Do's and don'ts for DIY skin care

By Ann Hoevel, CNN

Updated 1552 GMT (2352 HKT) April 25, 2013

Think twice before you follow just any DIY skin care method. Dermatologist Dr. Doris Day explained how some ingredients can help -- or hurt. For starters: Honey is an ancient treatment for wounds because it has antiseptic properties and creates a breathable, skin-like barrier. It is often used in recipes for acne treatment, reducing eye puffiness, exfoliating scrubs and eczema.

Photos: DIY beauty from your pantry

DIY beauty from your pantry – Think twice before you follow just any DIY skin care method. Dermatologist Dr. Doris Day explained how some ingredients can help -- or hurt. For starters: Honey is an ancient treatment for wounds because it has antiseptic properties and creates a breathable, skin-like barrier. It is often used in recipes for acne treatment, reducing eye puffiness, exfoliating scrubs and eczema.

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Vinegar is an effective deodorizer which kills yeast and bacteria that lead to body odor. But it has a pungent smell of its own. It's best used in solutions that include essential oils to mask the salad smell.

Photos: DIY beauty from your pantry

DIY beauty from your pantry – Vinegar is an effective deodorizer which kills yeast and bacteria that lead to body odor. But it has a pungent smell of its own. It's best used in solutions that include essential oils to mask the salad smell.

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DIY beauty from your pantry – Aloe has anti-inflammatory and anesthetic properties, so it's great for the pain associated with burns and poison ivy.

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Olive oil and coconut oil are effective hydrators. They're good for treating irritated skin because they are so gentle on their own, they are often used as a binder for sugar or salt scrubs.

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DIY beauty from your pantry – Olive oil and coconut oil are effective hydrators. They're good for treating irritated skin because they are so gentle on their own, they are often used as a binder for sugar or salt scrubs.

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Salt and sugar are effective exfoliants and often the base of home scrub recipes. Baking soda works as a fine-grained exfoliant, and might have antiseptic and brightening qualities.

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DIY beauty from your pantry – Salt and sugar are effective exfoliants and often the base of home scrub recipes. Baking soda works as a fine-grained exfoliant, and might have antiseptic and brightening qualities.

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Tea can deliver antioxidants and caffeine to the skin better than, say, crushed blueberries. White tea has the highest levels of both.

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DIY beauty from your pantry – Tea can deliver antioxidants and caffeine to the skin better than, say, crushed blueberries. White tea has the highest levels of both.

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Recipes including papaya and kiwi fruit will exfoliate skin without over-drying it. While papaya is a little safer on the skin, both make skin cells less sticky.

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DIY beauty from your pantry – Recipes including papaya and kiwi fruit will exfoliate skin without over-drying it. While papaya is a little safer on the skin, both make skin cells less sticky.

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The best dairy to use in any DIY beauty treatment is yogurt. Yogurt delivers enough lactic acid to treat skin, and is used in anti-aging recipes and keratosis pilaris treatments.

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DIY beauty from your pantry – The best dairy to use in any DIY beauty treatment is yogurt. Yogurt delivers enough lactic acid to treat skin, and is used in anti-aging recipes and keratosis pilaris treatments.

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Bananas have no effect on the skin, but it's a useful tool to ease the spread of helpful ingredients like honey, olive oil or aloe on your face.

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DIY beauty from your pantry – Bananas have no effect on the skin, but it's a useful tool to ease the spread of helpful ingredients like honey, olive oil or aloe on your face.

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DIY beauty from your pantry – Egg whites can have a temporary tightening effect on the skin, but using raw eggs can present a risk of salmonella.

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DIY beauty from your pantry – Spices can irritate and dye skin, but they have some healthful properties when they're ingested with food.

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DIY beauty from your pantry – Citrus fruits, especially lemons, irritate the skin. Lemons also increase sensitivity to sunlight.

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DIY beauty from your pantry – Hydrogen peroxide can bleach your hair, but because it is toxic to skin cells, it can also irritate.

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Story highlights

Honey, olive oil and tea are great pantry products for your skin, dermatologist Doris Day says
Citrus and spices can irritate skin, the "Forget the Facelift" author says
Salt, sugar and baking soda are effective exfoliants, Day says

Perhaps you've come across a recipe or two on Pinterest for perfect skin. We've seen them too: banana and orange facials, spicy acne masks, olive oil cleansers and more.

But whether you're holistically-minded, frustrated with drugstore finds or having a beauty emergency, it's not always wise to experiment on your face with that thing you saw on the Internet.

We wondered, should you ever put your skin and hair at the mercy of your kitchen pantry?

"For the most part I prefer drug store or department store or cosmeceutical products from your dermatologist because they're actually tested on the skin and they go through certain quality control measures," said New York dermatologist Dr. Doris Day. "But in a p