Hold the mayo: How raiding the larder to tackle skin problems can do more harm than good

Raid the fridge to solve skin problems: Millions apply mayo, vinegar and olive oil to tackle spots or itches

Millions of people are potentially damaging their skin by using bizarre household products as part of their beauty regimes.

Mayonnaise, toothpaste and honey are some of the everyday items that people own up to slathering on their bodies in a desperate bid to treat spots or dry skin, according to a new survey.

Using mayonnaise to soothe eczema or vinegar to tackle pimples could actually aggravate the conditions, according to experts

But pharmacists have warned against believing old wives’ tales - and said even using dock leaves to treat nettle stings could be doing more harm than good.

Using vinegar to tackle pimples, or mayonnaise to sooth eczema, could actually aggravate the conditions, the experts said.

 

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Two out of three people surveyed admitted to raiding the fridge or the larder to tackle their skin complaints.

Top of the list of so-called remedies was toothpaste, with 18 per cent of Brits admitting to having tried it to soothe their skin.

About 20 per cent were using the alternative remedies to treat dry skin, 19 per cent for spots, 18 per cent had eczema and 8 per cent psoriasis

Others attempted using cooking oil, lemon juice, honey and mayonnaise as an alternative to shop-bought skin remedies.

Some 65 per cent of the 5,000 adults surveyed by over-the-counter pharmacy brand Care said they regularly used household goods to tackle skin problems.

About 20 per cent were using the alternative remedies to treat dry skin, 19 per cent for spots, 18 per cent had eczema and 8 per cent psoriasis.

A further 8 per cent were tormented by boils, warts and bed sores.

Half of all respondents said they had resorted to the bizarre remedies because they had developed allergies to commercial products such as perfumed moisturisers, soap and washing powder.

Pharmacist Steve Riley said: ‘These everyday products are not intended for topical application and may actually aggravate the skin condition further.

‘Toothpaste, for example, can be useful for drying out pimples, as it absorbs oils but can contains high levels of hydrogen peroxide, which damages healthy skin cells causing burning and irritation.

‘Vinegar and lemon juice both have acidic properties which can have a harsh drying effect, causing irritation, abrasion and redness of the skin.

‘Even dock leaves, which are historically useful in treating nettle and bee stings, should be used with care as rubbing too hard can move the sting and cause more irritation.’ 

Mr Riley suggested using skin-specific products rather than reaching into the fridge, but recommended steering clear of bottles containing thickening agent sodium laurel sulphate, or SLS.

‘Care Aqueous Emollient’s simple ingredients are particularly useful,’ he added.

That’s not to say, however, that all old wives’ tales are nonsense.

Scientists at Strathclyde Institute for Drug Research have developed a cream that uses extracts from marigold flowers - used in herbal medicine since the Middle Ages - to treat psoriasis.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2216479/Hold-mayo-How-raiding-larder-tackle-skin-problems-harm-good.html#ixzz295yMsKqE 
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