Top 20 Skin Care Myths Debunked

20 skin care myths debunked

There is a never-ending stream of skin care advice floating on the internet. Sometimes it is very difficult to sort fact from fiction. Fake research reports, misinformed sources, social media and old wives tales can create many harmful skin care routines and skin care myths that we are going to debunk right now.

To identify and answer these questions we consulted with Nayelle’s chief bioengineer, Peter Jurkemik, dermatologists, estheticians and our favorite skincare sources to help debunk the most popular skin care myths.

Here are the 20 top skin care myths, demystified:

Myth # 1. Drinking water is the key to luminous skin

Lets start with perhaps the most popular skincare myth that has some level of truth. Staying hydrated by drinking water is an important part of your overall heath and the health of your skin. However, drinking water is just one part of the healthy skin care equation. Eating well and exercising are also very important.

  • Eating a proper diet gives your skin the nutrients it needs to regenerate. A healthy diet containing lots of green leafy vegetables and fruits is ideal. This should give optimal levels of the nutrients that are crucial for radiant skin, including beta carotene, vitamins C and E, zinc and selenium.
  • Exercise helps increase blood flow to the skin. Blood supplies oxygen and nutrients to your skin. In addition blood flow also helps carry away waste products, including free radicals, from working cells. Sweat is also good for the skin. Water hydrates, minerals and salt naturally exfoliate, and urea and uric acid combat dry skin and dermatitis. Sweating purges the skin of bacteria, dirt, oils and impurities. The optimal pH factor for the skin is the same as the pH factor of sweat.

Myth #2. There are quick blemish fixes

A common first reaction to the onset of a new blemish or pimple is to attack your skin with anti-acne washes, skin-clearing masks and spot treatments.

Please don’t do this! Reacting with too many products will just irritate your skin even more. Keeping your acne under control is all about taking preventative measures. To help problematic skin your skincare routine should focus on keeping your skin cleansed, toned, and hydrated.

Getting luminous, clear skin doesn’t happen overnight. Create a skincare routine that is gentle and effective to see the results you dream of. Cleanse your skin with a gentle formula like our CLEANSE facial cleanser and keep your skin hydrated with moisturizers. Try our HYDRATE and REJUVENATE skin creams. Together, these products will gently clean your skin without over drying it (which is a common culprit of blemishes) and replenish it with probiotic nutrients that will leave your skin looking nourished and healthy.

When you do get a blemish, treat it once a day with your favorite spot treatment and always follow up with a hydrating moisturizer to make sure your skin stays hydrated. This will help prevent future blemishes.

Also, try exfoliating two times per week. Using a mask like our PURIFY Face Mask will get rid of the dead skin and dirt that clogs your pores. By exfoliating regularly you’ll also get smooth, acne free skin.

Myth #3. If your skin is oily you don’t need to worry about using moisturizer

Those with oily skin are actually the ones that need moisturizer the most. If you find that your skin is oily, your skin may be working overtime to produce oils because you lack moisture.

Our HYDRATE day cream and REJUVENATE night moisturizer creams are light for daytime use and powerful enough to hydrate your skin overnight, too. Once you start using them, your skin will start looking balanced in no time.

Myth #4. Your skin gets used to products after a while

This is a big myth. Your skin can’t really get used to products. If you’ve nailed down a skincare routine that works for you, there’s no sense in changing it! While it is a good idea to alter your skincare routine based on the different seasons of the year you can also have a basic routine that you can always fall back on.

You can build a basic skincare routine that consists of cleansing, toning, moisturizing, and your skin will be healthy and well taken care of. Once you find products that work for you, stick with them. Consistency is key when it comes to getting the skin you desire.

Myth #5. Your skin can never be too clean

It is very easy to over clean your skin. Every day, your skin produces natural oils that are vital for your overall skin health. Cleansing your skin at least once a day is necessary to remove the dirt and excess oil that can cause redness, irritation, and breakouts.

However, cleansing too often strips your skin of the important oils and nutrients it produces throughout the day. Over-cleansing can lead to blemishes and dry skin conditions. If you like to clean your skin twice a day, make sure your cleanser is gentle. Using anti-acne or other specialized formulas can dry out your skin over time, especially if you use it twice a day or more.

