In a world of tips from beauty junkies, and make up enthusiasts, it’s hard to decide what you should and shouldn’t do. You could try to do everything yourself, but there are some things you should probably leave to professionals. A lot of those things involve skincare.

There are great skincare DIYs out there, like making avocado face masks and using coconut oil as a moisturizer. But there are a lot of terrible ones that include ingredients that should never even go near your lovely face. Some kitchen ingredients are totally fine, but please leave the following out of your beauty routine.

Lemons

Many women used to be fans of lemons as a skin-brightening ingredient. That is until they realised it is super damaging to the skin. It is true: lemon juice can brighten your skin. However, it’s highly acidic and dangerous to your skin. Lemon juice can cause severe dryness, burning, blisters, and even phytophotodermatitis, which is basically a serious burn that occurs when certain botanical substances react with UV rays. It is horrible, painful, and absolutely not worth it. If you want to lighten your skin or get rid of hyperpigmentation, use an actual brightening or lightening cream.

Baking soda
There are tons of DIY face scrubs and masks with baking soda as an ingredient. But baking soda has a pH of 9, meaning it can strip all the good acid out of your face, increase dryness, and end up causing your skin to overproduce oil. Some people swear by using baking soda as an exfoliant, but it can cause serious long-term damage to your skin.

Eggs

Putting egg whites in your face mask probably won’t make your skin fall off, but using eggs in combination with other ingredients can cause adverse reactions. Your biggest worry is being exposed to salmonella. While eggs are fairly safe and can tighten your skin, if they are not preserved correctly, you may experience unpleasant results. If you really want to utilize eggs in your skincare routine, there are many options you can get at your favourite beauty store that contain the correct ingredients and preservatives.

Hairspray

Have you ever heard this tip? “Use hairspray as a setting spray” Hopefully not, but if you have, don’t do it. Hairspray is meant for one thing: your hair. While it’s safe to tame your flyaway strands, it’s packed with chemicals that keep those hairs in place. Literally save face and buy yourself a setting spray or powder so you can safely lock in your makeup.

Sugar or salt

Sugar and salt are awesome exfoliating ingredients for your body. Mix some coconut oil with brown sugar, and you’ve got a killer body scrub. But don’t you dare put those granules on your face. They are too harsh for the skin on your face, which is thinner and more sensitive than the skin on your body. The granules are too large and jagged, which can cause abrasions to your face. Err on the side of caution and reach for an exfoliant that is actually meant for the face.

Cinnamon

Many beauty therapists claim that cinnamon is the perfect ingredient for getting rid of acne, dark spots, and hyperpigmentation. In fact, a popular therapist featured a video of her DIY cinnamon mask. When her fans tried it, many experienced serious burning, blisters, dryness, and redness. Too much cinnamon can even cause permanent damage, according to dermatologists.

Foot cream

As anyone who has ever attempted to will tell you, using foot cream instead of face moisturizer could really mess up your skin. How? Well, foot cream is designed for your feet, which has the toughest skin on your body. Foot cream is thick and is packed with ingredients that are not meant for your face, since it’s made to break down hard calluses. If you use foot cream on your face, you’ll likely clog your pores and wind up with a bunch of pimples.

Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise works well as a DIY hair mask, but it’s not as great as a face mask. While it will make your hair super shiny and soft after 20 minutes, it will leave your face feeling greasy. Mayo, much like foot cream, is too thick for your face, can clog your pores, and will make you break out. Save it for your hair, salads, and sandwiches.

Generally, just be smart about what you’re putting on your skin. If you find something that works for you, great! But if you are going to try a new ingredient, do so sparingly and test out a spot applying it all over your face.