What are the questions and suggestions about natural beauty techniques

The most prominent problems with the various natural beauty techniques currently commonly used are concentrated in the three aspects of cognitive bias of "natural = safe", irregular operation, and over-exaggeration of effects. The corresponding core suggestions always focus on giving priority to safety and adapting to individual needs. Don't blindly follow the trend and step on the trap.

Don’t believe that nature can also hurt your face. I just went to the dermatologist with my best friend a while ago. She saw a blogger saying that fresh lemon can be applied on the face to whiten it. I cut a thick slice and applied it for 15 minutes. I also spent half an hour in the sun when I went out. Her face turned red as if it were ripe that night. I bought a peach and developed a small rash. The doctor said it was irritation caused by the high concentration of fruit acids in lemons and contact dermatitis caused by the photosensitive furanocoumarins. It cost me a thousand dollars to cure. It was more expensive than buying several bottles of big-name whitening essences.

Of course, this does not mean that natural beauty is all about IQ tax. I have also used a few reliable tips all year round. For example, if my face gets hot while camping in the summer, I will use the aloe vera grown at home. I will peel off the epidermis to remove the layer of yellow irritating mucus, and only take the transparent gel in the middle and apply it thickly on the red areas. The redness reduction effect is faster than the many soothing facial masks I bought that cost hundreds of dollars. But my best friend couldn't touch this method. She didn't know how to remove the yellow mucus before, so she randomly pinched a piece of aloe vera and applied it on her face. Her face was swollen for three days and she was too embarrassed to go to work. This is also a problem of natural beauty that is easily ignored: individual adaptability is very different, and there is no unified application standard. Some people use it, but it is a treasure, while others use it, it is a disaster.

There is also a very common problem, that is, the effective concentration of many natural raw materials cannot achieve the advertised effect, and there is also a risk of impurities. Two years ago, I followed the trend and tried applying pearl powder and honey on my face. They said that if I kept using it for a month, I would lighten my sun spots. I bought ultra-fine pearl powder that was said to be edible, but after applying it twice, my face started to dry out and peel. I asked my friend who is a formulator to find out that the whitening ingredients in pearl powder cannot be absorbed through the skin. Unpurified pearl powder particles can also wear away the cuticle. It took me almost a month to use it before the redness on my face disappeared. There are also many people who believe in white vinegar to cleanse the face and whiten it, and ginger to rub the face to lighten acne marks. They all have the same problem. If the concentration is not controlled well, it will damage the skin barrier and turn a small problem into a big trouble.

If you really want to try natural beauty techniques, there is no problem at all. The most important step is to do an allergy test first: no matter what the raw material is, apply a little behind the ears or the inside of the wrist. Wait for 24 hours without any redness or itchiness before using it on your face. Don’t make it all sticky on your face. The risk is too great. Also, don’t overthink natural beauty. If you have pathological skin problems such as acne and chloasma, go to a dermatologist honestly and don’t mess around at home. I once met a girl in a skin care group who had cystic acne on her face. She insisted on washing her face with rice water to “remove acne naturally”. It took half a year to get worse and worse, and she finally went to the hospital for treatment for almost a year before she got better.

The natural technique that I still use now is actually simple. After cooking the Tremella fungus every time, I have some glutinous soup left over. When it is cool, I soak it in a paper mask and apply it on my face. I use it on the day I cook it, never leave it overnight. I apply it for three or four days in a row. My face feels soft, and it is not easy to dry out and itch when the season changes. There are no fragrances or preservatives, so it is especially friendly to people like me who are sensitive to the change of seasons. I also tried it on my mother, and she found it more comfortable than ordinary hydrating masks for her dry skin. However, my oily-skinned cousin said it was boring after just one use, so she gave it to me. In the end, you still have to look at whether it suits your skin condition, and don’t just buy and try it out based on what others say is good.