The largest organ in the body, the skin, must be cared for in order to keep the rest of the body safe. However, some skin care theories are not only unhelpful, but they can also be harmful to your health and appearance.
1. “Special exercises will remove my fine lines.”
It's possible that a
facial exercise would do more damage than good. Since our skin is elastic, working out the muscles pulls on it and stretches it. Excessive muscle activity causes many of our fine lines, and facial exercise can cause you to develop more
wrinkles.
2. “Toothpaste will dry up my pimple.”
While menthol in toothpaste has a cooling effect and can temporarily reduce swelling, it may irritate your skin if you use it on your face. Toothpaste is made specifically for your teeth and has a neutral pH level. The pH of the
skin is naturally acidic, and disrupting it can cause rashes and burning.
3. “Tanning clears up acne.”
A tan may mask the redness of acne for a while, but it will inevitably backfire. When oily skin is exposed to the sun, it releases more oil, which can lead to more breakouts. If you use acne medicine, the skin becomes more vulnerable to UV rays, which can lead to premature skin aging.
4. “I can use coconut oil instead of moisturizer.”
Coconut oil has several health benefits and may aid in the treatment of blemishes; but, if you have oily skin, it can exacerbate breakouts. Comedogenic means that coconut oil clogs pores. It can cause skin inflammation, which can lead to acne.
5. “My skin is so oily, I need to wash it more.”
It's almost as bad to scrub your face too much as it is to not clean it at all. Excessive scrubbing of the face can damage the skin barrier. Fats in your skin's outer layer shield it from the environment, and upsetting this balance can cause inflammation.
6. “I don’t need sunscreen if I work in an office all day.”
Even if you spend the majority of your time indoors, you can protect your skin from the sun. Some UV rays are blocked by window glass, but not all of them are blocked equally. Exposure to UV rays can cause wrinkles, sunspots, and skin cancer, so wearing sunscreen is a must.
7. “Popping a pimple will help it go away faster.”
Squeezing pimples at random can result in infection and scarring. If you pop a zit at home, you risk pushing some of the pimple's contents deeper into the skin, resulting in more visible and painful acne. It is safer to seek care from a skin health professional to get rid of a pimple.
