Busting The Top 5 Skincare Myths
Since I’ve branched out on my own as a certified skin therapist over two years ago, it never fails to amaze (and shock!) me how many of the same misled skincare beliefs I hear from clients, social media and even trusted skincare brands. Pretty packaging, trends and gimmicks are the magic that keeps the majority of the billion dollar skincare and beauty industry growing and thriving.
As a trained skin specialist, the number of misnomers out there today (thanks, Internet) are astounding – so, I thought I should share some of what I consider to be the top offending skincare myths with you. Some of these might come as a shock to you (I’m looking at you, DIY-ers), but I promise they are backed by science and my experience treating all types of skin.
Where It Starts
As women (mostly), skincare myths start entering our consciousness at an early age. Remember that ‘which skin type are you’ quiz you took in every teen magazine? Self-diagnosing any type of health or wellness concern is a common and slippery slope in today’s world riddled with misinformation and marketing traps. Relying on the media (who are almost always trying to sell you something, by the way) to tell you which product is right for you is like playing Russian roulette with your skin’s integral ability to heal and age well. Sometimes, using the wrong products for your skin can be WORSE than using nothing at all.
What I recommend most to my clients and friends is to #1, before any Googling or blog-reading (except this one, of course :) or taking product recommendations from friends, is to have your skin analyzed by a professional. Each person’s skin is as unique as the rest of their body, and should be treated with individualized care. With my clients, I thoroughly analyze and then treat to establish homeostasis within the skin, not perfection.
With that said, please see below for my list of the Top 5 Skincare Myths I see my clients relying on, and suffering from, the most.
1. “Natural” Is the Way To Go
While natural ingredients are incredibly potent and can work wonders for your skin, it’s not as simple as buying the bottle with the word natural confidently scrawled across it. In fact, many companies have gotten in hot water lately for using the word completely haphazardly – as in, the product isn’t natural, but the wording they choose to use is. It can be as simple as a marketing ploy to get you to buy, buy, buy into the trend of all-natural.
Just because a label says ‘natural’ or ‘chemical free’ doesn’t mean it’s necessarily doing your skin any favours. All ingredients, natural ones included, are in essence chemical compounds. In fact, many of these products can be quite toxic. Companies that market their brand this way are not only misleading consumers, but are also profiting off their lack of knowledge.
So, the next time you hit the drugstore aisle for your skincare needs, be extra cautious and consider investing instead in professionally-made products. The products I choose to carry are just that: made by trained professionals who know how to handle ingredients, package them properly and ensure their efficacy in treating your specific skin condition. Most drugstore skincare have low percentages of active ingredients and are diluted with fillers, water and preservatives. On the other hand, professional-grade has the ability to penetrate to the deeper layers of skin and perform at its highest potential to give you maximum results. The products I carry at Sound Skincare are technically “natural”, but are also made by highly skilled scientists. As a rule of thumb, I wouldn’t carry a brand or product in my studio that I wouldn’t use myself. Maybe instead of asking why professional products can be so expensive, we should be asking why drugstore staples are so cheap?
2. Never Moisturize Oily Skin
Far too many of us have fallen victim to this train of thought when it comes to treating oily skin. We grow up thinking that moisturizer is only needed when skin is already dry – but this couldn’t be further from the truth. The whole point of moisturizing is not to treat dry skin, but to maintain its optimal water-to-oil balance. Without a daily moisturizing practice, your skin ends up starved of the nutrients needed to balance and stay in homeostasis, which can result in a natural detoxing effect (hello, zits!). The same goes for breakout-prone skin – spoiler alert: skipping moisturizer will not “dry out your acne”. In fact, forgoing moisturizer can be one of the main causes of breakouts in the first place (not to mention, premature aging).
3. Coconut Oil For Ev-er-y-thing!
Typically, when I tell clients about this particular skincare myth, I’m met with shock. But I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again: keep your coconut oil in the kitchen where it belongs! Seriously, I could write a whole other blog post on this myth alone. It might feel nice as it “melts into your skin”, but using what is essentially a food-grade ingredient from your pantry to moisturize your skin is a waste of precious moisturizing minutes in your busy day. These ingredients simply do not have the same molecular weight (AKA: they will not absorb effectively) as professionally-made ingredients when it comes to treating and healing your skin. And remember, not all oils are created equal!
Using other single ingredient oils is an equally unsuccessful route to treating your skin. Common examples include: rosehip, coconu, argan and sweet almond oil. Yes, these oils have benefits for your skin– but they must be used intelligently and in conjunction with other active ingredients. Imagine only eating kale everyday for the rest of your life! Your skin is a very complex organ (our bodies’ largest, in fact) and is made up of different cells, each with unique needs. If you consistently use the same single ingredient oils, you are essentially starving your skin. Just like our diets, we need a variety of minerals and vitamins in order to function at our best.
4. Exfoliation Is Life
If you are still using an exfoliant like St.Ives Apricot Scrub, please stop what you are doing and immediately throw it in the garbage. Contrary to popular belief and the media, our skin does not need or want to be scrubbed on the daily. I actually recommend exfoliating just once, maybe twice a week, depending on your skin's condition. And you can leave the topical exfoliants on the shelf – I recommend switching to a gentle enzyme exfoliant instead. Enzymes are naturally occurring properties found largely in fruit, and they work on your skin to collect dead cells and increase cellular turnover (rather than scrubbing off the entire top layer of your epidermis). The results of over-exfoliation can be severe: inflammation caused by a weakening of our skin’s protective barrier, followed by dehydration, premature aging, dryness, thin and overly-sensitive skin. Gentle is the way to go!
5. Only Wash Your Face To Remove Makeup
I know that in Tofino and other coastal communities, many of us wear very little (or no) makeup in our day-to-day lives. I can’t tell you how many clients I see with skin issues and concerns who are dumbfounded because they thought that by simply not wearing makeup, their skin should be healthy. The first thing I ask is usually how often (and with what!) they wash their face. With each client, I try to create a ritual of face washing for them. After all, it can be a super relaxing nighttime habit, and is what I would consider to be an important act of self-care. First thing’s first, you should be cleansing your face every single night before bed! Even without makeup, our skin is our primary defense system for bacteria and environmental stressors. Overnight is the time our skin regenerates and heals itself, so a proper face cleansing before bed allows it to breathe and carry out this natural process uninterrupted by grime left on the skin.
Equally important to daily cleansing is to stop using soap to get the job done! Not only does this habit accelerate aging, but it is incredibly stripping of your natural oils and microbiome balance. I’ve seen many clients’ skin do a 180 after switching to a proper, professional, gentle cleanser that is uniquely suited to their skin type and concerns.
Lastly, skincare is not about trends, hype products or hyper-minimalism – it is and should be treated with as much respect as the health of the rest of your body (inside and out!)
Come in and see me at Sound Skincare for a thorough skin analysis and treatment, and I’ll bust all the myths you’ve got!