Skincare Myths Debunked and Their Healthy Alternatives
The world of skincare and beauty is more
complex than it may seem on the surface, and with the abundance of
misconceptions persisting in society, it’s not surprising that many
people cannot get the results they want from their products. The truth
is that technique, an ability to observe your skin, and healthy habits
are just as important for your skin as the creams and potions you choose
to use. This article focuses on the harmful skincare myths that are way
more common than they should be and how to replace them with a healthy
skin habit.
Myth 1. The longer you clean your skin, the better
Overwashing your face can actually have the opposite effect on your
skin, making it produce more oil if you have oily skin, but aggravating
dry skin too, as it removes the natural moisture from your skin. Myth 2. Cleansing wipes are the best makeup removing method
Makeup wipes may be cheap and quick to use,
but do you really think they do a good job removing all your makeup,
sunscreen and dirt that accumulated on your skin during the day? If so,
we challenge you to do a test:
Use a cleansing wipe as usual, then wet your face with warm water and
without washing anything off, dry your face with a white towel. In the
majority of cases, your towel will no longer be white and you will
witness leftover foundation and mascara on the towel.
On top of not being able to clean your skin, makeup wipes can irritate
it, often exacerbating acne, rosacea, and dryness, as well as causing
wrinkles, especially if you don’t wash your face after using them. When
it comes to your skin’s health, try not to cut corners, and instead of
cleansing wipes, use a wash-off oil-based cleanser to melt away your
makeup without any tugging or pulling at your skin.
Myth 3. You have acne because you’re touching your face too much
Rubbing and picking at your skin will
definitely not benefit it, but many people who never did this can have
acne. This is because many different factors starting from your hormone
levels to foods to a dirty pillowcase can cause acne. Many of these
factors you can’t control, e.g. many women over 30 suffer from hormonal
zits that appear around their period.
And the ladies are not the only ones blessed with these “occasional
presents”, as men, too, often have pimples, especially around their
beards as a result of razor burn or not washing their beards thoroughly
enough. Still, thorough and regular face cleansing, as well as clean
phones, pillowcases, scarves and yes, beards, are all a must for a
pimple-free face.
Myth 4. Oily skin doesn’t need moisturizers
The dream of a typical person who has oily
skin is to have dry, matte-looking skin, so moisturizing it is
unnecessary, right? Wrong, as it is very likely that your skin is
overproducing oils specifically because you’re drying it out. In fact,
many people with oily skin who start using moisturizers often find that
their skin becomes less oily.
What is true, however, is that the moisturizer of your choice should be
very different from the one favored by someone with dry skin. Oily skins
should opt for gel creams, lightweight lotions and milky serums instead
of a heavy, rich cream, even at night, mainly because the richer
moisturizers can cause breakouts and feel too heavy on the skin.
Myth 5. High reviews and recommendations
from beauty gurus mean a product is good
If a product is recommended to you by a beauty guru or you see that it
gets rave reviews on some website, it doesn’t mean that it’s a good
product. No, we have no intention of proving that beauty gurus and
reviews are unreliable, as they very well may be honest and
well-intentioned, but all these people don’t have your skin and most of
them are not dermatologists or facialists, and don’t know enough about
skin to recommend you what you need.
This is not to say that you cannot use these reviews and opinions at
all, however, but look for reviews by people who you know have a similar
skin type, skin condition, and age with you, and even then, get a
tester of the product before fully committing to a product, as you might
be allergic to one of its ingredients.
Myth 6. You need a dedicated product for each part of the face
Although it is true that different parts of
the face and the body have different thickness, produce more or less
oil, when it comes to skincare, most people don’t need a separate eye
cream, neck cream, or daytime and nighttime moisturizer. On top of being
extremely expensive for no reason, these specialized creams usually
don’t work any different from a regular face cream, so you need only 1
product for the whole face, neck and decollete.
This is not to say that you shouldn’t invest in different types of
products, though. A serum, for example, will be able to address a
specific skin concern you have, be it acne, hyperpigmentation, or fine
lines, because it has a high concentration of active ingredients that
most moisturizers don’t. So, instead of buying a separate product for
each area, it’s better to invest in a good serum to layer underneath
your moisturizer that will deal with your skin concerns.
Myth 7. You have to stick to a consistent routine to get results
Our skin is the barrier protecting our bodies from the environment, and
with environmental changes, it can change as well. Things like climate,
changes in season, how much time you spend in the sun, your diet and,
let’s face it - age - can all change our skin type and worsen a skin
condition we might have.
Together with these changes, we should adjust our skincare routines. And
while the 3 basic steps of cleansing, moisturizing and protecting from
the sun should stay year round, the products of your choice should be
adjusted. So, for example, you might opt for a thicker moisturizer or
even mix in a facial oil in your usual moisturizer in the winter when
it’s cold, windy and you need extra skin protection, but in the summer,
you change it to a lightweight cream that lets your skin breathe in the
hot and humid weather.
Similarly, when you’re having a breakout, it’s useful to add an acne
product to use on those pimples, but when the breakout is gone, you
should stop using it. You get the picture: adjust your skincare regime
to your skin's needs.
Myth 8. The pricier the product, the better it is
Now, even I am guilty of having believed
this myth in the past. And it does seem quite logical that price should
correlate with effectiveness, but the truth is that so many other
aspects influence the price of a certain product that this rule doesn't
hold water. Paying a premium price for a product doesn’t mean it will
work better than a cheap one.
Yes, it will likely feel better on the skin, come in a beautiful bottle,
use exotic ingredients and smell nice, but it is almost certain that it
will not be more effective than a dermatologist-approved product, even a
very affordable one from the drugstore. This is because you as a
consumer are paying extra for the brand, the extravagant packaging, and
the signature fragrance, and not for effectivity per se.
Thus, look for products and brands that were created by dermatologists
or facialists instead of luxury fashion brands, as they offer the best
balance of effectiveness and price.