The strangest skincare advice: Everyone has heard some pretty strange skincare advice over the years. While some skincare tips are nothing more than old wives’ tales, (or just plain bad advice popularized by social media) there are some weird tips that really do work. Keep on reading to find out what advice is genuine and which “advice” you should forget.
Diaper Rash Cream Can Help Dry Skin
Diaper rash cream can moonlight as a moisturizer? Yes, this tip definitely falls into the category of strange but true.
Why It Works
An effective diaper cream contains ingredients that both soothe the skin and protect it. It doesn’t matter if the dry, cracked skin is on a baby’s bottom or on your elbows, hands, or heels—moisturizer is moisturizer! If you don’t have heavy-duty moisturizer handy, diaper cream can definitely soothe your skin.
Potato Slices Reduce Puffy Eyes
Raw, sliced potatoes are touted as a beauty cure for everything from oily skin, to dark under-eye circles, to puffy eyes. Out of those three claims, the only one that may be true is that potatoes can reduce puffy eyes.
Why It Works
How can potato slices help? A common way to reduce puffy under eyes is to apply something cold to them for about 10 to 15 minutes. This “something” could be cold cucumber slices, chilled spoons, cooling gel, or—you guessed it—potato slices.
It may sound strange, but potatoes can hold on to cold temps for long periods of time, which makes them uniquely suited for this purpose. Potatoes also have astringent properties, and the starch in potatoes is anti-inflammatory.
How To Use Potato Slices Reduce Puffy Eyes
There are two popular ways to use potatoes to reduce under-eye puffiness. One way is to slice a regular white potato and chill the slices in the refrigerator. Once they reach the appropriate temperature, lie down and place the potato slices over the eyes for at least 10 minutes.
Another (slightly more labor-intensive) method is to peel a potato and grate it. After chilling, place the grated potato in a few layers of cheesecloth and lay on top of your eyes.
While this trick may help in a pinch, keep in mind that a more effective way to reduce under-eye puffiness is to use an eye cream with caffeine. Choose an option that is applied with a roller, like the Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Puff Eye Roller.
You Can Remove Makeup with Olive Oil
You might already know that olive oil, when applied directly to your skin, is a great moisturizer. It contains Vitamins E and A which protect, repair, and moisturize the skin. While it seems counterintuitive, (who wants to put MORE oil on their skin?!) olive oil won’t clog your pores.
Why It Works
Why does olive oil work as a makeup remover? Because “like dissolves like,” in other words, since makeup products are often made of oils, olive oil can dissolve it.
However, once your makeup is removed, you will still need to wash your face again.
How to Use Olive Oil as Makeup Remover
Olive oil can make an effective makeup remover, especially when it is combined with a few other easy-to-find ingredients. Using olive oil in this way makes for a very cost-effective makeup remover (provided you don’t splurge on the fancy stuff). Michelle Phan explains both how to make an olive oil makeup remover and how to use it.
Eye Drops Help Get Rid of Pimples
This tip has been around forever: use eye drops to quickly zap zits. This skin care tip is only partially true: while eye drops can help reduce the redness of a pimple, they cannot completely get rid of a pimple.
Why It Works
Since eye drops like Visine constrict blood vessels, it can help get the red out of a pimple for a few hours. But the chances that Visine, or another eye drop, will reduce the size or severity of a breakout is not very high.
Depending on your skin type, eye drops could dry out your skin and irritate it further. Instead of using eye drops, we recommend that you stick to tried and true acne-fighting products that are specially formulated to treat blemishes, like Mario Badescu’s drying lotion.
