Skincare!

That should be what comes to mind every time you think about beauty.

I don’t know about you, but whenever I look in the mirror every morning, the first thing I think of is my skin.

And so should every woman who knows and appreciates what it takes to be beautiful.

Because skincare is so important, there are a lot of opinions out there about how you should take care of your skin. Sadly, MOST of them are not true.

You should be very careful about what you read or believe about your skin, skincare products to use, and how to take care of your skin.

This week, I will be sharing with you some skincare myths that you shouldn’t pay attention to.

1. Expensive skincare products are better

This mentality goes beyond just skincare products.

Generally, we tend to believe that something is of more quality because it is expensive. But this is not true in all cases.

That a skincare product is more expensive doesn’t make it the best.

Most skincare products contain similar active ingredients, and it doesn’t matter if they are sold at a high-class boutique or a store across the road.

What you should be concerned about is not the price, but the ingredients in your skincare product. If your skincare product has the right ingredients, then you can be sure it will work, whether cheap or expensive.

2. Scrubbing your face makes it acne-free

Some people believe that when you scrub your face with sponge and soap, you are removing all the dirt from your face.

This might be true, but you are also doing something worse than just removing dirt.

When you scrub your face too much, you strip your skin off its natural oils and you weaken your skin’s barrier. This can make your skin dry, and sometimes, it might cause rashes and burns on your skin.

Instead of scrubbing, use a mild cleanser or beauty soap to gently clean your face. This will remove the dirt form your face and will not dry out your skin.

3. Removing the pus from a pimple makes it heal faster

Most of us are guilty of this.

You notice a pimple and the first thing you want to do is pinch it or pop it open. What we do not know is, this habit only makes things worse for your skin.

Let me explain what really happens when you pop your pimple.

The pus from the pimple (which contains the bacteria) might touch other parts of your skin which will cause more pimples to appear.

Pimples are made up of oil and dirt. When you pinch or squeeze your pimples, you force the dirt to go deeper into your skin pores. This can cause the pimple to become red, inflamed or infected.

More so, peeling a pimple or forcing it open in any way might make it leave a scar (or black spot) when it heals.

Instead of touching the pimple, just let it be. Go to the store to get an anti-acne product.

4. Using hot water on your skin opens your skin pores

First thing you need to know is that your skin pores are not muscles that contrast. They do not open or close. They can only get clogged and unclogged.

Your skin pores can get clogged by oil, dirt, dust, makeup, and so on.

When you steam your face with hot water, the steam only helps to loosen the dirt clogging your skin pores. This makes it easier for them to come off when you clean your face after.

By the way, apart from facial steaming, it is wrong to use hot water on your skin.

When you steam your face, the water does not come in contact with your skin. Bathing with hot water, on the other hand, strips your skin off its natural oils and makes your skin very dry.

5. Natural skincare products are completely safe and do not cause irritations

This is also not true.

Yes! natural products are safer to use, but that doesn’t mean that they are totally safe.

It is normal that since they are not mixed with chemicals, the reactions will be minimal, but that doesn’t mean irritations won’t occur at all.

Our skin types vary and reactions vary with skin types.

For those who have sensitive skin, even mild products can sometimes cause irritations.

There are natural products that can cause irritations.

For example, using fruits like lime can be very harsh on the skin. Because of its high acidic content, it can irritate your skin and make it dry. It’s especially worse if you already have dry skin.

Applying lime on a light skin can also cause sunburn when the skin is exposed to sunlight.

And I am talking about the fruit, not the extract or factory product.

So, you need to be careful when applying your natural remedies on your skin, and watch out for irritations. (Trust me, I recently met a customer whose skin reacts badly to almost all common natural ingredients, including even aloe vera.)

6. Anti-aging products are not necessary until you are in your forties

If you’re among those who run away from anti-aging products because you feel they are for old people, you are only attracting early aging signs to yourself.

Though aging signs do not become so obvious until you are in your forties, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use anti-aging products until then.

It is better to use an anti-aging product to delay aging signs instead of using it to treat aging signs. (Remember the classy “prevention is better than cure“? — Not insinuating aging is a disease though!)

The earlier you start using these products, the longer you keep your skin looking young, notwithstanding your age.

7. Drinking water is enough to keep your skin hydrated

This is totally false.

It is true that water hydrates your skin, but it is not enough to give your skin the moisture it needs.

You need a moisturizer also to help lock in moisture within your skin.

While water hydrates your skin from the inside out, a moisturizer does that from outside.

The combination of water, fruits (especially those that have huge quantity of water e.g. cucumber, watermelon, etc.) and moisturizers is perfect for keeping your skin hydrated.

In conclusion,

Taking care of your skin is great, but you should be careful about the skincare practices you believe.

Whoever tells you these myths are true is wrong.

To know more about skincare myths you should stay away from, go to our Instagram page @beaucrest. In January, we explored 20 different skincare myths. Here’s the link to our IG page: https://www.instagram.com/beaucrest/

If you are unsure about a skincare practice, leave a comment below, and I will be glad to tell you if it is a myth or if it is true.

If you also know more myths you will like to share, do not hesitate to leave a comment.

Cheers to great skin!