Based on true events…

What you’re about to read isn’t for the faint of heart, and it just might be more chilling than any scary movie you have ever seen. These are real people, sharing their real skincare horror stories. Continue reading at your own risk… 

 

House of (Eyebrow) Wax

Trick or treat pumpkin on fairy lights

 

We get that going to beauty salons can be a little bit pricey, but this user quickly discovers why it’s worth it after experiencing the dangers of using an at home facial waxing kit, and why it would be best to leave it to the professionals next time.

“Once, I bought solid hard wax that you had to microwave to liquefy so you could easily apply it to the contour of your eyebrows and get a nice, sharp shape (what I hoped for). I put it on the top of my eyebrow while still too hot, it dripped down quickly, and before I knew it, I was looking for a clever excuse to explain my missing eyebrow..” – Emma O.

 

The Facial Wax Massacre

Yikes! From whiskers to pimples, we don’t know what’s worse. However, you wouldn’t be the first to fall prey to the enticing idea of doing your wax job yourself, as we saw in the story above.

“I used a wax strip for my moustache, it was for “sensitive skin” and I used an oil that came with it… it removed the hairs but left me with a moustache made of pimples” – Mara B.

 

A Nightmare on Lotion Street

orange halloween lights in different shapes

Need a quick devil costume for Halloween but you’re missing face paint? Give body lotion a shot. We’re not sure what they have brewing in those bottles, but we’ve heard it can give your face a hell of a look.

“I used hydrating body lotion on face and my skin turned bright red. I guess my face isn’t a part of my body in the eyes of the skincare industry…” – Mia G.

 

The Bride of Pimple Cream

Don’t knock it before you try it! This user’s intimate experience with what she thought was a cure to her pimple woes actually turns out really great. It makes us wonder what else we could experiment with…

“I found a cream in my mom’s bathroom which I mistook for pimple cream… long story short, I accidentally wiped my mom’s UTI vaginal cream on my face hoping it would clear my zit. And plot twist? It worked great!” – Grace O.

 

The Cotton Pad Project

Halloween candy on table with jack'o'lantern in background

The moral of this story is: whether it be Halloween candy in your trick or treating bucket, or cotton pads on the bathroom shelf, you should always be cautious with things you just find lying around unpackaged.

“I noticed we had (what I thought were) pre-soaked makeup remover cotton pads. So I decided to take my makeup off with that. I start rubbing my eyes to remove my mascara and all of a sudden I start screaming because it hurt so bad and was burning my eyes and the skin around them. Turns out they weren’t makeup removal pads, but regular pads soaked in acetone (nail polish remover). Luckily I didn’t go blind.” – Bruna B.

 

Encounters of an exfoliating kind

Ever heard of the expression “no pain, no gain”? Well this user has… and they took it a little bit too literally; Exfoliating your skin is not supposed to be painful, and if it is you need to stop immediately.

“When I was younger I wasn’t the greatest at taking care of my skin and I had a lot of blackheads and irregularities on my skin. My mom told me to take a cloth, put some cleanser on it and exfoliate my skin with that. So I did, but my definition of exfoliation for some reason included the fact that it should hurt a little bit… in the end I scrubbed so hard that I scrubbed a layer of my skin off and my skin burned for days.” – Victoria K.

 

Drag Me to the Shopping Channel

Jack'o'lanterns lit up and on display

Careful when operating heavy machinery. Here’s another exfoliation story turned sour: this user tried a do it yourself exfoliation device and, needless to say, it did not turn out the best.

“My Aunt who is obsessed with the shopping channel bought an at home exfoliation machine and decided to try it out on me. It didn’t feel painful, but when we turned it off and my skin calmed down we noticed it had scratched up my entire face… She felt really bad and I had to walk around with scabs on my face for a while.” –  Isabella M.

 

These are only a few of the many frightening skincare stories that are out there, and happening every day. Hopefully after reading these stories you will heed our warning and be a bit wiser when it comes to taking on your everyday skincare routine. Now if you don’t mind us asking: when was the last time you had a skincare blunder? Leave us your funny stories in the comments below.