9 Skincare Myths To Avoid, According To Experts

Beauty can be fickle; from ingredients to make-up trends – there is always something gaining momentum on social media, with sensationalist headlines and clickbait-y copy. However, we at Beauty Daily want to dispel beauty myths and give you straightforward advice from the people in the know. 

Here we list 8 skincare myths experts want you should avoid at all costs and why: 

Myth #1: There’s no harm in sleeping with your make-up on

Fact: One or two days of not cleansing is unlikely to have long-term damage to your skin, but developing the habit of sleeping with make-up on can compromise your skin’s health. 

Make-up can clog the pores while you sleep, resulting in the development of acne. Acne occurs when the pores of your skin become blocked with oil, dead skin, or bacteria. 

During the PM, skin facilitates skin cell regeneration and repairs damage from UV and pollution exposure during sleep, reducing fine lines and wrinkles. Sleeping with make-up may hinder these processes in many ways, such as DNA mutations, collagen degradation, and, over time, can result in premature ageing. 

Myth #2: There’s no need for sunscreen on windy, cloudy and cool days 

Fact: You can get sun damage on windy, cloudy and cool days. Sun damage is caused by UV radiation, not temperature. The idea that you only need to wear sunscreen when the sun is out or in summer is a big skincare myth. 

UV is present all year round. It streaks through the windows of your home and car and will still wreak the same amount of damage, leading to premature skin ageing and hyperpigmentation. The damage from UV radiation is cumulative: sun protection should be a non-negotiable part of your daily skincare routine. 

Never skip sunscreen. 

Myth #3: Applying fake tan protects your skin from the sun

Fact: You can – and will – burn even if your skin looks tanned, unless you apply a sunscreen. The top layers of your skin are only tinted with the self-tanner, but the colour offers no UV protection. For this reason, you can still tan through your self tan and, more importantly, cause sun damage to your skin.

When your fake tan is looking patchy and past its sell-by date, take it all off and start again. But don’t forget the sunscreen!

Myth #4: You shouldn’t use retinol during the day

Fact: There are two things that easily pop to mind when one hears about Retinol: 1) it is a fountain of youth (goodbye fine lines and wrinkles) and 2) it should be solely and strictly used at night (as it is said to increase the risk of sunburn upon sun exposure). 

While the first one is a skincare fact scientifically proven to be anti-ageing from banishing fine lines to pigmentation and even acne, the second is nothing but a myth.  

Experts say that Retinols are sensitive to sunlight. Applying a retinol product and going out under the sun would make it less effective. The idea that it will increase the risk of sunburn is a big skincare myth. 

However, top dermatologists warn that if you’ve just started using the active ingredient, chances are your skin is still adapting and will be more sensitive, making it prone to burns. It is advised to take proper sun-protective precautions on affected and exposed areas when stepping out. 

READ NEXT: The Best And Worst Beauty Products To Wear Under The Sun

Myth #5: Toothpaste as an alternative to spot treatment 

Fact: Toothpaste is very astringent and contains several ingredients to clean and whiten the teeth, not the face. Many experience the instant and drying effect on pimples when toothpaste is applied. 

This is due to the skin-irritating substances found in toothpaste, such as triclosan, detergents, and preservatives. These chemicals may dry out pimples initially. However, if used continuously, more skin problems will set in, such as inflammation and excessive dryness, which could exacerbate or worsen breakouts or blemishes.

“The best thing you can do with a sore and swollen spot is to leave it alone,” Charlotte McHale, Clarins Training Manager, advises. She adds, “If you can put something cool on it [ice cube or cold compress] can potentially decrease redness making your pimples less noticeable and numb the pain that comes with inflamed pimples.”  

Beauty Daily recommends simply looking for a spot treatment solution with acne-fighting ingredients such as salicylic acid and leaving it overnight. Salicylic acid dries up the pimple and kills any bacteria; it exfoliates the skin on top to let any accumulated pus out, and acts as blemish prevention. 

(BTW, whilst we’re on the subject. Toothpaste isn’t a useful for removing fake tan either, despite what the internet sometime says!)

Myth #6: People with oily skin should stay away from facial oils 

Fact: Contrary to popular belief, facial oil is one of the best ways to nourish your skin- including those with oily skin types. Applying oils can replenish your skin’s natural oils, which can keep oil levels balanced, and breakouts at bay. 

The key is finding the oil well suited to your particular skin type. Beauty Daily swears by Lotus Treatment Oil for oily skin type. The extracts in the lotus oil are very good at mimicking the structure of the sebum. Applying Lotus oil does an excellent job at calming the oil production down all thanks to the blend of essential oils Rosemary, Geranium and Lotus extracts, which purify the skin, tighten pores and refine skin texture. 

Myth #7: Skip using moisturiser in hot and humid weather 

Fact:  Let’s get it out of the way: regardless of your skin type, you need to moisturise. Regardless of the climate, you are not exempt from moisture loss due to environmental and external elements. 

McHale explains, “If you’ve got oily skin and you’re in a hot climate, your face might appear oilier. You sweat more in hot temperatures which is your body and skin losing moisture (water). Oily skins might then respond by producing more oil to compensate.

“Moisturiser is therefore essential to prevent the loss of water through the skin (transepidermal water loss) which increases in hot environments, and this, in turn, will discourage excess oil production.”

Moisturiser comes in different textures such as gel, cream, lotion, and emulsion and choosing the right one where you live or travel to is key. If you normally use a cream-base moisturiser in colder climates, switch to gel-texture when travelling to hot and humid places. 

Myth #8: Pulling one grey hair will grow more grey hair 

Fact: The idea that pulling grey hair will cause two or more to grow in its place is a skincare myth. 

Plucking a grey hair will only get you a new grey hair in its place because there is only one hair per follicle that can grow. So the hair around it will not start turning into white or grey until the melanocytes (pigment-producing cells) inside your hair follicle die on its own. 

However, this doesn’t signal you to start pulling and eliminating all the whites you see, as plucking hair can traumatise and damage the hair follicle to the point it will no longer grow any hair. Yikes! 

Myth #9:  Hair grows back stronger or thicker after being razored off 

Fact: Shaving hair from our face, legs, underarms and other parts of the skin is a daily grooming routine many follow, so it’s just about time to debunk the myth that shaving hair makes it grow thicker and darker. 

“Shaving gives the hair a blunt tip from where the razor cuts the hair. During this period, the hair might look darker and perhaps spiky, whereas it would normally be tapered. But it isn’t actually thicker. Just give it a few weeks, as the hair continues to grow it will look just like it did before,” McHale assures.

Google, our go-to dermatologist

It looks like we heavily rely on Mr Google as our go-to dermatologist. A 2019 statistics show that there were 15.5 million generic skincare-related searches on average per month. 

42% of users searched based on concerns, product type, ingredients and skin type related keywords. Consumer behaviour is evolving and online search is becoming more common in many categories, influencing our purchase decision.  

This shows the importance of deciphering information and reading between the lines before taking skincare advice. Think thrice. If in doubt, there are multiple trusted online services such as Clarins’ virtual skincare consultation, talk to your dermatologist or one of our beauty advisors in person. This will save you from a bad skin or hair day.