Raise your hand if you’ve fallen victim to at least one skincare myth in your lifetime.
(Wow, that’s a lot of hands!)
In the three-ish years since I’ve made the decision to actually give a damn about my skin, I’ve learned many lessons about skincare, the most illuminating of those being that it’s really nothing more than chemistry.
That’s great news if you like chemistry, or have a natural knack for science.
And then there’s me! The one with the Fluffy Liberal Arts Brain who was told by the science chair in high school not to take chemistry in order to keep my GPA (and perhaps the school building) intact. The one who barely made it out of most science classes thanks to hours of study sessions and generous teachers who graded on a curve because they never wanted to see me again.
My primary goal in developing a legitimate skincare routine was to stop the breakouts and dryness I had been encountering. Fortunately I never dealt with any severe skin issues growing up, just typical teenage acne. But when those pimples from my teen years persisted well into adulthood, along with flaky skin and post-inflammatory hyper-pigmentation, I eventually reached a point when I thought, “You know, maybe I need to do more than use cleansing wipes and skin-stinging astringent after all.”
Thanks to the scientists who have been gracious enough to share what they know on Instagram plus the influencers who do their due diligence, I’ve been made aware of the skincare myths I had been blindly believing as truths. Because of them, I’ve become a much more discerning consumer while striving to educate myself before slathering any old product on my face. I’ll admit that I’m not 100% on-point with this and occasionally forget to even glance at the ingredient list (oops), but I’m in a much better place now than I was years ago — both in terms of skin condition and knowledge.
But let’s take a humiliating trip down memory lane, shall we? What were these skincare myths I clung on to so dearly?
The 5 skincare myths I used to believe
Myth #1: Pores can open and close
This is something I had believed for the longest time. When I was younger and battling pimples, I would turn my shower into a sauna to “open” my pores (and release all those naaaaasty toxins!) then follow-up with a cold washcloth on my face to “close” them off from all the bad stuff.
But…pores don’t have muscles, so they can’t open and close. I first came across that tidbit via The Skincare Saviour‘s post above. Healthline backs it up by saying:
Pores cannot be opened or closed. They also cannot be made smaller. Often, when people say they wish to open their pores, what they’re referring to is a deep cleaning to remove excess oil and debris. This may make open pores look as if they’ve shrunk or closed.
So unfortunately for me, I can’t do anything to permanently close up or tighten my giant pores. However, here’s hoping that this glycolic acid serum I’ve recently started using does right by me and tames those overactive sebum producers on my face.
Myth #2: Sunscreen is for summer days on the beach only
Yep, unless I was lazing on a beach in the middle of July, I would not even think about applying sunscreen. Why would I have to? If I’m just driving in my car to Wendy’s on a sunny day in the middle of November then back home I’m good, right?
Until I got into skincare — specifically Korean and Japanese skincare — I never gave much thought to how much of a role sunscreen plays in slowing the aging process. To me, sunscreen was something to slather on to avoid burning. But that’s only part of it.
First off, I am super pale so I was already doing myself a disservice by neglecting non-beach sunscreen for the longest time. Plus, as Lab Muffin Beauty Science explains, regular sunscreen use can decrease the risk of skin cancer and premature aging.
Eventually, I became acquainted with the PA rating system on Asian sunscreens, which measures protection from UVA (aging). Here in the United States we use the term SPF Broad Spectrum, which indicates protection from both UVA and burn-causing UVB.
I also came to learn that if I’m putting stuff like glycolic acid on my face, sunscreen is an absolute must as acids can lead to photosensitivity. Fortunately, I have reached a point in my life where I have a favorite daily sunscreen.
Myth #3: If it sounds science-y and I can’t pronounce it, then it must be bad
This is a prime example of fearing the unknown. One of the first MediHeal masks I ever used contained a long list of ingredients with words I could barely pronounce, which made me wonder if I was putting good things on my skin.
Do you know where would we be without dihydrogen monoxide? Dead, because that’s the scientific term for water. As Beautiful With Brains explains, everything is a chemical. Thus, any brand that touts “chemical-free” items is full of it.
And just because a layman’s term may not be used on an ingredient list doesn’t automatically make said ingredient bad or scary. And yes, long scientific terms still scare the hell out of me sometimes. But I’ve learned that there are plenty of resources out there that will help decode “intimidating” words like magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, which is just a form of darling ingredient vitamin C.
By the way, natural ingredients aren’t always better, either. You know what else is natural? Arsenic. You don’t want to be rubbing that all over your face now, do you? Aside from that, the only other time an ingredient should be feared is if you personally have a bad reaction to it, natural or synthetic.
