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Beauty Myths You Need To STOP BELIEVING NOW!!

1 November, 2017 - 08:17pm by - First Lady | 15 Comments

Article by BR Tabatha

Old wive's tales.  Urban legends. Believe it or not.  Every girl learns beauty myths as she grows up and even ones we know seem implausible are stashed away in the back of our minds, ready to pop up and make us question our products, technique or routine.

Enter Beauty Review.  We're on a mission to bust some myths.

1. Shaving your legs makes the hair grow back thicker/darker

A hair that has not been cut will naturally grow to a point.  When you shave a hair you chop the point off, leaving the end wider.  This then grows out first giving the impression of a thicker hair.

Myth Busted: Shaving does not alter the shape, width or composition of the hair.

2. Eighty percent sun damage occurs before age 18

For some reason this has become a much touted statistic, used by people claiming it's too late to start a good sun protection routine.

The official line from Stanford University School of Medicine is this: "A recent study revealed that we actually get only 23 percent of our total UV exposure by age 18. At 40 it reaches about 46 percent; by 59, 74 percent"

Myth Busted: It is never too late to be proactive about preventing UV exposure.  Start wearing sunscreen every day, today.

3. Your hair gets used to your shampoo

Your hair is effectively dead from the root down - it doesn't feel and it certainly doesn't know if you're using the same brand day after day, month after month.  If you've found a product that works for you, don't feel the need to change it up every month.  The products will perform in the same manner every time you use it.

If your hair is oil-prone or you use a lot of waxy or sticky styling products, be sure to use a clarifying shampoo once a fortnight to remove residue and product build up - these things might impact how your regular products work!

Myth Busted:  Your hair doesn't know the difference between brands.

4. Waxing makes fewer hairs grow back 

When you remove the hair from the follicle, be it by waxing, threading or epilating, you're not doing anything to change the follicle.

Although over time, repeated waxing and similar treatments can cause trauma to the follicles, but it's over a period of decades, not individual sessions.  If you want permanent hair removal you're best to look in to other treatments. 

Myth Busted: Waxing doesn't affect hair growth.  Repeated trauma to the hair follicle takes years to cause lasting damage.

5. Chocolate causes spots and acne

How many times were you told this as a kid?  This old wive's tale seems to be a way to trick their young ones into making healthier food choices by using what teenagers fear the most - a breakout.

There is evidence to suggest that rapid fluctuations in our blood sugar levels may increase the activity of the sebacous glands, but there's no direct link between chocolate and spots.  Many skin specialists recommend avoiding foods high in refined sugar, to prevent the sugar highs and spikes in blood sugar levels. Interestingly there is evidence  that sushi and shellfish may cause acne due to the high iodine content.

Myth Busted:  Chocolate doesn't cause spots, but it's still better to opt for a healthy lifestyle if you're suffering from acne!

6. Rubbing olive oil or cocoa butter on your pregnant tummy will prevent stretch marks

Stretch marks form when skin is stretched quickly.  They form in the dermis, the second layer of skin and neither olive oil nor cocoa butter can be absorbed to that depth.

Myth Busted: The most olive oil or cocoa butter are going to achieve is moisturised skin and a quick fix itch cure.

7. Steaming your face opens your pores

Pores are surprisingly misunderstood.  Just as you can never really shrink them (products can stop them widening or make them appear smaller), neither can you open them up with steam. 

So when you steam your face with the intention of opening your pores to either make squeezing blackheads easier; or maybe to allow your lotions and potions to penetrate deeper, know this - your pore size does not change.

Myth Busted: The steam loosens dirt and grime, that is all.

8. Your skin should be squeaky clean

Your skin is a surface, yes.  But it is not stainless steel, it is not marble, it is not plastic.  Your skin is a living organ and if it squeaks when you've cleaned it, you're over doing and probably damaging it!

Myth Busted: Tight, rigid skin is a sign you need a more gentle cleanser.

9.  Natural skincare products are better for your skin 

Nope.  We love a natural product as much as anybody, but just because something is natural doesn't mean it's going to be better for you.  Some natural ingredients like essential oils can be extremely irritating and have unwanted side effects.

Let's clear something up - all products contain chemicals.  Some are naturally occuring and others have been man made. Man made has become the evil scapegoat in the beauty industry, but not everything man made is bad!

Also, there's varying regulations about what makes a 'natural' product, and many products are misleadingly labeled as 'natural' despite containing very few true natural ingredients. 

Myth Busted: Use what works best for you!

10. Brushing your hair 100 times a night will make it shiny and healthy

Brushing your hair 100 times morning and night will not leave your hair any more shiny than usual.  It might cause some unwanted breakage and frizz though.  It's best to brush your hair when you need to - so only when you're styling it. 