Myth #6. You get acne because you don’t clean your skin

You do not get acne just because you don’t wash your face correctly or frequently enough. In order for acne to develop four factors come into play:

  1. clogged pores (from shedding keratin/skin cells)
  2. build up of sebum
  3. bacteria
  4. inflammation

While not washing your face certainly won’t help your acne problem, it’s not the sole cause of acne.

Myth #7. Always wash your face with hot water

skincare myth - wash your face with hot water
Be careful not to wash your face with really hot water. Yes, steam will open your pores. Use a hot towel or let your pores open up in the shower or bath. You don’t need to shock your face with freezing cold water either. A lukewarm water temperature is ideal. Hot water damages your skin by stripping away its natural, protective barrier and drying it out. A good way to tell if the water you’re bathing or cleansing with is too hot? If your skin is red after rinsing, the water you used was too hot. It doesn’t have to hurt to work!

Myth #8. The harder you scrub/exfoliate your face the better

Once again, it doesn’t have to hurt to work. Always err on the side of gentle when treating your skin. Scrubbing too hard or too often will cause damage to your skin. Be kind to your skin, and exfoliate only two to three times per week. Your skin needs some downtime to recuperate and regenerate.

Myth #9. If it burns, it means it’s working…

If you feel a product burning remove it immediately it with a cool damp clothe. We have all heard the phrases “no pain no gain” and “beauty is pain” but this is one of the most dangerous myths out there. When it comes to skin care, a little tingling is normal (with some products); burning is not. A burning reaction may indicate that you have sensitive skin. It could also be a sign of something more serious like an allergy to an ingredient you’re using. If something feels off to you, remove right away.

Myth #10. Use rubbing alcohol to treat acne

Rubbing alcohol has too strong a concentration of alcohol for your skin. It is much too drying and irritating. Rubbing alcohol will often over dry your skin so much that your skin will overcompensate by producing excess sebum (oil) and clog up your pores.

Alcohol is a common ingredient in many skin care products because of its quick-drying abilities. However when it is combined with the right ingredients and in the right concentration, it is considered safe and effective on the skin. However, rubbing alcohol has much too high of a concentration of alcohol, which can break down your skin’s barrier and strip it of the natural oils your skin needs.

Myth #11. Face oils cause skin to break out.

We hear this a lot from our customers who are worried that face oils will aggravate their skin. While this may be true with some oils (petroleum-based mineral oils, for example), using an all-natural oil can help regulate your skin’s oil production and reduce breakouts. When our skin is dehydrated, it overcompensates by producing more oil. But when we add an oil to our routine, our skin no longer needs to overproduce oil, causing it to become more balanced. Try our GLOW Face Oil.

Myth #12. Sunlight/light is bad for my skin

We have all heard it, “Use sunscreen when you go into the sun”. It is very good advice. But this advice can lead us to believe that all sunlight is bad for us and therefore bad for our skin. This is a big skincare myth.

Certain types of light are GOOD for your skin, they even help to stimulate collagen synthesis and reduce skin inflammation.

Red light, visible red light (660nm) is actually good for your skin. The benefits of red light were first discovered by NASA and there is a lot of valuable research proving its benefits for wound healing and anti-aging.

When you go out in the sunshine you get a dose of whole ‘spectrum’ of light, it has every color. In full spectrum light you get the good with the bad. If you want the benefit of visible red light there are at home devices and salons that offer red light treatments.

A little natural sunshine is good for your skin and your body. It helps you make vitamin D.

Myth #13. Natural skincare is not effective

The never-ending skincare debate: Natural vs. non-natural. Cosmetic companies are mostly to blame for creating statements discrediting each camp. The truth is that some natural skincare can be ineffective and some non-natural skincare can be ineffective. If you pick the right stuff, natural or non-natural, they can both be effective.

Some of the best active skincare ingredients have their roots firmly in nature. That is What NAYELLE bases our products on. Snow Mushrooms, Goat Milk Kefir, Glacial Clay. We choose natural because its what we understand and what has yielded the best study results.

There are good and bad products in both categories. Be very careful selecting your skincare. Do your research and avoid the shock statements that fly around the internet, social media and cosmetic company advertising.