Myth #4: I’m so oily, I can do without moisturizer
I am an oily gal. When I was younger I would dabble with moisturizers whenever I would come across dry patches on my forehead. But I would use a moisturizer more like a spot treatment for those rough patches while neglecting the rest of my face.
Well, wouldn’t you know that oily skin especially needs to be moisturized. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, “When your skin becomes dry, your body makes more oil.” So all that oil my porous face is producing? It’s overcompensating for the fact that it’s actually dry. I can’t win, huh?
The type of moisturizer you use is important. As Skinchemy’s useful chart shows, my oily self would benefit from gel-type moisturizers. I’ve had luck with watery gel-type formulas from the likes of TonyMoly and Clinique, though when I become drier in the wintertime, I seem to make do with Dr Jart’s Ceramidin Cream just fine. Of course, everyone is different, but it’s good to know where to start.
Myth #5: Avoid those terrible cancer-causing parabens
When I first entered the skincare community, one of the first myths I came across was that parabens are bad. They cause cancer. If you don’t want cancer, use products that are paraben-free and you’ll be fine.
Honestly, I didn’t know what parabens even did other than apparently make people sick, so I did my best to avoid products that had any variation of them.
Eventually, I learned what parabens actually do. Per the United States Food and Drug Administration:
Parabens are a family of related chemicals that are commonly used as preservatives in cosmetic products. Preservatives may be used in cosmetics to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria and mold, in order to protect both the products and consumers.
But wait, isn’t saving our skincare products from mold and bacteria a good thing? In this instance, are we trading one short-term negative effect for another one in the long-term?
When I initially saw the above post from Kind of Stephen, it made me rethink my aversion to parabens. So I looked into it some more. As it turns out, the studies that have led to this anti-paraben movement were flawed and/or blown out of proportion. In my circles, it seems a lot of people have come around on this, but it hasn’t stopped skincare companies from pushing paraben-free products to this day.
Other skincare myths we used to believe
I recently posed a question to my Instagram followers about the skincare myths they used to believe.
Ludovica (@vicismaname) told me that she once thought that she “needed to wash [her] face more than others because it was so oily.” (Based on what we learned about oily skin earlier in this article, that’s absolute hogwash.) A dermatologist once prescribed her a cleanser that was “insanely drying” and thus left Ludovica’s sensitive skin in a bad state. Fortunately, with the help of a gynecologist she was able to deduce that many of her skin issues were hormonal, and she bid adieu to those harsh cleansers.
Meanwhile, Dyangku (@my.seoul.sister) shared a tidbit I actually followed in my teen years: “Toothpaste can make pimples disappear!” I know some teen magazine prompted me to dab some Crest on my zits before bed in hopes they’d be gone the next morning. It’d usually do nothing, or leave my skin in worse condition (along with my pillows).
Other common answers I received: if your skin feels like it’s burning you’re doing it right (no); you don’t need sunscreen outside of summer (big no); and oily skin doesn’t need moisturizer (nope).
“I know that I know nothing.”
Of course after a very science-heavy post I felt the need to switch gears to philosophy.
Obviously, I know things. I certainly know a lot more now than I did even a year ago when it comes to skincare. It’s a reason I opened this blog.
But ultimately, there is still so much that I don’t know, especially when it comes to the science behind skincare. I’ll admit that I am proud of myself for developing an interest in a subject I was told to avoid as a student. But you don’t have to be beholden to such things in adulthood. You can pursue whatever the hell you want!
“I know that I know nothing.” To apply it to my situation, I realize that I am by no means an expert in skincare science. But I have to be willing to learn, and in doing that I have to admit my ignorance when it comes to a lot of this stuff.
And of course, once I have learned something I believe in sharing the wealth. I wrote this post so you don’t succumb to the same mistakes I did.
I was naive when I first ventured into skincare. In some ways, I bet I still am. But I’m doing what I can to inform myself and draw my own conclusions. Hype and fear-mongering is sadly a big part of this industry/community, and much of it is either unfounded or still too early to call.
Remember that knowledge is power. Do your research. If you’re not a scientific mind (like me!), follow accounts and blogs that can break down these topics in a way that’s easy to comprehend. (The ones I’ve linked in this post are great places to start!)
Delving into the nitty-gritty of skincare can be overwhelming, especially for those who aren’t well-acclimated in chemistry. But if there’s one thing I’ve realized, it’s that the skincare community is more than happy to help you figure it all out.
Now over to you…
What skincare myth(s) did you used to believe? What was your a-ha moment in realizing it was all bunk? Share your stories in the comments.
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I am not a professional. All opinions are my own.
Featured image by Noah Buscher on Unsplash.
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