Avoid brushing wet hair, as when hair is wet, it's at it's most fragile.  Opt for a wide tooth comb or a gentle tangle brush to de-tangle wet hair, and reserve the brush strictly for styling.

Myth Busted: We don't know what these old wives were on about with this one!

So there you have it, ten Beauty Myths debunked.  Any others you'd like us to look in to?

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Comments

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21st November, 2017

The cocoa butter one! Dammit! Bought the cocoa butter and should not have. But it smells yummy

4th November, 2017

I actually believe 6 and 7 that’s good to know!

3rd November, 2017

I always thought steamy my face would open pores! Interesting!

2nd November, 2017

You forgot the 2 that I was regularly reminded of as a child - If you frown and the wind changes, your face will stay like that; and If you bite your nails you'll grow a horn from your forehead. I believed the last one for a number of years! Didn't stop me, however.

2nd November, 2017

I was told many of thses while I was growing up and to be honest, maybe I told my girls a couple of these as well. Its good to know the truth and nothing but the truth finally.

2nd November, 2017

The brushing your hair 100 times myth dates back to when lice was more common. https://www.stuffmomnevertoldyou.com/blogs/the-nitpicking-origin-of-brushing-hair-100-strokes-per-day.htm Plus all the ladies had long hair back then and rarely washed it, so if you didn't brush it the oil would stick around your scalp whereas brushing it would distribute it more to the ends and lengths. Ironically thought brushing your scalp does stimulate it to produce more oil.

2nd November, 2017

I remember my Nana telling me over and over about the 100 strokes with your hair brush one! I've often thought about the "man made doesn't mean bad" & labeling things as chemicals one, but that comes from studying bio.

2nd November, 2017

Oh thank you for Number 9! It is good to see some grounding for this. People often think that because it is synthetic it's what causes their problem skin but it's more likely an irritant in the product itself such as essential oils, parfum/fragrance or something else that is a known skin irritant.

2nd November, 2017

Didn't know the thing about hair! I always thought the more I brushed, the better it would look. Also made the mistake of constantly having squeaky clean skin when I first started with skin care

2nd November, 2017

Another myth: Nails need to breathe. No, they don't! - see pic of quote by Doug Schoon, Scientific Expert, on photo wall for all the details.

2nd November, 2017

All tales that I have heard and it is good to look at -I thought you could reduce open pores and also now I know and the natural products is also something I need to look at as I naturally assumed better. Good article.

2nd November, 2017

Interesting. I didn't know about these. Especially the hair brushing. I'm so lazy when it comes to combing my hair.

1st November, 2017

I don't know why but when I eat more oily food and chocolate it does indeed give me more acne and my face just seems in general more bloated and oily. Anyone else?

1st November, 2017

When I started shaving in my early teens, I was often told never to shave my full leg, only to do a ¾ leg, as shaving the tops of the thighs would cause dark thick hair to grow there. So, I only ever did a ¾ leg, whether I shaved or waxed. I'm now inching towards 40, and lo and behold, there's a few long, dark hairs sprouting on the back of my upper thighs where I have never shaved or waxed before, but now I have to wax there to remove them! This has led me to believe that I was fed a myth for many, many years, and that this dark hair growth is a natural, normal part of hormones changing as we age, as those pesky dark hairs are popping up in other unwanted places now, too (chin, jawline, etc.).

1st November, 2017

I don't believe any of them, but I recall my father making me brush my hair 100 times at night. He also said to never put soap near our faces and he may have been right about that one.

Julieal
2nd November, 2017

Yes possibly due to richness rather than actual product -Less is more perhaps?

Imoshen
2nd November, 2017

I get breakouts when I eat ice cream. I contribute it to having dairy in it :).

Qweenkaren
2nd November, 2017

I'm the same, although I probably crave chocolate (and pizza) at certain times of the month, so it may actually be hormone related as apposed to food.

Charmmy-Kitty
2nd November, 2017

Ah good point qweenkaren, I think I'm the same too although I generally have quite a sweet tooth.

MareeB
2nd November, 2017

My sons have the same problem and when they go sugar-free their skin glows.

Kimrose
2nd November, 2017

My dad told me it would give me good are muscles as well!

Kimrose
2nd November, 2017

*arm

MareeB
2nd November, 2017

I thought it was to spread the oil from the scalp down the shaft of hair and make it more shiny.

tannygirl
3rd November, 2017

Yes that too.

MareeB
2nd November, 2017

Bahahaha nice - I've never heard that about biting nails before!

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