Cleanse twice daily? Use a toner? Drink eight glasses? With so much information, it’s hard to separate fiction from fact. Here, we reveal the common mistakes (you’re probably making) that could be damaging your skin.
Myth 1: You should cleanse your skin twice a day.
This sentence should end with: “if you want to waste your face wash.”
The truth is, in the morning you only need water to rid your skin of any residue your nighttime regimen may have left behind. Unless you’re sleeping outdoors, or in a highly-polluted area with the windows open, your skin stays clean overnight. Washing it twice a day will only contribute to more dryness—and less product.
Myth 2: You can shrink the size of your pores.
Despite all the products out there that claim to do this, it’s just not possible. Plain and simple, you can’t change the size of your pores. What you can do is make them look smaller—and you don’t have to shell out big bucks for that. Try using good old fashioned egg whites; they tighten the skin, giving the illusion of smaller pores–but remember, it’s a temporary effect. Try it before a big night out (or after a big night out!)
Myth 3: Rubbing your eyes causes wrinkles.
Crow’s feet won’t happen just from kneading your eyes when you’re tired. (Yay, because it feels so good!) But the tug of gravity and the repetitive movement of facial muscles, such as smiling or frowning, can break down the collagen in your skin and create wrinkles over time. So, there was some truth to what Mom always said when you were young after all, “If you keep making that face, it will stay that way!”
Stephen Meisel for Vogue Italia August 2005
Myth 4: Drinking water prevents skin from drying out.
Oh, if it were only that easy. What keeps skin moist is oil, not water—so don’t be shy with that moisturizer. Before you put that bottle down, though, keep in mind that drinking water does help organs to operate properly, and too little water in your body can give you an ashen appearance. However, skin can look dry even if you drink eight glasses a day.
Myth 5: A proper skin routine has three steps.
We’ve been hearing “cleanse, tone, moisturize” for so long that this may seem like a shock to many. Truth is, we really don’t need a toner. Those with oily complexions think that daily toning will help keep oil at bay, when in fact the opposite is true. When we strip our skin of oil, the body reacts by making more, hence leaving us with greasy skin.
