London: Raiding your kitchen for skincare solutions might not be such a good idea!Honey, toothpaste and lemon juice are included by many in their household beauty regimes but these `natural` remedies might actually be damaging your skin, experts have claimed.

Pharmacists have warned against believing old wives` tales and said that using vinegar to tackle pimples, or mayonnaise to sooth eczema, could actually aggravate the conditions.

In a survey, two out of three people admitted to raiding the fridge or the larder to tackle their skin complaints, the Daily Mail reported.

Top of the list of so-called remedies was toothpaste, with 18 per cent of Brits admitting to having tried it to soothe their skin.

Others attempted using cooking oil, lemon juice, honey and mayonnaise as an alternative to shop-bought skin remedies.

Some 65 per cent of the 5,000 adults surveyed by over-the-counter pharmacy brand Care said they regularly used household goods to tackle skin problems.

About 20 per cent were using the alternative remedies to treat dry skin, 19 per cent for spots, 18 per cent had eczema and 8 per cent psoriasis.

Half of all respondents said they had resorted to the bizarre remedies because they had developed allergies to commercial products such as perfumed moisturisers, soap and washing powder.

“These everyday products are not intended for topical application and may actually aggravate the skin condition further,” pharmacist Steve Riley said.

“Toothpaste, for example, can be useful for drying out pimples, as it absorbs oils but can contains high levels of hydrogen peroxide, which damages healthy skin cells causing burning and irritation,” Riley said.

“Vinegar and lemon juice both have acidic properties which can have a harsh drying effect, causing irritation, abrasion and redness of the skin,” Riley added.