Myth 14. The more expensive, the better it works

Fancy packaging and advertising make up a huge percentage of the cost of the cosmetic and skin care products that we buy. The more expensive something looks the better we feel it will work. Fancy advertising campaigns try to sway our opinions.

Don’t be fooled by the price-tag. In principle a $30-80 cream is going to be better than a bargain product, but once you get above around $80 you’re paying more for marketing and packaging than skin benefit.

Nayelle is very proud of our pricing. The highest quality ingredients, simple packaging and word of mouth marketing creates one of the best values in probiotic skincare period.

Myth #15. You don’t need sunscreen on a cloudy day

Even on a cloudy day, up to 80% of UV rays still make it to the earth’s surface. So make sure you use sunscreen every day and reapply it every two hours after activities like swimming or sweating.

Don’t fall prey to the myth that you’re protected just because you’re wearing makeup with an SPF. According to Leslie Bauman, MD, director of the University of Miami Cosmetic Group and author of The Skin Type Solution, you would have to put on 14 or 15 times the amount of makeup that a normal person would wear to reach the SPF on the label of powdered makeup. The same thing goes for foundation and liquid makeup. Make sure you use sunscreen in addition to your makeup.

“SPF” is a powerful catch phrase that many companies like to use to promote their products. Just because its on the bottle doesn’t mean that it will have any effect.

The sun is especially potent when it reflects onto other surfaces, like water or snow, so it’s very important to apply SPF all the time, but especially when you’re skiing or out on the water.

Myth #16. It’s better to get the pus out of a pimple by popping it

Its something we need to talk about. When you pop a pimple the pus actually goes in deeper and causes more inflammation. This can lead the inflammation to spread under the skin causing more acne to appear a few days later close to the first one.

Dermatologists recommend to not pick at your face. But if you absolutely cannot resist, be sure to do it right. Don’t squeeze and pop the pimple. Instead, use a device called a comedone extractor. Its an inexpensive tool you can purchase at most beauty supply stores. Apply firm pressure with the extractor; then roll it across the pimple to take it out.

Myth #17. Skin Myth: Wrinkles and age spots are genetic

Genetics are a factor, but your habits are much more important. Did you know that the sun and the environment are responsible for most, if not all aging? More than any other factor or genetics.

“There are extrinsic and intrinsic factors that lead to aging. Genetics DO play a role, including ethnicity and skin type,” says Dr. Lee. “However, extrinsic factors definitely play a role, too. Interestingly, it’s now known that pollution plays a big role in premature aging, especially lentigines/brown spots. Studies have shown that people living in areas with more pollution show more signs of premature aging.”

The best way to slow the aging process is to stay out of the sun and wear sunscreen. Eating a healthy diet, proper hydration, removing stress from your life (we won’t get into this) is the best care for your skin.

If you live in a city, make sure you’re using products that protect you from free radicals, always applying SPF, and washing your face regularly. Genetics will be there in the background, but statistically you’re in control.

Myth #18. Acne goes away as you get older

We all wish this were true and its especially untrue for women because hormones play such a role in their acne. More women get adult acne, which tends to be cyclical and based on their hormonal cycles.

It’s very discouraging to continue getting breakouts long after you think they should be gone, but keep in mind you’re not alone. Up to 35% of women over between the ages of 30 and 39 report experiencing acne.

Like Dr. Lee explains, hormones do play a major role, so if you’re getting pimples at the same time every month and they’re deep and painful, you may be coping with hormonal acne. This is one of the most common causes of acne in women over thirty —and it’s also one of the most difficult to treat. If this sounds like you, consider seeing a dermatologist to get to the bottom of it.

Myth #19. Leaving a face mask on overnight gives you more for your money

Masks deliver a potent dose of active ingredients or moisture quickly into the skin, but you can overdo it. You should always use face masks directed. Rarely do you outsmart the people who have done the clinical testing for a product.

Myth #20. Use toothpaste to help treat spots

Our last myth and no doubt and old wives tale. It is true that certain ingredients found in toothpaste, such as baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, menthol, essential oils and triclosan have drying properties. However, there are no ingredients in toothpaste that make this method more effective than conventional treatments. Over-drying and even burning can occur from applying toothpaste to pimples. Please give up the toothpaste treatments if you are using them.