Once upon a time, toothpaste was widely considered a great acne treatment and lemon juice was used for fading scars and discolouration. (Spoiler alert: neither of these household staples should ever find their way onto your face). Since the beauty industry relies so heavily on word of mouth and recommendations (that is, a product largely succeeds if people review it positively, either IRL or online), skincare myths and false information can spread more easily than they might be able to in other industries. However, there are still plenty of misconceptions about what should and shouldn’t be used on the skin. Below are few common skincare myths that somehow still persist — and I’m clearing them up, once and for all.
Myth: Coconut Oil is a Great Moisturizer
Coconut oil actually one of the most comedogenic oils. That means it can clog pores and lead to pimples. It’s thick and acts more like wax when applied, sitting on top of the dermis and creating a plastic wrap-like film over pores—nothing gets in, and nothing gets out. Bacteria and dead cells fester under the skin, clogging pores, producing excess sebum and yes, causing breakouts! Now you guys better stop using it on your faces.
Myth: Pore Strips can help keep Blackheads at bay
While the process of peeling off a pore strip is understandably super satisfying, they often do more harm than good. With regular use of pore strips, your skin’s protective barrier gets disrupted, and you’re left vulnerable to skin irritations like redness, hives and dry patches.
Myth: Getting a base tan will ensure you don't burn in the sun
The base tan myth, which claims that hitting up a tanning bed before heading somewhere tropical, can help ward off sunburn, has been around for decades. And while it’s true that it does provide some protection, that protection is very minimal. Harvard Medical School’s blog, explains that going out in the sun with a base tan is equivalent to wearing a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 3 to 4. And what makes the base tan myth even more dangerous is that tanning beds are super bad for you. According to the Canadian Cancer Society, in 2009 the World Health Organization upgraded the classification of UV-emitting devices, including tanning beds, from a probable carcinogen to a known carcinogen, meaning there is no doubt that indoor tanning causes cancer. If that’s not enough reason to ditch the base tan myth for good, we don’t know what is.
Myth: Hypoallergenic products are better for sensitive skin
To imply is never the same as fact, and in this situation, it is patently untrue that products labelled hypoallergenic are any better for sensitive skin! There are absolutely no accepted testing methods, ingredient restrictions, regulations, guidelines, rules, or procedures of any kind, anywhere in the world, for determining whether or not a product qualifies as being hypoallergenic. It's no surprise that there are plenty of products labelled hypoallergenic that contain problematic ingredients and that could indeed trigger allergic reactions. Unfortunately, the word hypoallergenic gives you no better understanding of what you are or aren't putting on your skin.
Myth: Makeup causes acne
In the late 1970s, there was some research performed on rabbit skin using 100% concentrations of ingredients to determine whether they caused acne. Eventually, it was determined that this study had nothing to do with the women wearing makeup or using skincare products, and it was never considered useful in any way. Still, women do experience breakouts after using some skincare products. Such breakouts can be the result of an irritant or an inflammatory response or a result of problematic ingredients unique to a person's skin type.
That means you have to experiment to see what might be causing your breakouts. There is no information from medical research or the cosmetic industry to help or point you in the right direction. And it is critical to know that terms such as non-comedogenic and non-acnegenic are meaningless. The cosmetics industry uses these terms to indicate that a product is less likely to cause breakouts, but there is no standard or regulation set to categorise this labelling.
Myth: Everyone needs an Eye Cream
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 product labelled as an eye cream or gel or serum or balm—they can come from any well-formulated moisturiser or serum.
If the skin around your eyes is drier than the rest of your face, that doesn't mean you need a special eye cream. Instead, you simply need to treat your eye area with a more emollient, fragrance-free facial moisturiser. A well-formulated serum is another great option to use around the eyes (it doesn't need to be labelled eye cream). The same is true for eye gels or serums.
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