9 Wacky Beauty Tips: Do They Work?

As we continue to keep our economic belts tight, testing out homemade beauty remedies is even more enticing. But hold on before you turn your body into a lab experiment. We asked experts to weigh in on 9 wacky beauty tips. Read on to learn what works and is safe... We’ve all heard those odd beauty tips girlfriends pass on, like using super-glue on torn cuticles or oatmeal to get rid of the itches. Hmm, we think, got to give that a try. They sound nutty but they could be brilliant. But do these remedies work? And a more important question: Will they put you in the ER? We rounded up some of the wackiest do-it-yourself health and beauty tips and asked the experts which ones do the trick and which are recipes for disaster: Wacky Beauty Tip #1 Slather Elmer’s Glue on your nose to remove blackheads. Does it work? Save the glue for crafts projects, not your complexion. Though some believe the sticky stuff pulls blackheads out when it dries, dermatologists say it could make matters worse. “It’s an incredibly bad idea to apply something not meant for the skin,” says Ranella Hirsch, M.D., a Boston-based dermatologist and past president of the American Society of Cosmetic Dermatology and Aesthetic Surgery. “It can clog pores and you stand a pretty good chance of damaging your skin when you remove [the glue].” The right stuff? Use blackhead-removing strips available at most drugstores and mass merchandisers, she says. Wacky Beauty Tip #2 Prevent blisters and stinky feet with antiperspirant. Does it work? Sure does, so get rolling or spraying. “Sweaty feet cause blisters because of the combination of moisture and friction,” especially if your shoes are too big, tight or wide, explains Crystal Murray Holmes, a podiatrist and clinical instructor at the University of Michigan Medical School. “Using antiperspirant creates a barrier between your feet and socks or shoes to decrease friction and prevents sweat glands from producing moisture,” she says. How to use it: Roll or spray antiperspirant on your soles and between your toes. Also, wear socks made of fabrics that wick sweat away from the skin – microfiber works well – and make sure your shoes fit properly. Wacky Beauty Tip #3 Soak in a tub of raw oats to stop the itchy feel and alligator-like appearance of dry skin. Does it work? Bring on the breakfast cereal. “In very dry skin, the topmost layer of cells (called the barrier) isn’t intact, so moisture can seep out,” says Diane Madfes, M.D., clinical instructor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. “The lipids and proteins in oatmeal help replenish the skin barrier and decrease water loss.” Plus, oats are so gentle that they’re safe even for sensitive skin. How to use it: Pour one to two cups of regular raw oatmeal (not the steel-cut variety) under a tap of running, lukewarm bath water. (Hot water dries skin even more.) Soak for about five minutes, then apply your favorite moisturizer to your damp skin. Wacky Beauty Tip #4 Soak your hands or feet in bleach to cure ugly – and painful – fungal nail infections. Does it work? Yes, but the cure may do more harm than good. “Bleach does kill fungus, but it will also kill healthy skin and could cause a serious skin reaction or rash on hands or feet,” Holmes says. The right stuff? “If you’re going to try a home remedy, tea tree oil is a much safer option,” she says. It's available at health food or drugstores. Apply it like nail polish daily until the nail grows out. Wacky Beauty Tip #5 Zap zits with a dab of toothpaste. Does it work? No, so keep the pearly white cleanser where your mouth is. Toothpaste is drying because of its alcohol and fluoride, so it may seem to help clear up a pesky pimple. But “fluoride can actually cause more breakouts and acne, and today’s toothpastes are stronger and have so many added ingredients – like bleaching and whitening agents, which can burn skin,” says Francesca Fusco, M.D., assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. The right stuff? Instead, buy an acne product that contains benzoyl peroxide, which kills bacteria, or salicylic acid, which unclogs pores, she says. Wacky Beauty Tip #6 Rinse your hair with apple-cider vinegar to send dandruff down the drain. Does it work? Yes, you can fight off the white flakes with this funky home remedy. “One cause of dandruff is yeast that overpopulates and thus causes dandruff,” Fusco says. “The acidity in apple-cider vinegar changes the pH of your scalp, so it’s not an ideal environment for yeast to grow.” How to use it: After shampooing and conditioning as usual, combine one cup apple-cider vinegar with an equal amount of cool water and pour on your scalp. Leave it on for one minute, then rinse with cool water. Chilly water is important. “The cold helps constrict blood vessels, decreasing inflammation and itch,” Fusco adds. Wacky Beauty Tip #7 Dab Preparation H under your eyes to deflate bags and swelling. Does it work? Many models swear by this tip, but hemorrhoid cream is not the best way to send these bags packing, dermatologists say. In theory, it should work by shrinking under-eye puffiness the same way it does hemorrhoids. But the cream could irritate delicate, thin facial skin and cause breakouts, Fusco says. Even more uncomfortable, you may get it in your eyes, which could irritate them temporarily. Besides, the smell isn’t pretty. The right stuff? Try cooled tea bags to deflate your under-eye bags. “Tea contains tannic acid, an ingredient that acts as an astringent and pulls the water out from this area, making the puffiness and swelling go down,” Fusco says. Wacky Beauty Tip #8 Apply full-fat milk to irritated skin after waxing or shaving. Does it work? Milk this tip. “Milk protein is a natural anti-inflammatory,” Madfes says, so it can calm irritated skin. “Its fat content and basic, rather than acidic, pH has a drying, soothing effect,” adds Fusco, who says this remedy also works for sunburned skin and to calm the itch from poison ivy. How to use it: Combine one cup of full-fat milk with a few ice cubes. Then saturate a washcloth or paper towel with the milk and apply to the affected area for 5-10 minutes. Repeat until your skin feels better, then rinse with cool water and apply an over-the-counter cortisone cream. Wacky Beauty Tip #9 Use Super Glue or Krazy Glue to heal cracks that crop up on extremely dry hands or feet. Does it work? Don’t go Krazy for this tip. Such open wounds are painful because the nerve endings are exposed. They can take weeks to heal because of re-injury and bruising, says Katie Rodan, M.D., associate professor of dermatology at Stanford University. The glue’s chemicals “may cause skin irritation or infection, especially on an open wound because the ingredients aren’t sterilized and contain contaminants,” Fusco says. Sure, Super or Krazy Glue can close the gap and seal the top of skin cracks. But you’re better off using a product made for skin, not a broken coffee mug. The right stuff? “Liquid Band-Aid protects the wound from being re-injured and helps heal it because it’s made for this purpose,” Fusco says. Check out our Wacky Beauty Tips Slideshow. How Much Do You Know About Home Remedies? Chicken soup for a cold? Holding your breath to halt your hiccups?