Unfortunately, beauty and skincare myths are often shared as fact. While science is helping us debunk these myths one by one, many of us are still lost when it comes to what we should believe about skincare claims and what’s purely made up.
In this blog, we’re uncovering the Truth Behind 7 Beauty Myths, then sharing a simple Beauty Within tip to help you make better choices for your skin!
FALSE. Creases around the eyes are caused by sun exposure, genetics, and squinting.
If you’ve ever been told that smiling can give you crow’s feet, there’s good news. You don’t have to hold back your smile just to save your delicate eye skin!
Creases around the eyes can be impacted by smiling, but the damage is minimal. It’s more likely that squinting and sun exposure is causing your eye wrinkles. Wrinkling around the eyes is also more common in those with thin, fair skin.
To prevent crow’s feet, wear quality sunscreen daily to protect against UV damage to your delicate eye skin. Moisturize with eye cream daily to protect against free radicals.
Then, get mindful about your eyes. Are you wearing an old prescription, staring at the computer for too long, or consistently leaving the house without sunglasses? These habits can all lead to lots of squinting, increased wrinkles, and even eye damage.
Beauty Within Tip: A simple way to improve your eye health while smoothing wrinkles is using a jade roller. Roll gently around the eye sockets each morning and night to reduce eye creases and brighten your eyes.
FALSE. Pore size cannot be reduced, only made to look smaller.
Pore size is mostly a genetic factor and is related to how much sebum (oil) your skin produces. The more oily your skin, the larger your pores will appear. Unfortunately, you can’t shrink your pores, but acne, chronically clogged pores, and sun exposure can expand your pores.
The good news is that you can reduce the appearance of your pores by keeping them clear of excess oil and debris. Cleanse and exfoliate your face regularly to prevent pores from expanding. Then, use products that include salicylic acid (to cleanse) and hyaluronic acid (to hydrate). Avoid squeezing your pores to pop pimples as this inflames the pores and causes them to grow.
Finally, don’t forget the sunscreen! Sun damage breaks down your skin’s natural collagen. This causes the pore walls to sag, which makes them look larger.
Beauty Within Tip: The biggest weapon against growing pore size is microneedling. With microneedling, we can stimulate collagen production to tighten up pore walls and make them look smaller. Plus, microneedling also helps products like salicylic and hyaluronic acid work more effectively. Book your microneedling visit here!
TRUE (BUT UNLIKELY). You would have to eat large amounts of carrots per day for several weeks to see a change in your skin color.
As it turns out, this myth is true – but only in extreme circumstances. Eating foods high in beta-carotene (like carrots, mangos, pumpkin, and sweet potatoes) can lead to a condition called carotenemia if you eat way over the recommended amount. When too much beta-carotene enters your bloodstream, it turns your skin an orangey color.
If you love carrots, you can still enjoy them without worrying that you’ll start to look like one! Thankfully, this condition is very rare. To see a change in your skin color, you would have to eat 10-20 large carrots (or other beta-carotene-rich food) every day for several weeks.
Beauty Within Tip: A balanced diet is a key to healthy skin – inside and out. Enjoy a moderate amount of carrots and other healthy root vegetables, but mix them with other colorful produce to stay in balance!
FALSE. Toothpaste is drying and irritating to the skin, which can make breakouts worse.
When you see a pimple sprouting the night before a big day, you’ll do anything to try to clear it up fast. Many of us have tried the old remedy of dabbing minty toothpaste on a spot, but studies show that this method doesn’t work.
In fact, toothpaste is extremely irritating for most skin types. While ingredients like baking soda and hydrogen peroxide do help dry out the pimple, they also leave skin irritated.
Beauty Within Tip: Skip the toothpaste and try a more natural pimple-fighting remedy. Tea tree oil is known to be an effective topical treatment for acne. It has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that help you clear up spots without damaging your skin. Or, try Laurel Blemish Treatment which uses a blend of herbs to clear away spots and heal the skin.
MOSTLY FALSE. Chocolate itself is not a cause of acne, but imbalanced diets.
Growing up, many of us were told that eating chocolate would cause breakouts. The truth is, there is no research that supports the claim. But that doesn’t mean that we’re free to eat bar after bar of chocolate without any consequences!
While chocolate itself does not cause blemishes, an imbalanced diet full of sugar, unhealthy fats, and not enough vitamins does.
Studies show that those who eat high levels of sugary, fatty foods are more likely to have adult acne. Why? Sugar is inflammatory and can throw our hormones off balance, which leads to more clogged pores and acne breakouts.
Beauty Within Tip: Not all chocolate is created equal. By choosing dark chocolate with low sugar levels, you can still enjoy this sweet treat without sabotaging your skin. Even better, make a dark chocolate mix with dried goji berries and almonds to further support your skin.
FALSE. Hair turns grey when the pigment cells in the follicle die.
Hair color is determined by the pigment cells in your hair follicle. Once those pigment cells “run out,” the hairs that grow in that follicle will be grey or white. This does not affect any of the surrounding hair follicles or turn other hairs grey.
While you don’t have to worry about creating more grey hairs, plucking those greys could lead to faster hair thinning and loss. Each time you pluck a hair out, you risk damaging the follicle and causing bald patches. So, instead of trying to rid your head of any stray grey, embrace the change and keep your full head of hair!
Beauty Within Tip: Seeing grey? Chinese herbal medicine can help. Certain herbal formulas are known for tonifying the Kidney and Liver organ systems which are in charge of the health, color, and abundance of your hair. Visit us at The Beauty Within to get a custom herbal formula to keep your hair looking nourished and vibrant!
FALSE. Dark circles can be due to a range of different health issues, and Chinese medicine can help.
Not getting a good night’s sleep is a common cause of dark undereye circles. But it’s not the only one. In fact, there are many different reasons we get those pesky dark circles including dehydration, genetics, stress, allergies, hormone imbalance, and more.
In Chinese medicine, the undereye area is linked to the Kidney system. When dark circles appear, it is a sign that the Kidney system is weak or burdened and needs support. We can help with acupuncture, Chinese herbs, and a diet full of foods that support the Kidneys (like black beans, seaweed, and bone broth).
Beauty Within Tip: Learn to “read” your face to stay on top of your skin health and overall wellness. Look for areas of redness, darkness, dryness, oiliness, new lines, or other changes. Then, consult a Chinese face map to see what organs might be impacted. By understanding the different areas of the face and what changes in those areas mean, you’ll be able to stay on top of health issues before they start.
We believe that making the best choices for your skin starts with understanding the truth about skincare. We’re here to help you stay on top of all the beauty myths – old and new – so you can feel confident about your products and skincare routine.
Don’t get lost in the myths. Start on the path to a skincare routine you love (and trust!) today. Book your Beauty Within consultation!
