Skin Care Myths

There are tons of skin care myths out there that a lot of people think are true. Some people tell you to drink water, some tell you to use a certain product. Well, I’ve shuffled through a few and found out which ones are fact and which are fiction.

Does stress cause wrinkles? Yes it does! The hormone caused by stress, cortisol, damages collagen. Weakening of collagen and elastin fibers in the skin’s dermis is what causes wrinkling, and since you are stressed you are hurting the collagen. During your state of stress it becomes harder and harder for the skin to repair itself.

Will tanning get rid of pimples? Nope, it won’t. The sun will dry up the acne, so the next day it will look like it’s going away, but in a few days it will be back looking even worse. Our skin becomes inflamed when exposed to too much of the suns UV rays. The stress of the UV rays on our skin can cause acne and other skin problems. 

Will putting toothpaste on your pimples dry them out? No, all it does is irritate your skin. A lot of people think that this will help with acne, but all it does is burn your skin.

Will picking at a pimple cause scars? This is false. Unless you dig super deep into your skin, you will not scar. People often mistake the discoloration for scars. Discoloration is caused when you pick at your acne. This can be extremely hard to fix, so it’s best not to do it.

Will using moisturizer make my breakouts worse? This is not true. All skin needs to be moisturized, even oily skin. Sometimes using acne medication can cause skin to dry out, so you need to use more moisturizer when you get acne. If you don’t use enough, your skin will become dry, leading to more acne. This will lead you into a giant loop or acne if you keep using the medication and not moisturizing enough.

Are tanning beds safe? Far from it, my friend. Inside the tanning bed the UV rays are more concentrated, hurting your skin even more than normal. If you are looking to get a safe tan without strap marks you are going to need a sunless tanner, such as lotion or spray.

Is SPF needed on cloudy days or in the winter? Yes. Even if you can’t see the sun, the UV rays will still be shining down on you. If you want to stay safe try to put on at least one tablespoon of sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher on your face, and 3 ounces on your body.

Do cold rinses help your skin? Nope, all they do is make you cold. You can use either hot or cold water when rinsing your face.

Does junk food cause acne? It actually doesn’t despite everyone’s belief. People think that if you eat too much oily food that you will breakout. Studies show that no foods can actually cause a person to breakout.

After you are done shaving, do the hairs grow back thicker? No they don’t. After you shave the hairs look like they come back thicker because they are all now on the same growth phase. It’s sort of like an optical illusion.

Does switching facial soap help your skin? It really doesn’t matter if you switch between soaps or not. You skin doesn’t get used to a certain soaps ingredients. A lot of people think they need to get the latest skin care products to have healthy skin. You can, but it really won’t matter. The only thing that you need to might need to keep up on is certain acne treatments. If you find it doesn’t work as good, the formula may be too mild.

Are peels good for your skin? Yes, once or twice a month it is a good idea to use a chemical peel to remove some of the dead skin and help new cell growth. It will keep your skin very healthy.

Is the more expensive skin care product the best? Not always. Most companies spend tons and tons of money on research and development. Usually if a product is more expensive it has better packaging. Sometimes this is the case, but usually it is not.