Skincare Advice: 8 Myths Busted

jonah chaangan

2016-11-29T07:20:01-06:00

1. Junk food causes acne

Many people believe that the food they eat can cause them to get acne; it is thought that eating greasy junk food can cause an acne breakout. People who suffer with acne tend to have oily skin and the common misconception is that oily food leads to oily skin.

A variety of studies show that junk food such as fries, cheeseburgers and chocolate DO NOT have a direct impact on your skins health. If however, the grease from the food gets on to your skin it CAN clog pores, leading to a breakout.

2. The higher the SPF, the stronger the protection

Some people believe that SPF 30 provides double the protection than SPF 15, this however is not true. SPF stands for sun protection factor and the number relates to the amount of time it would take for the skin to burn.

This simply means that you need to apply SPF 15 more often than SPF 30.

3. Makeup causes acne

It is often thought that wearing makeup can block pores and result in a breakout of spots; however if you wear cosmetics that are non acnegenic or non-comedogenic they should not cause breakouts.

If you care for your skin correctly, and ensure that you remove all traces each night before bed your skin should stay clear.

4. Your skin adapts to products you use and they eventually stop working

Some people believe that your skin adapts to products that you use regularly and they stop working. This is not true – as long as the products’ ingredients remain the same they will work the same.

Our skin can, however change, for example if you are using a product for dry skin and it works perfectly, your skin could change and become oilier and your current product may not work as well as it did previously.

5. Daily exfoliation keeps skin looking young

Using a daily exfoliator works to remove dead skin cells on the top layer of skin, by removing these, new skin cells are revealed. Resulting in skin looking fresher and younger.

Daily exfoliation can help skin stay healthy and fresh, however if you have sensitive skin you CAN over-exfoliate, which can lead to skin becoming more sensitive and red. Exfoliation does help skin look younger, however daily exfoliation should be avoided.

6. Your skin will age just like your parents

Your parents still don’t have a wrinkle in sight, so surely your skin will be exactly the same, right? Not quite! Whilst genetics DO play a big part in the aging process, external factors such as sun exposure, smoking and pollution also affect how skin ages.

Having good genes does not mean that you will have perfect skin like your parents, unless you live exactly how they did.

7. Expensive products are always the best

A common misconception regarding skincare is that if a product is expensive it is going to be more effective. This is not always true – it is important to check the list of ingredients in the product to ensure it is right for you.

8. Makeup that contains SPF protects your skin enough

Some foundations and tinted moisturizer contain SPF and help to protect your skin from sun damage. Although the SPF in the product will protect you from the sun, the chances are you will not be applying enough of the product to protect you- as you would with actual sun cream. It is important to wear a generous layer of sun cream each day.po