5 More Skin Care Myths Dispelled

I have already written a lot about various myths about the skin and skin care but the misconceptions never cease.

Some of the skin care myths are more than just old wives' tales. Rather, they have been passed on from generations to generations, from mothers to daughters and have become deep rooted in the minds of women. However, if we live under the illusion of these myths, we would never be able to take good care of our skin. It is important to understand whether the information you have is really a fact or mere fiction.

Here are some of the recent ones that I have come across.

Myth
Skin Care Routine just stops working after some time!
Many women claim that their skin care routine suddenly ceases to be effective and doesn't work for them anymore.

Fact
It would not be correct to say that the skin care regimen stops working unless the products that you use have been reformulated with new ingredients. But if that is not the case, then it might be due to other factors.

The skin doesn't really become immune to the effects of skin care products. However, environmental factors such as the weather conditions, aging process, pollution, and stress levels can definitely have an impact on the effectiveness of skin care products. For example, the skin has different skin requirements in the winter season as compared to the summer season. Also, skin care requirements change as one grows older and the skin becomes more mature.

Thus, it is not that the skin care routine ceases to work, rather, skin care products don't show effects because the skin is changing. It is advisable to alter your skin care routine as per the conditions of the environment and age.

Myth
Chocolate causes Acne
I don't know how many women with a love for chocolates refrain due to the fear of acne. Chocolates are often considered to a prime cause of acne by people across the globe.

Fact
This is not true. Chocolate doesn't cause acne. Period. Acne is caused by hormonal imbalances and not because of intake of particular foods. What happens is, chocolate causes an imbalance in sugar levels that further leads to fluctuations in the hormonal levels. This hormonal disruption can sometimes cause a pimple or two. But this is not the same thing as triggering acne.

If you are prone to breakouts, you might as well avoid food that causes fluctuations in blood sugar levels. It’s better to adhere to a hormone-friendly diet.

Myth
Oily skin doesn't need Moisturizer
Women often feel that applying moisturizer on oily skin will make the skin more greasy and oily and therefore choose to skip it altogether. However, this is not the right thing to do.

Fact
There are two types of dry skin
Lipid Dry (typically dry skin) and Dehydrated skin (skin that lacks moisture). Oily skin is generally dehydrated even though it contains excess sebum and when women use powerful cleansers to get rid of the excess oil, they just end up aggravating the problem.

It is important to understand that oil and moisture are two different things. Oily skin may lack moisture. The key is to use a good water based moisturizer that hydrates the skin without making it too oily.

Myth
More SPF provides more protection
Many women believe that if they use a sunscreen with an SPF of 100, it would be much better than a sunscreen that has an SPF of 30.. Unfortunately, the math doesn't work that way in skin care.

Fact
An SPF 35 deflects 96.7% of the suns rays and an SPF of 100 deflects 99% of the suns rays! So with a jump of 70, it only protects an additional 2%. The FDA actually considered capping SPF at 50 at one time.

Myth
Foundation should be tested on the hand
This is perhaps the most propagated beauty myths. In fact, I've also seen many attendants and cosmetic stores advocate this.

Fact
No! Foundation should ideally be tried on the chin. It is important to understand that the skin on your hands and that on your face is different and so is the skin tone. So, if you want a foundation that looks good on your face, make sure you match it there.