Our skincare information is derived from various sources. Some people believe the influencers and pseudo experts, who swear by their inventions. While some of these beauty hacks might work, but most are not based on actual research.
Many people also don’t have any qualms in following the viral beauty trends, which are again, seldom backed by science. Similarly, anecdotal beauty trends also occupy a major space in our skincare routine.
If these skincare hacks were merely innocuous, there might not have been any harm in following them. However, many can lead to skin issues and problems that then require the intervention of an expert skin doctor like Dr. Sana Younas to be remedied.
Hence, it is important to know what beauty trends are based on science, and which ones are merely myths.
Common skincare myths
Drinking more water helps in keeping your skin bright
Don’t pack on liters of extra water to get a glowing skin; that’s not how it works. Of course, water is important for health. It is a part of many different processes around the body, and skin being our largest organ naturally benefits from it, but it does not necessarily translate to glowing skin.
However, if you are dehydrated, your skin might appear so. In such situations, drinking water might be of benefit.
Higher SPF means better skin coverage
The higher the SPF, the better the protection is another commonly held myth. Unfortunately, that’s not true. While yes, you need at least SPF 30 on your skin, but this bare minimum can also work just fine. Also, when choosing a sunscreen, opt for the one that is broad spectrum.
Oily skins don’t need to be moisturized
Oily skin is when you have excess oil production. Some people think that just that there is more oil, they don’t then need a moisturizer. However, that is not true.
Moisturizer is still important for to keep your skin healthy. Often, when you skin is dehydrated, it leads to overproduction of oil, that can then cause further problems.
Hence, if you have oily skin, you still need a moisturizer. However, try to keep to a light one instead of thick potions if the formula is choking your skin.
Glowing skin is a fixed formula
Well, most of us are guilty of falling into the trap of the glowing skin secrets. The coveted skincare routines of influencers and celebrities are carefully collected and followed.
However, one important factor that all of us forget; no two skins are alike. Sure, there may be same general principles for all, however, how your skin reacts to a routine is unique to you.
Hence, rather than falling trap to the glowing skin like that of your favorite celebrity, it is more effective that you discover for yourself what suits your skin better.
Pore size can be reduced
The trend to have flawless skin has made people weary of their pores. They then do any and everything to allegedly shrink their pores. However, most of these formulas offer very temporary solution at best. Nothing can change the size of your pores per se.
You can, however, stop them from becoming clogged and thus more apparent. Oil, gunk, and dead skin cells can settle into the pores and make their appearance more apparent. For to tackle this issue, you can use different products like retinol or get different procedures done like microneedling.
Natural skincare products are better for your skin
We often think of chemicals as bad, and so, when a product claims to contain natural ingredients or herb-based, we consider them as good. However, this is merely a myth.
Not all chemicals are bad, some are great for the skin. Similarly, natural products are not all that good; often, many are not carefully regulated and thus cause even more damage to the skin, that might also then require the help of a dermatologist to improve.