Post by The Big PINK One♥ on Aug 18, 2007 11:16:29 GMT -5
There's no rest for the beauty savvy - it's time once again to draw the line between skin care fact and fiction:
Myth: I don't need a separate sunscreen - my foundation includes SPF!
They can't hurt - you can never get too much SPF - but powders and foundation alone simply don't provide sufficient sun protection. It is almost impossible to apply enough makeup to get the necessary SPF coverage (you'd go through about a bottle of foundation a week if you did!). There are many great makeup products that include SPF, but remember to always use them on top of - and not instead of - sunscreen.
Myth: Ingredients that end in "acid" are all unnatural chemicals and should be avoided.
Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) are actually naturally occurring organic acids (although they may also be produced synthetically). Glycolic and lactic acids, for example, are derived from sugar cane and sour milk respectively. (In fact, Cleopatra is said to have washed her face with sour milk, an early antecedent of today's lactic acid peels. How's that for staying power?)
Salicylic acid, which is sometimes called beta hydroxy acid, can be derived from willow tree bark, but is generally produced synthetically. There is no reason to avoid any of these ingredients (although pregnant and breast-feeding women should not use salicylic acid) - in fact, they're some of the most effective in the skin care arsenal!
Myth: Popping a pimple will make it go away faster.
Not necessarily! I always tell my patients that the safest thing to do is apply blemish spot treatments that contain salicylic acid to the affected area - that will dry the pimple out quickly, without the risk of scarring that comes with popping. Some of my favorite products are Mario Badescu Drying Lotion, Kiehl's Blue Herbal Spot Treatment, and Bobbi Brown Overnight Blemish Paste.
If you do consider popping a pimple, it must be one with a clearly defined area of pus in the middle; don't just try to squeeze a red bump, which will only worsen the inflammation. If your skin tends to stay darkly pigmented long after a scrape or bug bite heels, however, popping a pimple is never a good idea.
Myth: My moisturizer is an anti-wrinkle miracle - I've noticed fewer fine lines since I started using it.
Depends on what you mean by "anti-wrinkle." If you like the way your skin looks after using a certain product, that's certainly enough reason to love it - but be aware that the skin care industry has been known to tout products as more of a "miracle" than they really are.
The humectant ingredients (glycerin, sorbitol, sodium hyaluronate, urea, propylene glycol, and alpha hydroxy acids, for example) of many moisturizers draw water into the skin, causing slight plumping that gives the perception of smoother skin with fewer wrinkles.
That short-term effect, however, does not mean that you're fighting wrinkles in the long term. Furthermore, some companies cite in-house studies proving their product's ability to smooth out fine lines and wrinkles - but in many cases, participants don't use moisturizer for several days before those studies begin. Naturally, after several days of moisturizing their parched skin, participants' "baseline" fine lines appear much smoother.
As I've said in the past, the only topical ingredients proven to diminish existing lines and wrinkles are retinoids. Ingredients like retinoids, vitamin C, and copper peptide can stimulate the skin to produce more collagen and appear tighter.
And antioxidants (both oral and topical) effectively fight some of the external assaults on your skin that lead to wrinkles. Other ingredients may temporarily leave your skin smoother and more radiant, but be aware that they are probably not having a long-term anti-aging effect.
Myth: Letting oil anywhere near your skin is always bad.
It's true that oily, acne-prone skin types should avoid oil-based products, but natural oils can help dry skin types replace the fatty acids their skin so desperately needs. I love Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturizer, for example, which contains borage oil and avocado oil in addition to super-hydrating glycerin.
Products known as "cleansing oil," a great option for dry, sensitive types, have been popular in Asia for years. And any skin type can benefit from a dab or two of vitamin E oil on their lips - they don't produce oil naturally, and need help to stay hydrated and fight external damage.
Bottom line: Know your skin type, and don't automatically shy away from products with "oil" in their ingredient lists!
Wishing you great skin!
Myth: I don't need a separate sunscreen - my foundation includes SPF!
They can't hurt - you can never get too much SPF - but powders and foundation alone simply don't provide sufficient sun protection. It is almost impossible to apply enough makeup to get the necessary SPF coverage (you'd go through about a bottle of foundation a week if you did!). There are many great makeup products that include SPF, but remember to always use them on top of - and not instead of - sunscreen.
Myth: Ingredients that end in "acid" are all unnatural chemicals and should be avoided.
Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) are actually naturally occurring organic acids (although they may also be produced synthetically). Glycolic and lactic acids, for example, are derived from sugar cane and sour milk respectively. (In fact, Cleopatra is said to have washed her face with sour milk, an early antecedent of today's lactic acid peels. How's that for staying power?)
Salicylic acid, which is sometimes called beta hydroxy acid, can be derived from willow tree bark, but is generally produced synthetically. There is no reason to avoid any of these ingredients (although pregnant and breast-feeding women should not use salicylic acid) - in fact, they're some of the most effective in the skin care arsenal!
Myth: Popping a pimple will make it go away faster.
Not necessarily! I always tell my patients that the safest thing to do is apply blemish spot treatments that contain salicylic acid to the affected area - that will dry the pimple out quickly, without the risk of scarring that comes with popping. Some of my favorite products are Mario Badescu Drying Lotion, Kiehl's Blue Herbal Spot Treatment, and Bobbi Brown Overnight Blemish Paste.
If you do consider popping a pimple, it must be one with a clearly defined area of pus in the middle; don't just try to squeeze a red bump, which will only worsen the inflammation. If your skin tends to stay darkly pigmented long after a scrape or bug bite heels, however, popping a pimple is never a good idea.
Myth: My moisturizer is an anti-wrinkle miracle - I've noticed fewer fine lines since I started using it.
Depends on what you mean by "anti-wrinkle." If you like the way your skin looks after using a certain product, that's certainly enough reason to love it - but be aware that the skin care industry has been known to tout products as more of a "miracle" than they really are.
The humectant ingredients (glycerin, sorbitol, sodium hyaluronate, urea, propylene glycol, and alpha hydroxy acids, for example) of many moisturizers draw water into the skin, causing slight plumping that gives the perception of smoother skin with fewer wrinkles.
That short-term effect, however, does not mean that you're fighting wrinkles in the long term. Furthermore, some companies cite in-house studies proving their product's ability to smooth out fine lines and wrinkles - but in many cases, participants don't use moisturizer for several days before those studies begin. Naturally, after several days of moisturizing their parched skin, participants' "baseline" fine lines appear much smoother.
As I've said in the past, the only topical ingredients proven to diminish existing lines and wrinkles are retinoids. Ingredients like retinoids, vitamin C, and copper peptide can stimulate the skin to produce more collagen and appear tighter.
And antioxidants (both oral and topical) effectively fight some of the external assaults on your skin that lead to wrinkles. Other ingredients may temporarily leave your skin smoother and more radiant, but be aware that they are probably not having a long-term anti-aging effect.
Myth: Letting oil anywhere near your skin is always bad.
It's true that oily, acne-prone skin types should avoid oil-based products, but natural oils can help dry skin types replace the fatty acids their skin so desperately needs. I love Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturizer, for example, which contains borage oil and avocado oil in addition to super-hydrating glycerin.
Products known as "cleansing oil," a great option for dry, sensitive types, have been popular in Asia for years. And any skin type can benefit from a dab or two of vitamin E oil on their lips - they don't produce oil naturally, and need help to stay hydrated and fight external damage.
Bottom line: Know your skin type, and don't automatically shy away from products with "oil" in their ingredient lists!
Wishing you great skin!
