5 Skin Care Myths — Chaos & Reason

They're the urban legends of skin care. They were mentioned in your teen magazines and you even tried one or two of them on ‘spa days’ with your friends. Sadly these 5 Skin care myths, are just that myths- ideas and traditions passed down through word of mouth and the misinformed .

Myth Number One: That your pores open and close

Pores, the little dots you may see on your face are actually small openings that house your hair follicles and sebaceous glands (which produce your skin’s oils).

The size of your pores can vary based on your genetics and there location (Pores on your forehead and around your nose tend to be bigger because the glands that produce oil are bigger). Your hygiene also plays a part in the possible size of your pores, when dirt and dead skin cells become clogged in your pores they can temporarily stretch making them appear larger.

So let’s get down to the mechanics why don’t your pores open and close, because they don’t have muscles around their opening to flex and contract, or to open and close.

Myth Number Two: That your skin absorbs everything you put on it

Not everything we touch or put on our skin is fully absorbed into our bodies. Our skin has 3 regions - epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous layer. Each region then has multiple layers, to debunk this myth we will be focusing on the epidermis and specifically the stratum corneum layer- which is our body’s primary defence.The stratum corneum, acts as a wall of protection from external moisture, chemicals, UV radiation and is your foremost guard against the bacterial world.

Skin absorption occurs when the topically applied chemical breaks the skin barrier to reach the bloodstream.Many variables affect the speed (or probability) of penetration and absorption. First, the composition of the chemical to which skin is exposed. The area of skin that is exposed (thinner-skinned areas are more susceptible to penetration and thicker skin is less) and the condition of the skin are all significant factors.

So now we come to the meat of the matter, the majority of cosmetics are not soluble in skin (i.e. lipid, or fat-soluble) and are too large in molecule to fit through the stratum corneum. This means that if a product contains an ingredient with a molecule that is too large, collagen for example then it won’t be absorbed into our body, which means that the work it claims to do won’t be accomplished.

Myth Number Three: Wearing makeup makes your skin worse

Makeup itself doesn’t make your skin worse, however there can be factors associated with the wearing of makeup that can attribute to the condition of your skin.

For example if you have sensitivities to certain ingredients or fragrances then wearing them on your face can aggravate your skin, if you don’t cleanse your skin and make sure that all the makeup is removed then that can also contribute to your skin developing acne or uneven texture. Dead skin cells, and makeup get trapped in your pores, which then block the glands that produce oil for your skin, which can lead to your skin feeling drier, pimples growing etc.

Now to the claim that your skin absorbs makeup. There is a difference between penetrate and absorb. If your skin absorbed makeup it would be in your blood stream. Second makeup doesn’t hinder your skin from breathing because your skin can’t breathe.

Some dermatologist say that wearing makeup might actually be a good thing because it creates a barrier that protects your skin from environmental pollutants.

So what actually makes your skin worse when you wear makeup, I’d say the main culprit as mentioned above is improper removal of your makeup, you need to cleanse your skin and ensure that all traces are gone, likewise don’t sleep in your makeup which has been shown to age your skin. Basically it prevents your skin from the important renewing itself. This can result in the breakdown of collagen, resulting in wrinkles, and clogged pores which hold onto bacteria and result in acne.

Myth Number Four: Scrubbing harder makes your skin smoother

When we exert too much pressure on skin while scrubbing we are actually causing damage at a microscopic level. So while your skin will look smooth and may even feel smooth you are slowly but surely tearing apart the top protective layer of your skin.

If this protective barrier is damaged then this allows surface bacteria to enter into the deeper layers of the skin. The action of scrubbing the skin also causes inflammation, especially for those who believes the more you scrub the better. This creates raw, red, open skin, increasing future inflammation. When pores are inflamed, they swell, closing the top of the pore in a balloon shape instead of a cylinder, trapping bacteria in the pore, giving it an oxygen free environment, where it flourishes, causing even more inflammation and creating a battle ground.

Culprits like the well beloved Apricot Scrub are notorious for doing this to our skin. The jagged edges of the walnut shell or apricot seeds catch on our skin and cause the small tears that lead to the above mentioned battle ground scenario.

Gentle exfoliation is always the best way to go. I do have an upcoming post on chemical exfoliants, that can help to smooth and soften your skin without the fear of epic battles being waged.

Myth Number Five: Using Lemon juice on your skin is good

You’ve heard it before on TV and read it in magazines and numerous other websites, the use of lemon juice to reduce dark spots or hyperpigmentation.

Now while lemon juice can actually lighten your dark spots, it comes at a cost. The two major ones to me are first the PH of lemon juice., quick lesson, PH refers to how acidic or how alkaline something is. For reference bleach is alkaline and has a PH of 13, our skin is neutral with a PH of 7, lemon juice is acidic with a PH of 2.4.

Because the PH of lemon juice is so low, leaving it on for extended periods of time could result in irritated, dry skin and increased sun sensitivity which can lead to hyperpigmentation.

So this one may not be as much of a myth has I originally thought but if you don’t take care when trying this DIY at home treatment you may end up leaving your skin in far worse condition than you began with.