From the infamous toothpaste acne treatment to tanning horror stories, there are tons of ridiculous skincare myths floating about that make separating fact from fiction a tricky business. Here’s the verdict on five of the most popular skincare adages.
Dairy is bad for your skin
According to WebMD, this is fiction. Dairy can be bad for your skin, but it totally varies from person to person. Experts say hormones such as testosterone and progesterone that can be found in milk may stimulate glands in the skin, which is what sets the stage for acne. But dairy doesn’t necessarily cause acne. Of course there are many anecdotes that spout claims of fantastic skin after nixing dairy, so it may be worth a try. Dieticians suggest cutting dairy out from your diet to see how it affects your skin, but to make sure that you still consume non-dairy, calcium rich foods.
It’s never too early to think about anti-aging
Dr. Elizabeth Hale, vice president of the Skin Cancer Foundation and clinical associate professor of dermatology at the New York University Langone Medical Center, believes that this is true.
“In my opinion, as long as it’s done correctly, there’s no time that’s too early to start thinking about anti-aging.”
According to Hale, focusing on extrinsic aging, which is caused by things like sun exposure and smoking, is a good start.
“The number one thing you can do is just wear sunscreen,” Hale said. “Ninety percent of the signs of premature aging come from UV exposure.”
The higher the SPF, the better the protection!
This is a common misconception, but the bigger numbers don’t actually mean more protection. There are two categories of UV light to consider when talking about sunscreen – UVA and UVB. SPF, which stands for sun protection factor, only measures a sunscreen’s effectiveness against UVB: the rays that burn your skin. UVA rays have long-term effects on your skin. Experts suggest that rather than looking for a high SPF, you look for “broad spectrum” sunscreen that protects you from both UVA and UVB rays.
Face mapping will tell you why you’re breaking out
Fact… sort of. Face mapping dates back thousands of years in Chinese medical studies, and it claims that what’s going on outside is an indication of what’s going on internally. While the core idea is certainly true, face mapping is not an exact science. Chinese scholar and Baszicare Skincare Co-Founder Chapman Lee notes that it’s important to first eliminate other possible causes of your skin problems.
“First of all, we need to make sure that any dark spots or acne aren’t caused by poor hygiene or a skin infection,” Lee said. “If the symptoms still occur after seven days of daily cleaning or treatment, then we can consider face mapping.”
Sitting up while sleeping will prevent wrinkles
This is fiction…not to mention extremly uncomfortable. There’s no scientific evidence that says this position will prevent wrinkles. If anything, your best bet for youthful skin is to get enough sleep. If you’re that concerned, WebMD suggest sleeping on your back to prevent pressing your face into the pillow and creating sleep lines.