7 Common Skincare Misconceptions it’s Time to Clear Up
Skincare is all about progress, not perfection, but some common skincare misconceptions may be setting us up for failure. The goal of skincare is to have healthy, nice looking skin so it’s important to know what’s fact and what’s a myth.
Today, it’s time to clear up the misconceptions and learn what to do instead today! By changing these bad skincare habits, you can help increase skin health and improve appearance easily immediately!
7 Common Skincare Misconceptions to Know
Here are the 7 most common skincare misconceptions everyone has, what the truth is, and ways to fix the issues!
1. If the exfoliating skincare product is burning that means it’s working.
Absolutely not. An exfoliating product should never burn, itch, or be painful. At most, this kind of ingredient should tingle a little bit, and even then, you must be careful to avoid irritation!
What to do instead:
Start with a low-strength exfoliating product and work your way to stronger ones after your skin gets used to it! Make sure to patch-test new products on the inside of the wrist or side of the neck to make sure you aren’t allergic to anything!
2. Flaky skin needs to be exfoliated more.
The worst advice!
If your skin is dry and flaky, the last thing you want to do is exfoliate. Flaky skin is usually a sign of a damaged skin barrier, which means the skin is sensitive and cannot repair itself well. Flaky skin should not be exfoliated, nor should you use irritating products like retinoids.
What to do instead:
Concentrate on repairing your skin barrier by using hydrating products. Use ceramides, moisturizers, humectants, and other soothing, hydrating ingredients like oat extract or chamomile.
3. You need an eye cream.
Nope. That’s it. Next misconception.
No, but honestly, though I use an eye cream, they are absolutely a scam. Eye creams usually have the same ingredients as a face moisturizer, just in a smaller more expensive package.
What to do instead:
Your usual moisturizer will get the job done just as well as an eye cream. Remember to use sunblock on this sensitive area to protect and you’re golden!
The exception:
If you are prone to milia, and small bumps around the skin of the eyes, either try to dilute your regular moisturizer to make the consistency thin or buy that eye cream.
4. Oily skin doesn’t need moisturizer.
Wrong! If you follow this advice, your skin may overcompensate and try to produce more oil to hydrate and protect.
What to do instead:
Moisturizer oily skin! You can use a lightweight gel moisturizer to offer moisture without feeling greasy.
5. Cleansers should be expensive.
Cleansers are…not where you should treat yourself honestly. Though ingredients matter, there is no reason to spend 40 or 50 dollars on a cleanser! It’s a wash-off treatment.
What to do instead:
Save your money and spend it on leave on treatments!
Don’t get me wrong, cleansers also have a do and don’t list, and the ingredients do matter. For example, a cleanse should be pH balanced (more cleanser info here!), but you can get a good cleanser for like 12 bucks. Just check out any of the CeraVe cleansers. There is one for every skin type, from oily, to dry, to sensitive!
6. You should activate products in your hands before applying them to the skin.
Please stop this! I used to do this and the amount of product I wasted is wild.
If you “activate” products on your hands, your palms are absorbing about half of it. That is a waste of money and is com
What to do instead:
Apply products directly on the face. If it is in dropper bottles, make sure the dropper doesn’t touch the skin to not contaminate the whole bottle of the product.
Spread the product onto the skin of the face with two fingers. I use the middle and ring fingers of my hands since they are more gentle.
7. The SPF in makeup is enough
The most dangerous misconception honestly. SPF in makeup is very small, and if you need about a teaspoon of sunblock for the face, that’s a lot of foundation or BB cream. It is next to impossible to get adequate sun protection just by using makeup.
What to do instead:
Use a sunblock of SPF 30 or more before putting on makeup! Remember to wait about 2 to 5 minutes for the sunblock to absorb into the skin before layering more stuff on!
Daily Skincare Tips
Here are some quick tips to make skincare simple
- Do a simple routine – more is not always better! A simple routine is all you need: cleanse, moisturize, SPF in the morning, and go.
- Make sure it’s backed by science – use only ingredients that have actual research supporting them. Here’s a list!
- Make skincare self-care – try to be present and mindful that skincare is a treat from you to you.
- Make skincare fun – it should never be a chore, try out new products, have fun, and find what works for you!
The Takeaway
Skincare should never be tedious, harmful, or boring. Skincare is all about supporting the skin to improve health and appearance. By clearing up these common skincare misconceptions, we’re one step closer to better wellness.
Wellness itself encompasses many things from what you eat to what you do. It is made up of physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. Make small changes daily to boost wellness today, like eating a nutrition-dense meal, skincare, or even some self-care.
Exercise daily for increased benefit to physical and mental wellbeing, and eat well to give your body the building blocks it needs, but don’t restrict. Be sure to take up habits that improve mental health like yoga, breathing exercises, and meditation, and remember to cater to all of the dimensions of health.
Remember microbiota health as well! There is even a colony of microbiota on the surface of the skin that can determine if you have healthy skin or not.
Plus, the gut microbiota is responsible for many more things, like creating serotonin, the happiness chemical in the brain. A balanced gut can even support muscle growth, mental health, and a good metabolism! Get all the resources for free here! Learn to take care of gut health, by knowing what foods to eat, which ones to avoid, and much more!
