Not all skin care advice is created equal. Past myths from old wives tales and tips found in sources like magazines and Youtube videos have plagued the skin care industry with false information. Our estheticians at The Village Spa are here to clear the air on common skin care myths and share what’s really the best approach to skin.
Myth #1: Natural, 100% pure products are better than other skin care products.
While we love that the skin care industry has turned to a more organic approach in the last couple of years, the trend has caused some confusion about what we should be using on the face. If organic is good, why can’t we just simply go to the grocery store to find popular skin care ingredients in their purest form?
The problem is 100% natural isn’t always better for our skin. Take coconut oil, for example. Coconut oil is commonly listed as a level 4 out of 5 on the comedogenic scale, meaning it has a high likelihood of clogging the pores and creating breakouts. Lemon juice is another example of an organic ingredient that is recommended in DIY skin care tutorials. However, lemon juice is more acidic than your skin and may cause your skin to blister or draw out pigmentation.
When in doubt, it’s best to stick to products that have been actually formulated for the face and backed by clinical trials.
Myth #2: You can shave your face at home to get the same results as dermaplaning.
You may have seen at-home face shaving as a popular technique used to get rid of unwanted facial hair. Makeup artists and beauty gurus alike have recommended to their audience to buy the disposable razors at the drugstore. The problem with using a dull razor for removing the hair? You’ll probably feel a bit of stubble when it grows back.
Our dermaplaning facial is our most popular facial treatment, where our esthetician removes the vellus hair with a surgical blade. We angle the blade to remove not only the hair, but also dead skin cells that a standard razor cannot exfoliate. With dermaplaning, the fine facial hair grows back as normal too.
Myth #3: You should go tanning and avoid using SPF to help with your vitamin D intake.
Let’s be clear: sun protection is extremely important! Any advice that suggests comprising your skin with tanning beds or sun exposure is absolutely not in your best interest. UVB rays can burn the skin,, and UVA rays can age the skin by destroying elastin and collagen.
Despite claims you need X amount of time outside each day to have healthy levels, vitamin D deficiency is hardly an epidemic. Dr. Insogna, an MD at Yale Medicine, states:
“Just being outdoors, you get a fair amount of sun exposure and some sun-related generation of vitamin D. Because skin cancer, particularly melanoma, can be such a devastating disease, it’s best to use sunblock when outdoors in strong sunlight for any prolonged length of time.”
Myth #4: You’ll age faster when you wear makeup daily.
Both genetics and environmental factors cause our skin to age. Genetics only accounts for 10-20% of how we age. Factors like sun exposure, drinking, and smoking are more likely to accelerate the aging process. However, wearing makeup is not considered an environmental factor that causes aging. If anything, improper removal of makeup can lead to clogged pores, but not wrinkles.
Myth #5: You don’t need an eye cream until you see signs of aging.
It seems like the skin care industry is always pushing for consumers to buy more than what they need. An eye cream may not seem as crucial as a cleanser, serum or moisturizer, but we recommend it for even those in their 20s. On your face, the skin is the thinnest around the eyes and usually shows signs of aging first. A huge part of your anti-aging regimen should be preventative, as it’s harder to erase fine lines once they’ve already formed. We recommend Skin Script’s Tri-Peptide Eye Cream for soothing the delicate eye tissue.
Get in the know with your skin. Schedule your first facial at The Village Spa today. Call us at (317) 853-6350 or request an appointment online now.
