Beauty Myths
We Fall For
Going through our favorite magazines or beauty blogs, we come across a handful of intriguing beauty hacks. We trust the beauty gurus suggesting these hacks to teach us a thing or two and want to try them to look our best selves!
Most of us have wondered at some point if toothpaste treats blemishes, or if it’s true that drinking lots of water can prevent wrinkles. If your answer is ‘yes’ to both arguments, then we implore you to think again! However, we say there’s no better time to learn (and unlearn) than the present.
Myth #1 – All natural ingredients are safe for our skin
Although using all-natural products can be wonderful for skin and hair therapy, not all ingredients are necessarily beneficial for us (especially when they are used repeatedly). For instance, we are often told that lemon works wonders for our skin. The truth is that it is extremely acidic. In reality, lemon juice can cause severe skin irritation and dryness.
Myth #2 - Oily skin doesn’t need as much external moisture as dry skin
When we use harsh products and cleansers, it automatically strips our skin of the natural moisture no matter the skin type. Therefore, to say that oily skin doesn’t need as much moisture as dry skin is far from the truth. To balance oil production, layer our face with a light, water-based product under an oil-based moisturizer. This helps seal the moisture into the skin and prevents oil overproduction.
Myth #3 - Toothpaste shrinks pimples
This beauty myth has been circulating since forever. However, it doesn’t have an essence of truth. Menthol, the key ingredient in toothpaste, can calm inflammation. However, the other ingredients in the toothpaste are most likely to cause irritation, redness, and even severe breakouts.
Myth #4 - Shaving makes our hair grow back darker and thicker
This one is categorically false! There is no evidence to suggest that shaving can affect hair growth in terms of darkness and thickness. However, it does make us feel that way because shaving cuts the widest part of the hair (base of the shaft), and it feels stubbly and coarse when it grows back.
Myth #5 - We should drink plenty of water to prevent wrinkles
While drinking lots of water is extremely beneficial from an overall health’s point of view, it doesn’t stop the aging wrinkles from breaking out on our skin. The cells on the outermost layer of our skin (epidermis) are already dead, so it doesn’t make sense how they can absorb moisture from the inside.
Myth #6 - Drying our hair with a T-shirt is great for our strands
False, again! A t-shirt works the same as a terry towel because the cotton will rough up our cuticle either way. The actual problem lies with the material we use to dry our strands; a rough fabric doesn’t do the job effectively, leaving our hair prone to frizz and damage. The best option to protect our strands from further harm is by using a microfiber towel, the real game changer!
Myth #7 - If you pluck one gray hair, several more will grow back in its place
This old wives’ tale just wouldn’t die! Contrary to many people’s belief, plucking hair doesn’t magically cause us to grow new follicles. Tweezing a strand only affects the hair and not the surrounding ones. However, gray hair might replace the one we pluck, but that’s all there is to it. Still, it’s not a good enough reason for plucking out gray hair as it damages the root.
Myth #8 - Pumping the mascara brush in the tube makes for better application
It might seem like we pick up more product by pumping our mascara brush. In reality, it only lets in air into the tube. Ultimately, it makes the mascara dry sooner, giving you dry, flaky lashes. Instead, the better and professional way to pick up more product is by swirling the tube’s wand!