is because the acid in said ingredients is always for the purpose of eating away at the dead skin cells to reveal the fresh layer of skin underneath.

However, these ingredients may cause soreness or redness, especially if your skin is sensitive to acid and damages easily. To prevent the adverse effects of acidic ingredients, make sure to balance the formula with a basic ingredient. You can also alternate the acidic ingredient for one that is less acidic. An example of this is substituting lemon for lime.

Steer clear of concentrated apple cider vinegar

This particular ingredient is lauded for its beneficial cleansing and toning properties, as well as the skin tightening it performs. However, not many know that apple cider vinegar in its raw form can be quite irritating and damaging to the skin, especially if used as a method of acne reduction.

It should never be used in high concentrations and should always be diluted before use, to prevent any potential damage to the skin. A 20 percent concentration is ideal for most skin types; however, you can go up to 40 percent if you have particularly damage-resistant skin.

Eating greasy foods can cause acne

The food you eat can also have an impact on your skin. The old advice used to be that greasy foods always cause acne. The truth is, whether eating greasy foods gives you blemishes depends on both what you eat and how much you eat of it. Try to avoid n-6 fatty acids, that can be found in corn oil and soybean oil. These oils are commonly found in processed foods.

Confirm allergic conditions before using essential oils

Essential oils, although vastly beneficial, can also be the cause of severe allergic reactions. They are highly concentrated compounds, and can irritate as well as inflame the skin if you use just about any essential oil, without first determining whether or not it is safe for use according to your skin type.

In order to reap all the benefits of essential oils, make sure to always check whether or not the oil is safe for your skin. You can do so by putting a diluted amount on the skin of your forearm. An alternate method is to consult with a dermatologist beforehand and determine what is your skin type, as well as which ingredients will generally be safe for you.

Use butters instead of ground ingredient paste

There are a number of facial treatments that call for ground sugar, salt, nuts and beans. The truth is that while the chemicals within are good for the skin, the granules of the ingredients, no matter how fine, are not ideal.

They can act as an abrasive and cause more damage than good, especially if you scrub the skin vigorously. This is also why it is always mentioned that the scrubs should be rubbed in gently, since they can cause damage to healthy skin that is underneath the layer of dead skin.

This post was made possible by Facing Acne.

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DIY ACV toner – good thing I dilute my apple cider vinegar. It’s one of my favorite toner ingredients and I completely agree you should never use it on your skin in its concentrated form! Get my recipe here.

DIY Charcoal Jelly Face Mask – there are no abrasive ingredients in this homemade face treatment. This jello face mask turns into a smooth mask when you apply it onto your face.

DIY Zit zapper gel – I love tea tree oil as an acne treatment, but it can be irritating when used undiluted. I dilute mine with aloe vera gel in this simple recipe.