The 14 Biggest & Most Ridiculous Skincare Myths

Skincare myths are unavoidable

Skincare can often be an elusive concept with lots of skincare myths that have no scientific background. For generations, we were fed absurd lies about what is best for our skin, only to find out that these bogus treatments often have detrimental effects. Whether it is using lead paint as a concealer in the Georgian period, or the pseudo-science, often surrounding low-quality skincare products, that we see in the 21^st Century, skincare myths are unavoidable.

This article will help you to debunk a variety of skincare myths, and finally achieve better looking skin.

Skincare Myth: You should buy skincare products that are aimed at your age group

Age is not necessarily an important factor when discussing the effectiveness of skincare. At age 50, you could have the same skin type as a person half of your age.

What is most integral when shopping for skincare products is skin type. Therefore, it is important to research various skin types and find the category that fits you best, before you go buying a practically useless cream.

Skincare Myth: Sensitive skin can be healed using hypoallergenic products

This may come as a surprise to many of you, but the term ‘hypoallergenic’ is essentially fake. In fact, there is no scientific evidence, regulations or indeed, marketing standards anywhere in the world to suggest that certain products are less likely to cause an allergic reaction.

Thus, it is best to avoid hypoallergenic products and try to figure out your specific triggers to help soothe your sensitive skin.

Skincare Myth: Acne only occurs when you are going through puberty

Acne is not determined by age, yet it is actually brought on by inconsistent hormones. This means that acne can develop during puberty, but also through menopause, menstruation and even through times of stress.

Moreover, certain foods can trigger an acne breakout.

Skincare Myth: Makeup can cause an acne breakout

In the 1970s, clinical trials were carried out on rabbits to discover whether excessive use of makeup can lead to acne breakouts. Surprisingly, they found out that the use of makeup had no correlation to the frequency of acne breakouts.

If you are experiencing acne after using a certain product, it may be irritating your skin. Therefore, in this case it is best to stop using the product entirely.

Skincare Myth: If a brand claims that their product is effective, it must be true.

As you are probably aware, the world of skincare is filled with untruthful claims and fake results. These lies are due to dubious laboratory conditions, which help to falsify the experiment conditions, so that they align with the skincare brand’s bogus claims.

Therefore, many skincare brands have not carried out any legitimate scientific research whatsoever.

Skincare Myth: Expensive skincare products work better than affordable products

Never be fooled by an expensive price tag as it does not always equal the use of high-quality ingredients. Instead, it is best to investigate a product’s formulation and assess whether it is suitable for your skin type.

In turn, this will help you to steer clear of overpriced products that are no more effective than simple skincare products that you can find in your local supermarket.

Skincare Myth: Collagen and elastin are essential ingredients in anti-wrinkle products

Collagen and elastin are proteins that are naturally found within the dermis of the skin. They support the skin’s structure and give it strength. These proteins have large molecular weights, and therefore, when used in topical formulations, they cannot penetrate the skin.

Collagen and elastin must be fragmented into peptides to penetrate the skin, otherwise, when used topically they'll likely be ineffective.

Skincare Myth: Eye creams are an essential skincare product

In fact, when using the right products, an eye cream is not essential. Technically, the eye area can benefit from your regular facial serum and moisturiser on certain occasions.

The eye area is ultra-delicate and can absorb ingredients through the skin. If the ingredients present in your facial serum or cream are too harsh for the eye area, you can risk irritating your eye area, increasing puffiness around your eyes, or potentially damaging your eyes.

It is recommended that you invest in an eye cream that is specifically formulated for the eye area to ensure your products have been properly tested for safety.

Skincare Myth: Natural ingredients are far more effective on the skin than synthetic ingredients

The term ‘natural’ can denote different things in the skincare world, compared to other industries. Actually, the word ‘natural’ has no regulation assigned to it. Thus, it can mean anything that the skincare brand wants, in order to sell more products.

In comparison, the term ‘synthetic’ does not always relate to harsh chemical or artificial ingredients. Therefore, there is no real benefit to using natural products over synthetic.

Skincare Myth: When products evoke a tingling sensation upon the skin, it means that they are working

The tingling sensation caused by certain products does not mean that your skin is becoming refreshed or revitalised. This sensation means that your skin may be irritated and resultantly harmed by a certain ingredient within the product.

As a result, this irritation can decrease your skin’s ability to heal itself, cause scarring and break down your skin’s supply of collagen and elastin, leaving skin tired and with stark impurities.

Skincare Myth: Blackheads can be removed with vigorous scrubbing

Blackheads are not neccesarily caused by dirt, but actually, an overproduction of certain hormones. When a hormone is overproduced, they can cause an excess of oil to be produced within the skin. As a result, the oil and dead skin begin to clog a misshapen pored, helping to create what is known as a blackhead.

Although, certain scrubs may remove the surface layer of the blackhead, they do not remove it entirely.

Skincare Myth: Dry skin can be avoided by just drinking more water

Although drinking water can help hydrate the body and aid in maintaining regular functions, water will not have any effect on dry skin.

In reality, adding too much moisture into the body can destroy the skin’s outer barrier and disrupt skin cell production.

Skincare Myth: Night creams can only be used at night

Day creams and night creams are reasonably similar, yet they have one significant difference. Day creams have a SPF factor of 30 and above, whereas night creams do not provide this coverage.

Night creams do not help the skin cells to rejuvenate during sleep, as our skin is repairing itself every moment of every day.

Therefore, it may be wise to use a singular moisturiser both day and night, and just add SPF to your morning skincare routine.

Skincare Myth: Your skin becomes immune to products after regular use

The simple fact surrounding this skincare myth is that if a product is good for your skin, then it will always be good for your skin. The reason that you may not be seeing the same effects after using a certain product frequently, is because your skin is maintaining the benefits that the product provides. In short, if a product is working, then continue to use it.

After debunking some of the beauty industries most ridiculous skincare myths, you now have the tools to better assess the products you are using. This is not to say that every skincare brand is a fraud and that their products are misleading. In fact, this article was designed to help you sort out your skincare products and not fall for the same old marketing tricks.