We have all been at the receiving end of some rather interesting beauty tips and tricks, some of which may have some sustenance, and others, not so much. Passed down through generations, we are often told concepts and ideologies from a young age that, as we grow, we begin to perceive as truth. When we’re children, we don’t necessarily delve into the nitty gritty of advice we are given to determine if it is myth or fact, hence why these suggestions and sayings prevail onward over the years.
In the context of beauty, there are plenty of myths we consider to be true, only to discover at a later age that they simply aren’t. I thought I would do a bit of reading to see if I could unearth some myths likely most of us believe, and the following information comes from www.paulaschoice-eu.com.
“Myth: Jar or clear packaging is fine, what counts most is what’s inside, not the packaging itself.
Fact: Packaging is a crucial component of skincare products. If the packaging exposes what’s inside to light and air, that could mean the key ingredients will lose effectiveness much sooner.
It’s best to look for skincare products with bio-active ingredients that only come packaged in containers that are airtight or keep air and fingers out as much as possible and that are opaque or have a UV-coating to protect them from both light and air.
Myth: Certain skincare ingredients work better when used at night because skin repairs itself best while you sleep.
Fact: Skin is in repair mode around the clock, and research has shown it’s better at repairing during daylight hours when we’re active, than when we’re at rest.
Based on the research, the optimal time for skin or the body to heal is during the day when our bodies are active and in motion. This further stimulates blood flow, oxygen, cell renewal, and other body functions which aids in the overall healing and maintenance processes.
Your skin is receptive to and benefits from a wide variety of ingredients no matter the time of day. Your skin isn’t keeping track of what time of day it is, so use products and ingredients based on what works best for your routine. Sunscreen of course is the obvious exception, since it is only needed during daylight hours.
Myth: Applying face creams in an upward massaging motion and facial exercises help ‘lift’ skin and prevent sagging.
Fact: Whenever you see skin move up or down, you are stretching out the skin’s elastin and collagen support fibres causing it to prematurely sag, which is exactly what happens during facial exercises.
The more you move skin, the more you’re stretching and breaking down skin’s natural elastin and collagen support fibres which leads to premature sagging. Gravity and age are already working to pull skin downward; they don’t need to help speed up the process!
Studies looking at results from facial exercises show slight subjective improvement in some signs of ageing, but the studies were short-term (a few weeks to months), meaning they’re not measuring changes that would occur if the practice was done routinely for years.
Myth: You should never pop a pimple.
Fact: Popping a pimple the right way will help it go away faster!
The standard advice about never popping a pimple is wrong: not only can it be done safely without wounding skin and causing a scab but releasing the pressure inside a filled pimple frees the skin-damaging substance sitting inside. Of course, you never want to damage skin, which is why this task should be done with the utmost care. Timing is key since it’s critical to know when the blemish is ready for its contents to be released. You’ll know it’s ready when you see a noticeable ‘whitehead’ on the surface, and the zit begins to look and feel slightly swollen. When the time is right, you have to be as gentle as possible,” the web page states.
Check back tomorrow for more myth versus fact, beauty edition.
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