Common Skincare Beauty Myths – PART 1
Beauty myths have existed throughout time—from the beliefs that arsenic could lighten skin and belladonna could dilate pupils, to the bizarre notion that the warm urine of young boys could smooth wrinkles. Today, it’s clear how ludicrous and potentially dangerous these ideas were. But comparatively, many of the beauty practices used today are just as unscientific and irresponsible. Which of our current beauty practices will we look back on in a few decades and cringe about?
In part 1 of this 2 part series, I’ll cover 8 of the most popular beauty myths I’ve collected from beauty experts, The Spa Dr.® followers, and my patients. Let’s burst the beauty myth bubble once and for all!!
Beauty Secrets That Are Really Beauty Killers
Over the years, I have encountered several myths and misconceptions about skin care that are detrimental to beautiful skin. It’s time to clear the air and put these beauty myths and urban legends to rest.
In part 1 of this 2 part series I’ll cover 8 of the most popular beauty myths I’ve collected from beauty experts, The Spa Dr.® followers, and my patients. Let’s burst the beauty myth bubble once and for all!
Here Are The First 8 Skincare Beauty Myths To Bust:
MYTH #1. Skin Gets “Used To” Products – So You Need To Switch Them Up
The simple answer is NO — over time, your skin doesn’t build up an immunity to skin care products. What does change is your skin needs. For example, the weather, your bathing habits, dehydration, poor diet, hormone imbalance, and using harsh endocrine-disrupting soaps and detergents can all play a role in triggering skin issues. It may be tempting to blame your skin care. But this would be a mistake if you already use a high-quality natural, safe, and effective skin care system. In fact, switching up your skin care may even have the opposite effect and slow your progress to achieving glowing skin.
Whether your skin easily breaks out, is uneven, sensitive, inflamed, showing signs of aging, dull or dry — start paying attention to the messages your skin is sending. Beautiful skin starts from the inside out, so instead, make sure you are well hydrated; focus on nutrition and incorporate more Omega-3 fatty acids into your diet; use a gentle cleanser that is pH balanced and won’t harm the skin’s microbiome; slather on a nutrient-rich antioxidant serum to protect against free radical damage.
MYTH #2. Washing Your Face More Can Help Reduce Breakouts
Trying to get that ‘squeaky clean’ feeling is terrible for your skin. It means you’ve washed away not only all the dirt but also all of the natural protection too. In fact, washing your face more often may produce the opposite results — like more breakouts and skin issues.
Instead, be consistent with washing your face twice a day and use a gentle and soothing pH-balanced cleanser free of toxins. One that can remove sweat, dirt, debris, and pollution from your skin without disrupting your skin’s barrier protection—like The Spa Dr® CLEAN Body Wash. Your goal should be to cleanse the skin and decrease harmful bacteria on its surface without stripping all the good bacteria and protective natural oils in the process.
MYTH #3. Lip Balm Dries Out Your Lips
Lip balms or lip hydrators contain waxes or emollients that create a barrier to seal in hydration to the lips. This barrier helps protect against weather, sun, and pollutants that can cause chapped lips. It is practically impossible for lip balm to be the cause of dry lips. And there is no good evidence that lip balms are chemically addictive to the lips.
So, it turns out lip balm addiction isn’t a thing. Unless, of course, you are using a lip balm or chapstick that contains harmful ingredients that can dry out your skin. For help finding safe skin care, Download a FREE Skin Care Ingredient Shopping Guide Now! It includes the top best ingredients to look for and the top worst ingredients to avoid.
MYTH #4. Putting Vaseline On Your Face Gets Rid Of Wrinkles
Vaseline or petroleum jelly contains mineral oil. Mineral oil is derived from crude oil, and there are some concerns about its safety. Because the refining process may not remove all the harmful impurities such as polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are carcinogenic.
Additionally, petroleum jelly can create the illusion of moisturized, hydrated skin — all the while suffocating, clogging, and hindering your skin, and causing skin issues. The result of using petroleum products that potentially exposes your skin needlessly to carcinogens could be the cause of fine lines and wrinkles, not the cure. To be safe, avoid mineral oils and petroleum products altogether.
