The Beauty Habits That Should Come With A Disclaimer

Beauty is full of fine print, but most of us only find out the warnings after the fact. I’ve learnt this the hard way—from midnight box-dye disasters to layering five serums because I thought more actives meant more glow. The truth is, some of the most aspirational beauty habits are the ones that should come with disclaimers.

They’re not always obvious. They’re often disguised as trends, routines, or even cultural rituals. But peel back the gloss, and you’ll see the quiet red flags.

Red Flags in Skin Care

Over-exfoliating in the name of “glass skin”

We all love the idea of glowing, translucent skin. But double-cleansing, scrubbing, and layering acids nightly doesn’t give you glass—it gives you sandpaper. I once used glycollic acid, retinol, and vitamin C in the same week. My face protested with breakouts I could have charged rent for.

Mixing every active in sight

Instagram routines make it look normal to cocktail five serums in one go. In reality, niacinamide doesn’t always want to be friends with vitamin C, and retinol is best left to its own company. A disclaimer here would read: Don’t play chemist unless you actually are one.

Expired products lurking on shelves

We all have that one tub of moisturiser we refuse to throw because it’s “still half full”. But if the smell is off, or the texture has changed, it’s a silent red flag. Skin infections aren’t chic.

Red Flags in Hair Care

Heat styling without a protectant

We’ve all rushed out the door with straighteners sizzling, promising ourselves “just this once”. The truth is, even a single session without protection can split ends faster than you can book a blowout. I’ve learnt this after a phase of poker-straight hair that snapped more than it shone.

DIY bleaching or rebonding jobs

If you’ve ever hovered over a box of bleach thinking, How bad could it be?, know that the answer is very. Bleach isn’t forgiving. Rebonding kits at home aren’t either. A disclaimer here: Leave structural changes to professionals—or risk years of repair work.

Oil + straightener combo

Yes, people still do this. Applying coconut oil and then running a straightener through it is the fastest way to fry strands. A disclaimer should come stapled to every bottle: oil and heat don’t mix.

Red Flags in Makeup

Sleeping in makeup

The oldest and still the most common. I’ve done it. You’ve done it. We all pretend it’s harmless once in a while, but it never is. Mascara plus pillow = breakouts, irritation, and lashes that don’t thank you.

Sharing lipsticks or liners

It looks cute in group selfies. It isn’t cute when you wake up with a cold sore. A disclaimer here would simply say: share the selfie, not the stick.'

Dark liner + concealer lips without context

Yes, the early 2000s combo is back. And yes, it can look incredible. But only if it’s intentional, blended, and paired with gloss. A red flag emerges when it looks less like nostalgia and more like malnutrition.

Cultural Red Flags We Don’t Talk About Enough

“Natural” remedies that aren’t always safe

In India, we’ve all been told to dab lemon juice or toothpaste on pimples for overnight miracles. I’ve tried both. They sting, they scar, and they belong firmly in the red flag category.

The fairness cream obsession

It’s quieter now but still lingering. Products that promise whitening in weeks should come with disclaimers in bold. They’re not just cosmetic red flags but cultural ones.

Henna as a miracle cure

Henna is often sold as a strengthening treatment, but what it really does is coat hair and mask damage. It isn’t repair, it’s camouflage. The disclaimer should read: strengthening and suffocating are not the same.

Beauty should never feel like it needs a disclaimer. If a ritual feels glamorous but risky, aspirational but damaging, it’s probably a red flag waiting to be called out. And if I’ve learnt anything from years of box dyes, five-serum nights, and heat without protection, it’s this: what looks like a quick fix today almost always leaves tomorrow holding the bill.