5 Skincare Myths (And Rebuttals to Them)

In the plethora of skincare advice that is out there, common things get spread around that may or may not be necessarily true or as true as we might perceive them. Today, I have a list of skincare myths that have been espoused frequently over the years, and perhaps new ways of thinking of them.

MYTH 1: Regular Exfoliation Is Key To Clear Skin: It seems like actively scrubbing away at dead skin or pimples or pressing an acid toner over them to clear them away is a surefire method to never have a breakout or basically have anything go wrong with your skin. But doing too much of a good thing can always lead to more problems, especially when you skin is already sending distress signals. It can be very tempting to amp up the exfoliation routine when you are breaking out and just want those spots gone, but exfoliating every day is usually too stimulating to people's skin and more stress in the skin tends to lead to heavier oil production down the road and therefore even more clogged pores and breakouts in the future. In general, I would recommend using exfoliating products no more than twice a week, and most people really can get away with once a week.

MYTH 2: Chocolate Causes Pimples: People have tended to vilify chocolate as a culprit for breakouts for decades now, and while it can be a trigger for some people (especially if you struggle with hormone imbalances like estrogen dominance) the more likely correlation between eating chocolate and an onset of breakout is because of the added sugar found in most chocolatey foods or any added dairy to those foods. So really, these things are what is better avoided. Likewise, a bitter dark chocolate consumed in moderation can actually beneficial to the skin due to its naturally high antioxidant content.

MYTH 3: Sun Exposure Is Always Bad for the Skin: While sunburns are painful for the skin and too much sun exposure can lead to skin cancers, the relationship between sun and skin is not always a negative one. Absorbing Vitamin D is something that our body does the most optimally through absorbing sunlight through our skin. This not only nourishes our bodies on the inside, but also leaves our skin stronger and better able to combat inflammation and irritations and other forms of damage in the long-term. When exposing your skin to the sun, it is just important to avoid direct sun exposure at the hottest points of the day where the sun is the highest. This is generally around noon and a few hours afterwards. If you will be out at these times or in a hot area in direct sunlight for prolonged periods of time, wearing a hat or protective clothing or using a sunscreen is still advisable.

MYTH 4: A Product Can Change Your Pore Size: Many products claim to be "pore-refining" or to "reduce pore size". These things may provide an overall more seamless look and finish to the skin and soften its tactile feel by providing some temporary tightening, but they really aren't doing anything to actually change your pore size long term. Our pore size will always stay relatively the same, though they can grow somewhat larger as we age. People with an oilier skin type tend to have overall bigger pores than those with drier skin. More often our pores do look bigger when they are more clogged, so any product-- such as a clay mask-- that addresses breakouts will also in theory help the pores to be smoothed out. But their actual size cannot be altered by a products, especially not long-term.

MYTH 5: Retinol plumps up the skin: Retinol (Vitamin A) is an ingredient (usually synthetic) used in skincare products to renew the look of skin and is particularly prevalent in the anti-aging market for its ability to reduce lines and wrinkles. It can often seem like a retinol will help the skin appear plumper and firmer, but what it is actually doing is speeding up the skin's naturally turning processes, working from inside the deeper layers, outward, to push younger fresher skin cells to the surface. This fresher skin can have a radiant and more bouncy appearance, but it will actually be no more hydrated or moisturized. In fact, when using a retinol, skin will actually need more moisture because it has lost some of its outer layers and become more thinned by the specific action of the retinol product.

These five skincare misconceptions and myths are by no means the only. I mean to continue this topic every once in awhile on La Petite Rose as a way of demystifying some of the urban legends and old wives tales we have come to believe over time that may not always be what they seem.