Beware: 5 whitening remedies that can easily ruin your appearance

It turns out that aloe vera can actually whiten your skin. Although the effect may not be significant, at least its ingredients are natural and harmless to the body. There are more than 300 varieties of aloe vera, some available in ready-to-eat form and some available in natural homemade form. How should we choose?

Expert analysis: Currently, the U.S. FDA and China's Department of Health allow only five types of aloe for edible and medicinal use, including: Aloe barbadensis, Aloe arborea, Aloe queen, Aloe africana, and Aloe vera. Applying aloe vera externally can reduce skin redness and swelling, while taking it internally has a laxative and detoxifying function, thereby improving dull skin or pigmentation. The recommended dosage is 3 to 4 tablespoons per day. Due to different concentrations of different brands, it is safest to take it according to the label instructions. Due to its laxative effect, pregnant women should not consume it.

I have heard since I was a child that taking more pearl powder can make the skin white and smooth. Even Empress Dowager Cixi believed it. There are also reports that a certain celebrity has had the habit of eating pearl powder since childhood. When he grew up, he continued to eat 1 teaspoon a week to maintain his beauty. Is it really feasible?

Expert analysis: There is no nutritional basis for taking pearl powder for whitening. What needs attention is that pearl powder can become inferior due to problems such as seawater pollution. Moreover, since it is a mineral, there may be heavy metal residues, which may cause harm to the body. It is not recommended to take it indiscriminately.

3. DIY fruit acid burns the skin

It is reported that a female college student went to a chemical store to buy materials and DIY mixed fruit acid for skin peeling. However, due to the high concentration, it burned her skin, leaving her face covered with red and swollen scars and causing necrosis of the skin's epidermis.

Expert analysis: Fruit acid can accelerate the exfoliation of the skin's epidermis and improve rough skin conditions, but it must be handled properly and the time must be precisely controlled; if the concentration is too strong, or if it is applied to allergic and dry skin, it will cause burns, and may also lead to side effects such as skin inflammation and pigmentation.

4. Make your face darker with a homemade lemon mask

The female victim believed in natural whitening methods and often applied lemon to her face and drank undiluted lemon juice with three meals a day. As a result, her cheeks became red and swollen, with burn-like marks, and her mouth also had severe peeling. As a result, her skin color turned darker and she also suffered from stomach pain.

Expert analysis: Although lemons contain a lot of vitamin C, they also contain irritating citric acid, which can easily cause skin sensitivity or even burn the skin, causing darkening or blisters. In addition, food contains mostly right-handed vitamin C, not left-handed vitamin C, whose antioxidant and whitening effects are less stable, so homemade natural whitening masks are not very effective.

5. Homemade whitening essence is prone to contain bacteria

A certain website teaches people how to make their own whitening essence. The ingredients include: 1g of L-C powder, 0.5ml of water-soluble vitamin E, and 9.5ml of pure water. These ingredients can be bought at chemical stores. Just mix them well and apply. Such shoddy workmanship, its efficacy is questionable!

Expert analysis: Some ingredients with whitening effects are irritating, and the concentration of active ingredients in homemade skin care products is uncertain. If the concentration is too high, it can be dangerous. At the same time, the containers, materials, or processes used in the production process may also be contaminated by bacteria. In addition, since no preservatives are added, its shelf life cannot be confirmed, so it is not recommended for everyone to use.