By Cat Juan Ledesma
With its simple packaging and funky smell, it’s hard to imagine hydrogen peroxide being called a beauty product, but many have converted to using it for a variety of beauty needs. Often used to disinfect wounds with its bubbly fizz, this simple liquid solution can help in a whole bunch of other ways.
Here are some of the things it can do:
1. Helps fight acne: The bacteria that inflames your skin and causes acne can’t survive in a high oxygen environment, so using hydrogen peroxide as a toner creates a climate on your skin that acne-causing bacteria detests. Use only at night because it can be a bit drying. In the palm of your hand with, you can also mix a few drops with an aspirin tablet to make a paste. Put the paste on your zit overnight and watch it magically shrink and be much less red by morning. I’m serious!
2. Whitens teeth: Because of its bleaching properties, hydrogen peroxide can actually be used to help remove coffee, tea, or nicotine stains from your teeth’s enamel. Simply dilute with equal parts water and swish around every night. Because of its anti-bacterial properties, it actually helps combat bad breath and prevents sore throats too.
3. Lightens facial hair: Have some fine facial hair on your upper lip that you wish would go away? By using hydrogen peroxide as a toner every night, you actually lighten hair strands making them harder to see. This is a much less painful alternative to waxing.
4. Whiten nails: We’ve all had that not-too-pleasant experience of taking off our nail polish only to discover that your nail beds have turned yellow. Soak your nails in a mixture of 1 teaspoon hydrogen peroxide and 1 tablespoon baking soda for one to 10 minutes; repeat until the stain is gone.
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