Wives tales; the
industry itself; things our mothers taught us; things our grandmas
taught us. There is such a plethora of so called beauty ‘truths’
floating around it’s hard to keep track. So, I'm here to dig a
little deeper into these myths and clear up some commonly held
misconceptions.
- Oil likes Oil
TRUE
One
of the worst things you can do to oily skin is to strip it. It will
simply rebel and produce more oil. The high street is a big culprit
in this one. Those ‘anti acne’, ‘anti blemish’ foaming
cleansers they like to push are not good for your oily prone skin.
Put the bottle down and step away. These harsh stripping cleansers
destroy the acid mantle which protects your skin, thus making an
alkaline environment on your face- a breeding ground for spots.
Whilst using oil based makeup products may make your face shiny
throughout the day it is a-okay to use oil in parts of your skincare.
A general chemical rule of thumb is that like dissolves like. So oil
will help dissolve the daily oily grime that can build up on your
skin. This is where balm cleansers rule the roost. I would recommend
using an oil based cleanser and night time oil treatment but oil-free
moisturizer and makeup, if you have oily skin. Good, light, plant oil
won’t clog your pores, will nourish and hydrate your skin and won’t
break you out. Not all oils are good oils though. Avoid mineral oil.
- You need to cleanse, tone and moisturize
FALSE
Again
we may have the industry to blame for this one. Or our mothers.
Toners were traditionally used to remove the last scraps of makeup
cleansers left behind. This was back in the day when cleansers
weren’t adequate enough to do the job by themselves. They were
meant to ‘tone’ the skin. In reality this meant the high
alcohol/witch hazel content dried out the epidermis and tightened the
skin. But times have a changed. So in the old school sense no you do
not need to tone. But now there are plenty of new and exciting
‘toners’ that you should be adding to the mix. The new kids on
the block have three main functions; balancing, exfoliating and
hydrating. A good toner will reset the balance of your skin.
Exfoliating toners are my personal favourite. Containing acids
(glycolic, salicylic or lactic) they gently chemically resurface the
skin. This is the most effective way to unplug pores without the use
of tangible beads, such as apricot kernels. Note: No one should be
exfoliating with apricot kernels. A hydrating toner will attract
moisture from the air and trap it in the top layers of the skin. And
no a water spray will not do the same thing. Our bodies cannot absorb
water on their own, or baths and showers would be pretty dangerous to us. In fact water sprays (like the one produced by
Evian) actually dehydrate the skin further as the moisture in the air
attracts the moisture on your skin and pulls it away. So no, you
don’t need your mum or grandma’s version of a toner, but the 21st
century ones? They’re pretty good.
- You can’t be oily and dehydrated
FALSE
A
huge false. Somehow an idea has spread that oily skin does not need
to use moisturizer. Not quite sure who to point the finger of blame
on this one. But it is just simply not true. At all. I can’t stress
this enough. Oil and moisture are not the same thing. The number one
skin condition is dehydration. We are almost all dehydrated yet many
of us don’t know it. Be it the good ole’ British weather, central
heating, air conditioning, lack of hydration, whatever, dehydrated
skin plagues most of us. Whereas oily and dry are skin types
(generally something you are born with) dehydration is a skin
condition that can affect any skin type. Skin may look oily and be
breakout prone but can still feels tight and dry. Makeup can go
patchy throughout the day; this is because the skin is so thirsty
that it absorbs water wherever it can, even from your foundation. My
advice would be to use a hydrating serum and oil free moisturizer.
Simples.
- It is possible to shrink your pores
FALSE
Pores
are not doors. I love that saying. But you cannot open and close
them. They are not muscles. They are what they are I’m afraid. They
may look more ‘open’ or ‘closed’ depending on the level of
gunk that is inside them. Dirt, dead skin and oil can build up making
the pores appear larger. Regular exfoliation will help keep the
follicle nice and clean, meaning the pores won’t appear so large.
Salicylic acid is key here. Look for it in your cleanser, toner and
masks. Brands who claim to leave you poreless are lying. Pore size is
genetic. Oily skinned kin I’m afraid we are stuck with them. As we
age the skin around the pores loses its firmness. This lack of
support from the surrounding tissues may make the pore appear larger.
Despite what your facialist, or mother told you, steam will not open
your pores. It will simply help shift the layer of dirt. So you can’t
banish them completely. But you can control and disguise them with a
good skincare routine.
- Beauty products have an expiration date
TRUE
Just
like the food you keep in the fridge your skincare and makeup
products have a shelf life. The expiration date depends on the
products. However, unlike your groceries cosmetic brands generally
don’t put ‘use before’ stickers slap bang in the centre of
their products. But they are there. While there’s no hard and fast
expiration date rule most products carry an icon that looks like a
little jar or tube with a number in it. That number refers to the
number of months the product is considered safe after opening. For
things like mascara that can be as little as three months, whereas
skin care products can last for twelve. Sunlight and heat can shave
the time off a product’s life. Top tip- keeping your products in
the bathroom may have ease of convenience but all that heat and
moisture degrades the ingredients. Many products can expire even
while in their original, sealed packaging, and once you first tear it
open the clock is ticking. To keep things as healthy as possible use
cotton buds instead of your fingers to retrieve product, keep in a
cool, dry place and if something seems dried out or has been in your
stash for longer than you can remember throw it out. As with any
relationship you have to know when to say goodbye. Excuse me, I need
to go to a bit of spring beauty cleaning.
