In recent years, right from my high school to college years, I have struggled hard with my skin. Thanks to teenage hormones, my face had become a breeding ground for acne and all sorts of bacteria — I was desperate for a solution! As a result, just like most of us, I too found myself reading everything that the internet had to say about helping my skin situation. But after having been through the struggle, I realize that there’s so much false information available online so I thought I’d bust a few skincare myths to help anyone who’s working through skin issues.
- I have oily skin so I need to cleanse my face frequently.
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Contrary to this popular belief, cleansing your face more than two times a day, irrespective of your skin type, can actually produce more problems than benefits for it. Why? Because every time you cleanse your face, you are stripping your skin of its natural oils, which causes your oil-producing glands to go into panic mode so as a result, your skin ends up even more oily than before.
- I have oily skin so I don’t need to moisturize.
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Similar to the mechanism of cleansing excessively, omitting a moisturizer from your daily skincare regime, especially if you belong to the oily skin type, leads to a disruption in the production of oil on your face. Moisturizing is key to maintaining the right balance, just be sure to opt for a water or gel-based formula rather than an oily one.
- Exfoliation is always a good thing.
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While it is true that exfoliating your face can help rid your skin of clogged, dirty pores, irrespective of your skin type, you should only exfoliate once a week with a mild, gentle exfoliator. I know it can be frustrating to deal with acne-clad skin, but exfoliation is not the answer— it can actually damage your skin further since acne-prone skin is usually more sensitive than usual.
- Pores can open and close.
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I hate to break it to you girl, but all that talk about steaming to open-up your pores is fake news— whether it’s cold, hot, humid or dry, your pores remain the same. Steaming your face only helps loosen any dirt that is clogging your pores. It is physically impossible for your pores to open or close because they aren’t surrounded by muscles that enable it to happen.
- All sun creams are good for my skin.
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While it is true that shielding your skin with SPF is a must, especially in regions where there is harsh heat, SPF is not the only property that you need to look for in your sun cream. There are a plethora of ingredients typically used in sun creams that can prove to be harmful to your skin in the long run. For instance, chemicals such as avobenzone and hydroxymethylglycinate (I know it’s complex, but it’s definitely worth remembering!) are proven to be human carcinogens. So, next time you’re looking for sun cream, be sure to pick one that doesn’t contain those chemicals!
I hope that helped you clear some misconceptions about your everyday skincare!
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