Chemical Peels/Facials

A well-executed facial or chemical peel can make your skin look younger, brighter, and more toned. However, a minor technician error can leave your face scarred from chemical burns or with serious infections. There are many natural alternatives to these procedures that carry significantly less risk, including mashing citrus fruit and mixing with milk or yogurt, which can be applied to the face like a facemask and which will yield similar results. Other DIY peels use a gelatin base and incorporate ingredients that range from tomatoes or grapefruit to wine, green tea, and cucumber.

If you do decide to go with a chemical peel, you should do your homework. Make sure that the person performing the procedure has been certified to be an aesthetician and be sure that all licenses are up to date. Verify that the equipment and room are sanitary. The room should look like a medical facility with sterile equipment, gloves, and protective measures in place to avoid spreading bacteria or other contaminants from patient to patient. You should also avoid top strength chemical peels, especially if you aren’t used to the treatment, and only if the procedure is being performed or supervised by a dermatologist.

Tanning (Especially In A Tanning Bed)

Tans have been typically seen as attractive, giving us a healthy, beach-kissed glow. But according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), tanning is actually a sign of skin damage.

“A tan is the skin’s reaction to exposure to UV rays,” says Sharon Miller, M.S.E.E., an FDA scientist and international expert on UV radiation and tanning. “Recognizing exposure to the rays as an ‘insult,’ the skin acts in self-defense by producing more melanin, a pigment that darkens the skin. Over time, this damage will lead to prematurely aged skin and, in some cases, skin cancer.”