10 Beauty Hacks That Don't Actually Work

There are many beauty hacks that don’t actually work and are being tossed around the internet these days. Women are desperate for beauty tips that will be a quick fix for better skin, smoother hair, and more defined features. Finding beauty hacks that actually work takes a little bit of trial and error, but also, it’s important to be safe and do your research before trying out some of these beauty tips you read online. Before applying crazy face masks and lip balms to sensitive skin, read this list to know which popular beauty hacks on social media are not worth trying.

The sock beauty blender is one of those beauty hacks that just don’t work. Social media has spread this around as one of those beauty tips that works to blend your foundation without a beauty blender or brush. You can just grab a sock out of your drawer, squirt your foundation on it, and use it to blend the foundation into your face. But no, this does not work. The foundation will get absorbed into the sock, it will get messy, and the foundation will not blend into your face successfully the way it would with a store-bought beauty blender. Save yourself the trouble and buy one at the store. Or, use these simple beauty hacks to save money so you don't need to use your sock.

Another beauty hack that isn't going to make the grade is mixing cocoa powder with lotion and using it as a self-tanner. Many people have said that this works to tint the skin, but this is a beauty routine worth skipping, because it will not work, and even if it does, the tint will not stick for long. If you want to use a self-tanner, buy one at the store that will tint your skin effectively, and apply it evenly over your body. It will be less messy and look much better than any cocoa powder concoction you can mix up at home.

Using lemons as a brightening agent is another beauty hack that doesn’t work as well as advertised, and this can actually be dangerous on sensitive skin. Lemons have strong acidic properties, so adding them to your beauty routine is not a good idea. Hacks that actually work for brightening the skin include ingredients such as hydroquinone and face masks with Vitamin E. Try to use safer ingredients as opposed to harmful things to brighten the skin.

There are many unconventional lip plumpers used as beauty hacks that don’t actually work. Cayenne pepper, shot glasses, and more are used to plump up the lips and make them look larger, but these don’t work, and they are not safe. There are also lip balms that sting the lips in order to plump them. If you want to plump up your lips, just use a little bit of lip liner and overline your lips to make them appear bigger. Before applying dangerous substances to your lips, think about the harm you could cause.

A face mask made of glue is another beauty hack that you won't see results through, and is, again, dangerous. Applying a glue face mask can rip off your skin and cause more damage than good. If you want to clear dead skin cells and other impurities from your face, use a face mask that has been mixed specifically for that purpose. Many pre-mixed face masks are inexpensive, and they will be much safer for sensitive skin. This is one of the most dangerous makeup hacks you should never try.

One of the most classic beauty hacks out there is putting cucumbers on the eyes for puffiness, but this is also one of those beauty hacks that really just do not work. Cucumbers on the eyes are seen in every spa in the movies, but these are actually just for show. Cucumbers do not reduce puffiness, so unless you’re using the cucumbers just for fun, don’t bother adding these to your beauty routine.

Using tape for winged eyeliner is on the list of beauty hacks that don’t actually work. We put so much make up on our eyes—coats of mascara, eye shadow, using eyelash curlers, and more. Winged eyeliner is extremely hard to do, and we are always looking for beauty hacks to get this technique right. However, tape is one of the beauty hacks that will not help you with your winged eyeliner. There are other ways to get it right, but tape is not the way. Using tape will make your eyeliner go all over the place, and the tape will also mess up your other make up in the process. Don’t bother trying this beauty hack.

Putting nail polish on cold sores is rumored to help cure the cold sore, but this is a beauty hack that doesn’t actually work. In fact, putting nail polish on cold sores can be really dangerous because nail polish has harsh chemicals in it and cold sores are near your mouth. These chemicals should not be on sensitive skin or anywhere near your face/mouth. Keep the nail polish on your nails where it’s supposed to be, and invest in some medication that is meant for cold sore care.

Deodorant to combat shiny skin is one of the most odd presumed beauty hacks out there which doesn’t actually work. Deodorant has a weird consistency, and putting it on your face is not going to make it any less oily. It’s safer to keep the deodorant under your arms and use a cleanser or ointment for your face that is meant specifically for oily skin instead.

Many people have used toothpaste on acne thinking it will dry out the pimples, but this is another one of those beauty hacks that don’t actually work. Toothpaste can cause further inflammation and redness in acne because toothpaste has many ingredients that aren’t helpful for sensitive skin. You’ll be better off using acne cream or hydrocortisone to reduce redness and dry out your acne.

Doing your research is a great way to understand which beauty hacks work, as well as finding out those that don’t actually work. Some of these beauty hacks are dangerous and not worth trying, while others you can have fun with to see which are worth the effort. Enjoy the process, but remember to stay safe at the same time!