7 Urban Legends that Scare Aestheticians
After talking about “clean beauty” in our last edition and breaking down the marketing side of green-washing, on Instagram we asked you “what ingredients scare you the most?”. And you answered! Here is our take, as unbiased as we can be, on those “scary ingredients.” We never want unnecessary ingredients in products, but some hot topic ingredients do serve a purpose. Read below!
Hot Topic: Ingredients that Scare You
Now, here’s what scares us!
Every day we get spooky Halloween vibes when we think about some of the scary skin stories we hear! We don’t mind if part of you believes in Bigfoot or are still scared of saying “Bloody Mary” in the bathroom, but this Halloween ditch these (way too common) acne urban legends for good!
7. My new diet is the reason my skin looks so good
We hear this ALL the time. We must say, after treating your skin and perfecting your routine, it’s hard not to take it personally! We love that you are striving to be healthy (and that could for sure cut down the occasional pimple), but it is your hard work (AKA facial treatments and the right skincare products) that is making your skin look so good. Healthy fats and antioxidants will for sure boost that glow and fight inflammation, but without the topical ingredients -- those results will be marginalized.
6. Apple cider vinegar (and other home remedies) fixes acne
We have seen skin stained orange from turmeric masks for acne. And one of our own aestheticians even tried to clear up her acne many years ago using straight apple cider vinegar as a toner and by eating a clove of raw garlic daily. (It was a stinky time in her life, but it did lead her to skin school for real answers.)
The urban legend here is thinking that these things will actually work. How about toothpaste on a pimple? These all seem to be passed down through generations, but finding the cure for acne in your parents’ pantry will be harder than spotting Bigfoot himself. So stop chasing the footprints, and even if you heard it worked for someone else, we promise it didn’t.
5. Drugstore products are best for acne
This urban legend comes straight from the 7 gates of hell itself, TikTok. Endless celebrities and influencers (that have no business giving skin advice) are swearing that you should just use Cetaphil/CeraVe cleanser and moisturizer only. For beginners in skincare or those without real concerns, they are “ok”, budget-friendly, and better than some high-end products out there. If you have paired down from a frightening amount of random Sephora products to just CeraVe/Cetaphil, odds are your acne is better (due to fewer pore-clogging and irritating ingredients on the skin), but you still need more. Without the right active professional ingredients for your skin, you will be doomed to TikTok purgatory looking for answers.
4. I’m too old for acne
Sorry, everyone, acne is not buying this one for one second. We won’t even tell you how old some of our acne clients are. We hate to say it, but usually, only a handful of teenagers really outgrow acne. The rest of us, mostly women, are plagued with it to some degree throughout our 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, and beyond. Blame it on hormones, a cruel curse, or one of our favorites – the stress that men inflict on us. If you are clear now, give yourself a gold star (or even a Halloween candy bar) and keep it up. But, don’t let your guard down because acne is always lurking like the Loch Ness Monster that can hide underwater, but will rear its funky head when you least expect it.
3. Using a “light” tinted moisturizer is more acne-friendly than makeup.
Aestheticians are like vampires, we live forever -- but in fear of many common items that can take us down. One of these is makeup as a skincare product. Tinted moisturizer is not moisturizer. It is usually not acne-friendly and not really good makeup either. We are not against this product type for non-acne-prone people using this in addition to their full skincare regimen, but they are rarely non-comedogenic. Don’t be fooled into thinking lighter makeup will promote clear skin. There are acne-safe full-coverage foundations out there that we are absolutely fine with. We are in the process of coming up with our 2022 list, but for now, here are some skin-friendly foundations in addition to our OG favorites – Nars Sheer Glow and Bare Minerals Loose Original Foundation (not liquid).
2. The sun clears up my skin
Cue the biggest face of shock and horror that we are trying to hide when we hear this one. Here's the thing, everyone looks better with a little color. But, now we know the truth of what the sun really does to age us. Hyperpigmentation will look less pronounced if the rest of your face is also tanned, but any form of a tan is a visible sign of skin damage. Period. Your acne gets better in the sun because you are happier, tanner, and you are being fooled by an optical illusion. It will come back worse, with scarring, and your older self will never forgive your younger self. Botox will not be enough to fix you. On this urban legend, listen to your elders. No one ever says, “I wish I would have spent more time in the sun when I was younger.”
1. Over-exfoliating causes acne
This urban legend comes in at number one because we are pretty sure everyone with acne has fallen for it. No one is recommending scrubbing or burning your face off. But, in a long list of acne-aggravators, there is absolutely no scientific evidence that your breakouts are because you over-exfoliated (especially because you usually aren’t even over-exfoliated). If you have to ask if you have exfoliated too much, you haven’t...because you wouldn’t have to ask. You would be flakey, tight, and uncomfortable (but probably with clear skin). In which case, you could just take a couple of days off from your active products until you feel balanced again. Exfoliation (the removal of dead skin cells) is literally how you clear acne. If we had a dollar for every client that thought they found the holy grail cause of their acne in over-exfoliating, we would start our own internet and spread the real word.