The latest TikTok beauty hack to go viral involves smearing pickles on your face — and doctors say something might be up.
Videos showing users applying pickled cucumber, pickle brine and pickle juice to their skin have been viewed tens of thousands of times.
Proponents say it can treat acne, tone skin, act as a makeup remover, and remove dead skin cells — though there’s little scientific evidence to support this.
But Christine Ko, MD, a dermatologist and professor at Yale University, told DailyMail.com that there is some evidence that the chemicals in pickled vegetables may have a skin-cleansing effect.
A skincare influencer rubs a pickle on a woman’s face and eyes in a video that got more than 20,000 likes
Bizarre videos show users sticking sliced pickles on their arms to relieve pain and itching from large bites.
A TikToker for example, rubbed an entire pickle over a woman’s cheeks, lips, and eyes during a facial.
Another older one video showed a user who made a face mask from pickle juice.
Some users have replaced their makeup remover with pickles.
Dr. Ko said both pickles and many typical over-the-counter products contain forms of acid, such as lactic acid.
This type of acid has been shown to remove dead skin cells, which helps exfoliate the skin and give it a brighter complexion.
“I would use anything that has an acid in it, lactic acid or beta hydroxy acid or alpha hydroxy acid,” said Dr. Ko.
“Things with acid help things like acne, so in theory it might not be as crazy as it sounds,” said Dr. Ko.
However, too much acid can damage the skin by making it red, flaky and prone to conditions like eczema. In more extreme volumes, it can burn the skin.
Store-bought pickles contain about 5 percent acidity, although fermenting your own pickles can carry the risk of higher acidity.
Dr. Ko says people may choose the pickle route because it’s potentially less irritating than a traditional skincare product.
Dr. Christine Ko, a dermatologist and professor at Yale University, says that while pickle juice carries a low risk of burning or serious damage to the skin, it’s best to stick with traditional products
“I don’t think it’s really dangerous. It shouldn’t be too risky to really burn your skin,” she said.
The risk may be higher depending on a person’s allergies and sensitivities to pickles, although the same is true for traditional products.
However, Ko suggests opting for the choice you can find on your drugstore shelf, not the grocery store. “Personally, I wouldn’t put pickle juice on my face,” she said.
pickles and pickle juice just aren’t really skin tested, when most of the products that are made are. There are products that are fragrance free, even without preservatives, that are formulated to be as clean as possible. So I would probably go for a product like that instead of smearing pickle juice on my skin,” says Ko.
Dr. Ko would recommend using an over-the-counter, dermatologist-approved product instead of slathering your skin with pickle juice.
“My first choice wouldn’t be a random jar of pickles,” she said.
When it comes to eating pickles, there are numerous health benefits.
In general, fermented foods, such as pickles, have been shown to reduce inflammation.
For example, eating yogurt regularly could lower the risk of obesity, according to one study in the journal Advances in Nutrition.
Pickles also contain natural antioxidants, which help fight free radicals and reduce the chances of developing diseases such as cancer or heart disease.
In addition, they are high in lactobacillus, a probiotic that can strengthen the skin barrier and kill harmful bacteria.
The sodium in pickle juice can also help balance electrolytes, though it may need to be consumed in higher amounts to notice a difference.
a study in the Journal of Athletic Training, for example, found that drinking small amounts of pickle juice did not fully replenish electrolytes and fluid losses in athletes after exercise.