Using Lush Bath Bombs as Highlighter Can Actually Be Dangerous
In case you’ve been living in a dark, sad cave for the last few days, you’ve probably seen on your social feeds that people have been turning their glittery, shimmery Lush bath bombs into makeshift highlighters, because, well, they can. But in case you were about to follow suit and let your inner unicorn-mermaid-hybrid free, you might want to hold back, because this bath bomb “hack” could actually be super dangerous for your skin.
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Basically, a bunch of people have been swiping the loose glitter from the Lush Golden Egg Bath Balm Melt on their cheeks as a golden, shimmery highlighter. And though it’s a brilliant last-minute hack, we can’t help but wonder two things: 1. Who is really that desperate for last-minute highlighter, especially one that’s craft-project-level glittery? and 2. Is something that’s meant for the bath really safe for your face?
And though we can’t answer our first question, we can answer the second. According to dermatologist Michele Farber, who spoke with PopSugar about the trend, “the bath bomb contains ingredients that are meant to be washed off rather than used as a leave-on product,” she said. “In general, thick oils, fragrances, and parabens, which are used as preservatives, can cause breakouts and irritate sensitive skin,” said Farber (all of which—minus the parabens—are found in the Lush bath bomb). “It is important to treat your face gently and avoid these ingredients if you are prone to acne or eczema.”
Of course, dabbing a bit of this bomb on your cheekbones won’t kill you. Irritate the hell out of your skin? Possibly. Leave you with redness and bumps? Also possibly. But if you’re hard up for a highlighter, or you’re just chillin’ in the Lush store and want to try it out on yourself, you’ll probably be fine. Still, we suggest keeping your bath bombs in your bath, and using a skin-appropriate highlighter, like the Cover Fx Custom Enhancer Drops or the Charlotte Tilbury Bar of Gold, instead.
