We all get suckered into rumors. With information at our fingertips, it is easy to read or hear something and then follow suit. Read to learn the truth behind these myths and what really works!
If you use oil on oily skin, it will make you break out.
Oil can actually balance your skin when using the right type. Non-comedogenic oils such as grapeseed or castor can help seal hydration, protect your skin, and provide certain antioxidants that work to balance sebum production.
Alcohol is a drying ingredient, therefore it will help with my acne or breakouts.Alcohol is a drying agent but it is much too harsh of an ingredient when used topically in skincare. It might seem appealing but it actually can over dry so much that you can send your skin into a panic causing even more sebum production (which can make your skin break out even worse).
The sun will help clear or dry out my acne.
While the sun might dry out the skin and reduce sebum production, the effect is only a temporary one. Studies suggest that sunlight can cause dryness and dehydration, which in turn prompts the skin to produce more sebum leading to more breakouts after sunlight exposure.
Diet does not affect your skin.
There is a lot of controversy around this one but ultimately certain foods (i.e. highly processed food, ready meals, refined carbohydrates, etc.) can cause inflammation internally particularly in the gut, which in turn can show up externally. This can result in breakouts and premature aging due to low collagen production and overproduction of sebum. Foods such fruits and vegetables foster collagen production while other foods like dairy and those with a high glycemic index (GI) and a high glycemic load (GL)) cause sebum production.
Skin is not dirty in the morning; therefore you don’t need to cleanse.
Oil builds on your skin even when you are sleeping. Breakouts and blackheads can form if you do not wash your face in the morning!
There are skincare products that work as well as injections.
No matter what any company or brand claims, it is 100% impossible for a topical product to work as well as an injection or laser treatment. When administered by a medical professional, injections can eliminate wrinkles entirely; believing that anything topical could provide the same treatment will be a huge let down.
Coconut oil is the best moisturizer.
Coconut oil is comedogenic oil and will cause breakouts and clogged pores. There are MANY other alternatives that will hydrate more and cause less issues with your skin.
Hypoallergenic products are better for sensitive skin.
The term hypoallergenic is a completely fabricated term for brands to use for marketing purposes. It implies that a particular product or products will be more unlikely to cause an allergic reaction. There aren't any type of credentials that exist to mandate what makes something “hypoallergenic” nor does that implication make the product better for sensitive skin. It is better to actually hone in on ingredients that YOU specifically might be sensitive to and avoid them.
Your skin eventually builds a tolerance to certain products or ingredients and they stop being effective.
Your skin never builds a tolerance to ingredients or products. If spinach continues to have health benefits, so will healthy, effective ingredients in your skincare products. You may see a plateau meaning your skin won’t continue to improve as it initially did but the products will still be working to maintain.
Everyone needs a specific cream or serum targeted for eye area.
There is no evidence that claims that the skin around the eye area requires specific or different ingredients to treat wrinkles. Any product loaded with antioxidants, emollients, skin-repairing and anti-inflammatory ingredients will work wonders when used around the eye area. Those ingredients don’t have to come from a specific eye treatment but any well formulated serum or moisturizer.
