woman with a turmeric facial
Julie Hambleton
Julie Hambleton
December 7, 2023 Âˇ  3 min read

Woman Left With Orange Skin After Giving Herself A Turmeric Facial

When skin problems strike, what do you turn to? Over-the-counter masks, cleansers, and creams? A prescription from your dermatologist? Or, do you go the DIY route and make something at home with all-natural ingredients? 

That’s exactly what TikTok influencer Lauren tried to do when she applied a homemade turmeric facial to her skin. An unforeseen problem arose, however, when she stained her entire face bright orange. (1)

DIY Turmeric Facial Gone Wrong

Lauren (laurenjrennie on TikTok) was having some problems with her skin. She was breaking out, particularly along her lip line. Like many of us, she jumped online to see if there were any home remedies she could whip up in her kitchen to make her problem go away. (1)

@laurenjrennie

It’s the ✨chaos✨ for me, how’s your Friday? ##fyp ##scottishtiktok ##funny

♬ Oh No – Kreepa

She found a recipe online for a turmeric facial. The website described the mask as one that will work on acne, wrinkles, and irritated skin. She thought, “why not?” and gave it a go. (1)

One tiny detail Lauren forgot was that Turmeric was and still often is used as a dye for fabric, meaning that it stains – including the skin. (1)

“But the thing is, I’ve just applied it to my face, and my entire hand has turned yellow,” she remarked in her video. “When I take this off, I’m going to resemble the moon.” (1)

That was an understatement. Her skin was glowing, for sure, though perhaps not in the way that she had intended it to.

She and her sister were having quite a laugh at her expense as she attempted to rub the mask off her face. Her entire face was bright orange. 

“I’m literally going to the supermarket with my dad tonight. I’m really hoping that makeup’s going to cover this,” she exclaimed. (1)

The Benefits of Turmeric

Despite this unfortunate TikToker’s stained skin, turmeric can be beneficial for your health. There are some health benefits to ingesting turmeric; however, it can be highly beneficial in skincare products. (2)

Some of the benefits of a turmeric facial include:

  • Reduce inflammation, including related to skin diseases such as acne (3)
  • Antibacterial (2)
  • Antioxidant (3)
  • Reduce hyperpigmentation (4)
  • Skin irritation (4)
  • Treat fine lines and wrinkles (2)
  • Improve the overall appearance of skin (2)

There are no known health risks to using turmeric for your skin; however, it is always advisable to do a patch test on a small, easily hidden patch of skin first in case of an adverse reaction. Naturally, as Lauren discovered, if you’re not careful, you may stain your skin.

These facemasks are probably best to do when you’re not going anywhere later on.

DIY Turmeric Facials To Try

Here are just a few turmeric facials you can try at home depending on your skin’s needs:

  1. For Acne: Turmeric + warm water + honey
  2. For Hyperpigmentation and Wrinkles: Turmeric + yogurt + lemon juice
  3. For irritated skin: Turmeric extract + aloe vera gel
  4. For Antioxidants: Turmeric + water + almond or rice flour (for thickening)

Don’t leave any of the masks on for more than 10 minutes to avoid turning into a bright orange or yellow glowing orb.

Keep Reading: Why More And More Men Are Wearing Makeup Today

Sources

  1. “laurenjrennie.” Tiktok.
  2. Effects of Turmeric (Curcuma longa) on Skin Health: A Systematic Review of the Clinical Evidence.” Online Library. Alexandra R. Vaughn. et al. May 2016.
  3. Curcumin induces apoptosis through mitochondrial pathway and caspases activation in human melanoma cells.” PubMed. Ai-Jun Jiang. et al. January 2015.
  4. Are Natural Ingredients Effective in the Management of Hyperpigmentation? A Systematic Review.” NCBI. Jasmine C. Hollinger, MD., et al. February 2018.