Beauty blunders

Beauty products and gadgets caused an average of £153 worth of damage in UK households last year as more Brits turned to ‘DIY at-home' treatments to cost save.

According to research by Sheilas' Wheels home insurance, the credit crunch has caused nearly a third (32 per cent) of Brits polled to increase the amount of time and money they spend on personal grooming or beauty treatments at home, rather than splashing out at professional salons or beauticians. In fact, one in five (22 per cent) of those questioned spend over three hours a week pampering themselves at home - so it's no surprise that furniture and furnishings are getting tarnished in the ‘DIY' process.

Almost three in ten (28 per cent) Brits surveyed admitted that their home or home furnishings have been damaged through a blunder with a beauty gadget or product. Carpets appear to be the biggest victim of damage with a whopping 85 per cent of Brits, who have experienced beauty-related damages in the home, admitting to having their carpet spoiled by curling tongs, 73 per cent by hair dye and 72 per cent with nail varnish. Over half (53 per cent) of those polled have had beds or bed linen ruined by fake tan.

Heated beauty gadgets pose the highest risk to homes and their contents - yet worryingly over two fifths (43 per cent) of UK homeowners have admitted to forgetting to turn off heated appliances after they had finished with them. This mistake has caused nearly a third (31 per cent) of careless homeowners to be faced with ‘burn' damage.

Sheilas' Wheels top ten beauty ‘dangers':

1. Nail varnish
2. Hair dye
3. Hair straighteners
4. Mascara
5. Foundation
6. Fake tan
7. Lipstick
8. Hair dryer
9. Curling tongs
10. Perfume

Watch out for dishonest house guests too. A fifth (20 per cent) of Brits surveyed admitted to causing damage with a beauty gadget or product in someone else's home and not owning up to it or even trying to cover it up.

Jacky Brown at Sheilas' Wheels home insurance, commented: "To save the pennies, more of us are now using beauty gadgets, products and treatments at home rather than paying a professional. But any DIY pampering sessions come with their risks.

"Dyes, lotions and cosmetics can stain and many hair styling gadgets can reach extremely high temperatures and may cause considerable damage if left on accidentally. That's why having accidental damage cover added onto your home insurance can be invaluable - as beauty blunders become more commonplace."

Regional Differences

Households in the North East and North West of the country caused on average £172 worth of beauty damage last year.

Almost half (48 per cent) of Scots surveyed have had damage done to their home caused by nail varnish and over a quarter (27 per cent) with fake tan. 64 per cent said it did, or would have, cost up to £500 to repair or replace what was damaged.

The average cost of beauty damage to Welsh households in the last year was £167.

A fifth (21 per cent) of Londoners polled have tried to hide a beauty spillage in their home and actually made it worse, with almost one in ten (9 per cent) having caused damage in someone else's home using a beauty gadget or product, and not owned up to it.