Beauty Babble : Taking Care Your Feet Could Be Dangerous

When it comes to makeups and skincare, I believe that educating ourselves is very important, so that we don't just blindly follow raves. One easy way to do this is the internet. Usually, I spent at least some time every week to try to read news articles and blog posts about cosmetics. The beauty world is constantly being updated and changed. I find myself lost if I don't try to keep up with all the new things. On top of this, internet provides a good way for me to receive first hand news, so that I can share them with my readers.

A while ago after reading a news article, I wrote about the possible negative consequences of using cosmetic products made with nanotechnology (click here to read). Today, while I was browsing online, I came across another news article that brought to me some shocking news.

I'm sure many of us have used face masks before, but recently, foot masks had quickly became a popular skincare trend, especially in Asia. Just like how some facial masks work, most foot masks claim to get rid of dead skin on your feet and make your feet soft and nice. Most of them contain Salicylic Acid, which are widely used in skincare products, especially to treat acnes. However, Salicylic Acid have to be used really carefully because overdose of it is toxic. This is why many governments have strict rules to the amount of Salicylic Acid that can be used in cosmetic products. 

Recently, Taiwan's Public Health Bureau received complaints that some consumers got their feet burned after using foot masks, so the department conducted random tests on 3 of the most popular foot masks on the market. 

The result is shocking. All 3 foot masks' PH level is abnormal, and all 3 has higher than recommended level of Salicylic Acid, which can cause inflamed skin or even burn your feet. The department recommends that consumers be careful when purchasing foot masks until further tests can be conducted on these masks.

This news is so shocking to me because personally, I have actually used 2 of the foot masks that are mentioned in the article. Luckily, I didn't have any bad reactions to them. But I want to share this news with my readers because I know many people had or are interested in foot masks. I stopped using foot masks after trying the 2 kinds because I felt they are too strong to my skin. Plus, when they claim to get rid of your dead skin, it literally means that. After soaking your feet in the masks for an hour, you rinse it off. After several days, you will notice that skin start to peel off of your feet. It was kind of nasty because I like to wear sandals, but my skin was peeling off like I had some kind of skin disease on my feet, so I stopped. 

I would be really interested to see how further tests on these foot masks would turn out. Before that, I would just recommend people to hold off from using them. There are so many other ways to achieve soft skin on our feet, but we don't need to risk our skin getting burned. Has everyone used foot masks before? What are your thoughts on them? I'd love to hear what you guys thinks.