StayHot Skin Care

Most people associate acne with teenagers. It is widely believed that once you outgrow your pre-adolescent stage, you should no longer have to deal with bad skin and breakouts. But that couldn’t be more wrong.

Many women (and men) often endure breakouts and blemishes for their entire life. The primary reason for this is because they listen to the myths about skin care, and follow them without finding out the truth.

These are the top five skin care myths, and the ugly truth behind them. After reading through these, anyone should be able to have beautifully clear skin, no matter what age they are.

Myth #1 - I can’t use moisturizer because my skin is so oily.

This is, by far, the most overused myth about skin care. The terms “oily” and “moisturizing” are nothing alike, and should not even be considered in the same category. “Oily” is a skin type (just as “dry” and “combination” are skin types). “Moisturizing” is a characteristic of products and is often used to describe soaps and lotions. The biggest misconception of moisturizing lotions, or moisturizers, is that they do not make your skin oily. In fact, it is the exact opposite. If a person with oily skin does not use a moisturizer daily, it will dry out their skin on the surface, leading to more breakouts. If they were to moisturize every day, however, it would keep the surface of their skin moisturized and healthy, preventing breakouts. The bottom line: moisturizing does not mean oil-inducing, or pimple-creating. It just means healthy.

Myth #2 - Exfoliating leads to more breakouts because it brings everything up to the surface.

This is another commonly believed myth. But here is the truth about exfoliating - it sloughs off any dead skin on the surface. When a person doesn’t exfoliate, this dead skin accumulates and clogs their pores, leading to breakouts. By exfoliating anywhere from 1-3 times a week, the dead skin is brushed off, allowing the skin to breathe and preventing breakouts. But keep in mind exfoliating can be overdone. So keep it to a maximum of 3 times a week, but no less than once a week. The bottom line: Exfoliating is good. Don’t skip it.

Myth #3 - My skin is flakey, which means I have dry skin.

While this sounds logical, it is extremely false. Flakey skin is just another way of describing dead skin. As described earlier, the way to get rid of dead skin is to exfoliate. By exfoliating you will reveal your true skin type underneath. And, as also stated above, you should always moisturize. Regardless of your skin type, moisturizing is necessary for healthy skin. The bottom line: flakey skin is dead skin. Exfoliate it off.

Myth #4 - It’s okay to sleep with my makeup on as long as I wash it off in the morning.

Whoever came up with this idea was just asking for breakouts. Even the lightest of makeups can clog your pores if left on too long. Some people are lucky enough to be able to get away with not washing their face at night, but the majority of people can’t, and shouldn’t. It is important to not only wash off makeup before going to bed, but to follow it up with a moisturizer to replace the moisture that was taken from your skin when you washed it. The bottom line: Don’t sleep with makeup. It will make you breakout and get all over your pillow case.

Myth #5 - I can’t use makeup to cover up my blemishes because it makes them worse.

This myth is true in some cases, but is also completely avoidable. Many coverups and concealers are pore-clogging, leading to more breakouts with each use. The way to conquer this dilemma is to find a concealer with blemish-treating ingredients, such as salicylic acid. These concealers will not only cover your blemishes, but they will fight to get rid of them. The bottom line: Don’t go displaying your pimples when you don’t need to. Find an acne-treatment makeup and kill two birds with one stone.
There are many more myths associated with skin care, these are just the ones heard the most often. Feel free to comment with any other myths you have heard, and I will do my best to debunk them. Unless, of course, they are actually true!

By Hilary Saskin
Hilary is a professional cosmetologist and makeup artist. She is currently a communications studies student at the University of Missouri - Kansas City, where she also works as the culture editor for the university newspaper. Contact Hilary at hilarysaskin@gmail.com