How we look is important. I’m not talking about whether you’re beautiful by society’s standards, nor am I saying that physical beauty is any measure of someone’s worth. I’m saying that how we look is important because looking our best can help us feel confident. Looks may not be all that matters, but presentation is important, so it is understandable that we want to present ourselves in a positive and appealing light. It is also understandable that we want to get as big a bang for our buck as possible when it comes to buying beauty products. We aren’t all celebrities and many of us are just not able to afford luxury beauty products or cosmetic procedures or even dermatologists. This means, it’s important to be educated about the things that work and the things that don’t. We need to know where to invest our time, effort and money. One way to do that is by debunking beauty myths. Beauty myths are everywhere, and at some point, we’ve all fallen for one or, if we’re brave enough to admit it, ten. So, let’s cut through the bull and get down to it. Here are a few beauty myths you should ignore.
1. Wearing makeup every day is bad for your skin
Wearing makeup all the time is in no way damaging to the skin. However, it is possible that your makeup contains something to which you may be allergic or that your skin just plain dislikes. Whenever you put something on your skin, pay attention to how your skin reacts and make changes if necessary. It is also a good idea to let your skin breathe occasionally. However, in general, just wearing makeup daily, will not ruin your skin and this brings us to the next myth.
2. It is Ok to go to sleep in your makeup
No. Don’t do it. We have all fallen asleep in our makeup after a long day or a night of partying and hopefully nothing disastrous happened to your face afterwards. However, going to sleep in your makeup is not a habit you should develop. Makeup sits on our skin, however, going to sleep in it can force those substances down into our pores and cause all hell to break loose. Sleeping in your eye makeup can lead to eye irritation and even infections and your mascara may harden to the point of breaking off, taking your lashes with it. Absolutely nothing good can come from sleeping in your makeup so if you’re prone to falling asleep in your makeup, keep some makeup removing wipes by your bed to use on those nights when you are literally too tired to move.
3. Cucumber will help depuff your eyes
I know you’ve seen this in lots of movies. Girl lounges in a luxurious robe, with cool cucumbers placed so carefully over her eyes. But contrary to what these screenwriters say, you cannot get rid of puffiness by placing slices of cucumber over your eyes. What really helps decrease puffiness is the fact that the cucumber is cold, since cold causes blood vessels to tighten and reduces blood flow to the area, making that area appear less puffy.
4. Certain hair products can eliminate split ends
If only! Split ends are the bane of my existence and may be yours too. No matter what I do, I always have a few because the older the hair gets the more worn out it becomes. Split ends cannot be fused back together with product. Once hair has split, that’s it. Your only option at that point is to get a trim.
5. Shaving makes hair grow in thicker
I admit that I very much believed this in the past, but if this was true, I wouldn’t have had to wait for my eyebrows to grow back in so I could have a fuller shape after a disastrous flirtation with a super skinning brow. (No offense to lovers of the skinny eyebrow). All shaving does is remove the part of the hair that is above the skin, it does not change the hair follicles or the way the hair grows out of them, so you do not need to grimace through those waxing sessions anymore, if the only reason you wax is because you’re afraid shaving will turn you into some super hairy version of yourself.
6. Pimples develop overnight
Though you went to bed with clear skin and woke up with an offending zit, it does not mean that zit came about in a single night. It takes several days for pimples to develop and there are occasions where you may even be able to feel them developing beneath the skin. Your zit was also not caused by that delicious piece of fried chicken or that slice of pizza you ate, but it may have been caused by the makeup you slept in.
7. Toothpaste gets rid of acne
In a moment of desperation, I too have tried to get rid of a pimple with some toothpaste. So, if you feel silly for believing this one, know that I am right there with you. Toothpaste does contain ingredients that are drying to the skin, and while that may sound like a good way to dry out a pimple, it is more likely causing skin irritation, redness and peeling. So next time maybe try an actual acne product instead.
8. The higher the price tag, the better the product.
We all fall for this, and while it may be true in some cases, price does not determine quality. Ingredients do. Sometimes all you’re paying for is fancy packaging and celebrity endorsements. When deciding between products, compare the ingredients list and if you have time, read some online reviews. Being expensive is no indicator that a product will work for you or that it is even actually worth your money.
Beauty myths are always going to be around. Some will come, some will go and some just may stick around, but the first step to looking your best is to ensure you stay hydrated, eat as well as you can and keep your skin clean, and free from the things that can cause damage. Everything else is extra.
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