Many people are turning to TikTok for the latest viral trends and hacks in beauty and skincare. However, many of these trends do actually have the potential to be harmful to your skin.
Nada Ward, the founder of solid soap bar brand, Beauty Kin, has compiled a list of the latest viral trends on the app that you should stay clear of to protect your skin and your health.
Nada says: “TikTok has some really useful and helpful hacks and tips for beauty, skincare, and general grooming. However, there are some absolutely crazy trends circulating on the internet.”
Toothpaste on spots
This hack isn’t a new trend, it’s an old wives tale that has been told for years; however, it’s recently started doing the rounds on TikTok. It’s actually a complete myth that putting toothpaste on spots, whether they be on your face, or your body works for clearing them up. It doesn’t actually work, in fact, the toothpaste will simply dry out the spot and the surrounding skin. Not only is it a bad idea to be drying out your skin, but it can also lead to inflammation of the area, which could end up leaving your skin looking redder than before.
Sea salt spray
A current TikTok skincare hack in circulation is using salt water spray to clear up acne and bacne. Now although this does appear to have a positive impact on the appearance of acne, it is simply a short-term solution for treating the skin. To properly treat your skin in the long-term you need to develop a good skincare routine that works for you, using products that contain active ingredients such as salicylic acid, as well as a gentle exfoliation.
Liquid chlorophyll
TikTok has been seeing a wave of people claiming that adding liquid chlorophyll to their water is curing their skin woes and is being coined as a “miracle product”. Liquid chlorophyll is the concentrated pigment that is found in plants and gives them their green coloring and is used for photosynthesis. This trend that is sweeping social media is said to have many health benefits, one being that it miraculously clears up your skin of any spots and blemishes.
Nada says: “Sadly, I’m going to have to burst the bubble on this one and say that many scientists have spoken out and said that these benefits are completely unfounded. Not only are the ‘benefits’ untrue, but long-term, excessive consumption of the liquid chlorophyll can lead to skin irritation and dermatitis, as well as leaving people with stomach upsets.”
DIY mole removal
This is a particularly dangerous trend that is sweeping TikTok. Users have been videoing themselves removing moles from their body themselves by using household items such as nail glue.
Nada says: “For obvious reasons this is something that absolutely no one should be attempting to do at home, or anywhere and is something that should be dealt with by medical professionals only.”
Soap brows
The ‘soap brow’ trend saw a surge on TikTok during the 2020 lockdowns and has since had a resurgence in popularity for 2022. This involves brushing soap through the eyebrows and leaving it on to give the eyebrows a thicker and glossier look. As good as they do look, most soaps contain ingredients that are designed to be washed off your skin, such as sulfates. Leaving these products on your skin for long periods of time as you go about your daily business can lead to dryness and irritation of the skin.