MYTH #5. You Don’t Need To Use Anti-Aging Products Until You’re Older
It’s never too early to start taking care of your skin and counteracting the visible signs of aging. Properly caring for your skin is analogous to caring for your health. You wouldn’t wait to start eating healthy or exercising until you turn 50 to maintain and enjoy good health.
Your skin will benefit at any age from skin care products that contain natural and organic ingredients that promote ageless beauty and a youthful glow.
It’s also never too early to protect your skin (and health) from the sun’s damaging UVB, UVA, and IR rays. Use a mineral-based sunscreen to protect against oxidative damage directly to the skin caused by UVB and UVA rays, and take antioxidant-rich supplements to protect against internal free radical cell damage caused by IR rays. Both oxidative and free radical damage will cause inflammation, collagen breakdown, DNA damage, and pigmentation changes that contribute to premature aging of the skin.
MYTH #6. Steam And Hot Water Open Your Pores
Most people believe using steam, and hot water to wash your face will help because it ‘opens your pores.’ Your pores aren’t muscle – they can’t open and contract regardless of water temperature. And there is nothing that can physically ‘make’ the pores smaller or bigger.
However, warm water can make the skin structure more pliable and help loosen residue, debris, oil, and dirt in the pores. Not too hot, though — hot water can break down proteins and damage the skin’s barrier protection, leading to breakouts, eczema, and dry, irritated skin. Using warm water combined with a gentle cleanser and exfoliating sponge will safely clear pores for clean, silky smooth skin.
MYTH #7. “Natural” Means It’s Good For You
The lack of regulation in the skincare industry combines with an increase in customer demand for natural skincare has left the door open for many mainstream companies to misrepresent their products as “natural” or “clean.”
Many consumers rely on advertising and labels to help them choose products they believe to be safe and healthy. Unfortunately, many companies exploit this and knowing mislead consumers with terms like “natural.” When in fact, their products contain fragrances and ingredients linked to cancer, endocrine disruption, and reproductive harm.
Choose pure and natural skin care, like The Spa Dr. ®’s Daily Essential system, which is EWG VERIFIED™. This indicates the products meet the Environmental Working Group’s strict standards for transparency and health.
MYTH #8. You Should Exfoliate Your Skin Daily
Over-exfoliating daily may strip the skin of its barrier protection and physically damage skin cells—leaving it chronically irritated, inflamed, and hypersensitive. This damage can lead to more breakouts, skin issues, and accelerated aging.
While we all enjoy the radiant look that younger skin cells provide— once or twice a week is typically enough to help slough off dead skin cells and prevent clogged pores. Your exfoliation schedule will depend on your skin type.
When exfoliating, use very little pressure. Also, minimize friction by applying water or a cleanser as a light lubricant. It should feel good both during and after the treatment. Also, use a gentle exfoliant, like The Spa Dr.® Pearl and Rose Exfoliant, to do the job while preserving your skin’s protective barrier qualities.
The Spa Dr.® Approach
Morals and fears won’t keep women from wanting to look younger. And why should they settle for a less-than-ideal look? The good news is this goal can be accomplished naturally and without exposure to possible health harms lurking in many foundation bottles, eyeshadow palettes, and the like. We need to stop looking for hope in a jar and turn our focus to address the issues from the inside-out.
At The Spa Dr.®, our approach is to help shine the light on skin care information and offer our guidance to nurture your skin care journey. We believe we provide information that will help support your self-care and healing, and we want you to feel safe and cared for within our community!
The Spa Dr.® offers natural skin care products that are safe and free from chemicals and toxins that can harm your skin and health. Our products are formulated to contain key nutrients in their pure and active form in order to provide optimal results. In addition, our products are pH balanced towards mild acidity to promote and protect a healthy skin microbiome.
If you are not already part of The Spa Dr. community, please join us at TheSpaDr.com and on social media.
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