Debunking The 5 Biggest Myths About Skincare

Taking good care of your skin can be challenging, especially when there’s so much conflicting advice about what’s right and wrong when it comes to skincare.

What’s the best way of applying your skincare products? Is sunscreen really necessary every day? Do the priciest products always provide the best results?

With so many claims and counterclaims around, how do you know what to take notice of?

Well, it’s time to debunk 5 of the biggest skincare myths. And with your new-found knowledge, taking care of your skin should be just that bit easier — whether you have dry, oily, or combination skin.

Here’s all you need to know.

Debunking The 5 Biggest Myths About Skincare 1

What are the Top Myths About Skincare?

It’s easy to get caught up in skincare myths, and this can affect the progress you make in improving your skin.

Of course, everyone’s skin is different, so it’s important not to take every bit of advice you hear or read at face value.

If you’re struggling to take good care of your skin, then it might be time to go back to basics and debunk some of the myths that could be holding you back.

5 of the biggest skincare myths include:

1. Expensive Products Work Best

High price tags mean better quality ingredients, right? Well, this isn’t strictly true.

Expensive, branded skincare products aren’t always the best option, so don’t rule out more affordable options as chances are, both products contain very similar ingredients — the only difference is, you may be paying more for fancy packaging!

Understanding which ingredients work best for your skin type is important. This knowledge will instantly upgrade your skincare routine.

Once you have a better grip on what works best, you can find similar formulas and base your buying decision around this rather than how impressive the product looks on the shelf or how much it costs.

You may find that a simple, relatively low-cost face wash is much gentler on your skin than one double the price, for example!

2. Poor Sleep is the Sole Cause of Dark Eye Circles

When you have a bad night’s sleep, it’s often evident in your appearance when dark eye circles appear.

That’s because your blood vessels dilate when you don’t get enough restorative sleep, and this causes an increase in blood flow which appears as a dark tint around the eyes.

However, poor sleep isn’t the only cause of dark eye circles. Aging skin is also more prone to this, since older skin becomes thinner and experiences a decrease in fat and collagen.

Dehydration is also a cause, as dry under-eyes can look dull and make your eyes appear sunken. If you’re noticing dark circles appear around your eyes more often, using a collagen-based eye cream can be a great solution.

3. Eczema Will Clear up on its Own

Many people attest to the fact that eczema clears up on its own. This may be true for small eczema-affected areas, sure, but the more inflamed it becomes and the longer it goes untreated, the worse your symptoms can get.

For example, if you continue itching then this can lead to a bacterial infection.

Instead of ignoring your eczema flare-ups, it’s important to find the best treatment for managing your symptoms.

This helpful guide from The Independent Pharmacy offers practical tips on dealing with facial eczema. Moisturizing with an emollient cream is a great preventative measure for relieving symptoms on your face and body.

Above all, don’t let your eczema become unnecessarily painful — treat it promptly and you’ll find it much easier to control.

4. The Order You Apply Your Products Doesn’t Matter

Another big skincare-based myth is that the order you apply your skincare products isn’t important. This simply isn’t true.

The key is to apply products with the thinnest consistency first and the heaviest last — this is simply because thinner products cannot penetrate thicker products.

The very last product you should apply during the day is always sunscreen (nothing except makeup should ever be applied over sunscreen).

Ensure you’re applying your skincare products in the proper order, as there’s no point in putting all of your efforts into creating a good daytime and nighttime routine if your skin can’t soak in the products properly.

5. The Harder you Scrub, the Better You Will Exfoliate

Exfoliating is a good way of removing dead skin cells and helping dull skin to achieve more of a glowing complexion.

But despite some advice that suggests hard scrubbing is most effective at exfoliating your skin, this can actually cause more harm than good. What’s more, not all skin types even require exfoliation.

Using an abrasive exfoliating sponge may be too harsh for your skin. Remember, your skin is delicate, particularly on your face, so using too much force may cause irritation.

If you suffer from dry, sensitive, or acne-prone skin, then a face flannel may be the best choice, whereas oily skin may benefit from a stronger chemical exfoliator.

That’s it, 5 of the top skincare myths debunked! We’re all different, so the best thing you can do for your skin is understand its needs and take note of which products create the best results. Simple!

Julie Higgins
Author
Julie is a Staff Writer at momooze.com. She has been working in publishing houses before joining the editorial team at momooze. Julie's love and passion are topics around beauty, lifestyle, hair and nails.