Six Beauty Myths: Debunked

Ah, the beauty industry. It’s an industry that preys on insecurities and desperation. It’s a space overflowing with nonsense and misinformation. Some beauty myths are born from a centuries-long game of anecdotal telephone — your so-called “old-wives tales.” Other beauty myths are generated by deceptive marketing practices, where corporations and their ad executives spin convenient and memorable slogans from half-truths and thin air.

For example, you probably know someone who insists that smiling, laughing, frowning, or having a generally expressive face leads to wrinkles. While there is a kernel of truth that repetitive movements impact the location of fine lines on our faces, joy and sorrow are thankfully  not to blame for wrinkles. 

What actually causes wrinkles is the loss of your skin’s elasticity and volume (from natural declines in collagen, elastin, and fat).You can observe this pretty readily by looking at any kid. Children laugh and smile all the time, and yet, they don’t have loads of laugh lines or crow’s feet.

Here are six more beauty myths that you can go ahead and delete from your mind forever.

Myth 1: You shouldn’t moisturize oily skin

Nature has a cruel way of punishing believers of this myth, as dehydrated skin will respond by producing more oil to compensate for the lack of surface moisture. Instead of skipping the moisturizer, folks who have oily or combination-type skin should opt for a gentle noncomedogenic formula to leave their face feeling soft and balanced.

Myth 2: You don’t need to wear sunscreen if you’re inside/ if it’s cloudy/ if you wear a hat

If you have any living plants in your home — or you would if you remembered to water them — you’re observing the presence of UV rays indoors. The sun is the no. one culprit when it comes to prematurely aging skin, and your best protection is a broad-spectrum sunscreen. So yes, wear sunscreen even if you’re hanging out inside, even on a cloudy day, even if you’re in the shade.

Myth 3: Trimming hair promotes faster hair growth

So we used plants as a quick way to debunk the last myth, and this myth is getting debunked the opposite way: As it turns out, you are not a plant. You don’t need all your branches exposed to sunlight to help them photosynthesize. Trimming your hair does not encourage growth the same way pruning helps your citrus trees thrive. Your hair grows however quickly it grows, based on your hormone levels, nutrition, and genetics.

Myth 4: Aging is all about genetics

This has been proven false time and again by identical twin studies and many other longitudinal observational studies. It is still difficult to pinpoint what percentage of aging is dictated by intrinsic qualities (like our DNA) and what percentage is a reflection of lifestyle and luck. It’s also highly unlikely that any percentage you see in the wilds of the internet would be accurate from person to person. 

What we do know is that your DNA is not wholly responsible for how you look as you age. Factors like nutrition, socioeconomic status, how much time you spend in the sun, education levels, and your overall health, among many, many other factors all contribute to how we look as we get older. 

So, no, you are not doomed to share the same age spots your grandmother had, and, similarly, you’re not guaranteed to seemingly age backward like your favorite aunt. 

But maybe ask your aunt about her skincare routine.

Myth 5: Chugging water will fix your dry skin and hair

Hydration is important, and I don’t want to discourage you from drinking plenty of water, but you can’t just wish the hydration from your digestive system to your hair and skin. Moisturizers with humectant properties will deliver and lock hydration into your skin much more effectively than shotgunning a LaCroix will.

Myth 6: Miracle serums will shrink your pores

Your pores don’t shrink. Their size is genetically predetermined. Your pores can appear larger when they are clogged with dirt, oil, or makeup. Or, sometimes, pores can appear more pronounced when our faces lose volume, like we talked about back at the top. 

A gentle cleanser can help unclog pores, and some firming peptide agents can help restore facial volume, making pores appear less pronounced. But you can’t literally make them smaller. There’s just no such thing as shrinking your pores.