“You’re eating too much junk food!”, “You need to wear less makeup.”, if you’re prone to acne, chances are you’re prone to hearing all these phrases too. Worry no more! Here are seven acne myths you may not know about:
Washing your face more often will lead to fewer breakouts:
While it may seem obvious that a clean face would mean less acne, it may not necessarily be true. Washing your face more than twice a day can do more harm than good. If you wash your face several times, it may cause your skin to be irritated and dry — inevitably causing more breakouts.
Use toothpaste for spot treatment:
Over the years, toothpaste has gained popularity as the go-to acne hack for quick results. You may feel tempted to use this hack for a quick fix, don’t. The ingredients in toothpaste such as baking soda, sugar alcohols, and hydrogen peroxide can help dry out pimples faster causing them to look smaller, however, these results aren’t permanent. Tubes of toothpaste aren’t made for your face and can be harsher than other skin products, causing increased redness and worsened acne. Instead, opt for a spot treatment that contains salicylic acid.
Your pimple’s location can tell you its cause:
Understanding your acne’s cause based on where your pimple appears is called face mapping. For example, acne near your lips and jaw could mean you’re eating too many greasy foods or a pimple on your cheek could mean you have respiratory issues. However, these ‘clues’ aren’t backed by any scientific evidence. Modern scientific research regards face mapping as completely inaccurate and unreliable.
Your makeup is causing you to break out more often:
If you’re prone to painful breakouts, you may feel the need to get rid of all your makeup. Good news — you don’t need to! All makeup products do not cause acne. The key is finding the right makeup for you that is oil-free and noncomedogenic, i.e: makeup that does not clog pores. In fact, using an oil-free, powder-based foundation could help your acne by soaking in the extra sebum.
Your pores open and close:
Your pores have no muscles and hence, they cannot open or close like a steam-operated elevator. However, using hot water to wash your face or using certain toners can help loosen your pores, causing them to look smaller.
Eating chocolate will make your acne worse:
Chocolate, our gooey, delicious comforting resource has been blamed for acne for over 50 years. While some studies show that eating chocolate and greasy foods can cause a higher number of breakouts, there’s an equal if not greater amount of data that states the opposite. To put it simply, there’s no concrete evidence that chocolate is bad for your acne, but moderation is always key.
Moisturizing will help you get rid of your acne:
While moisturizers won’t worsen your acne, they also won’t get rid of your acne if used solitarily. A moisturizer’s job is to simply keep your skin hydrated. Thus, having no effect on your pimples and breakouts. Moisturizers are a great tool for general skin routine and should be a part of your acne prevention treatment. However, you cannot use it as the only treatment for your breakouts.
Acne can have long term effects on your skin and self-esteem. With the right products through the help of a dermatologist, clearer skin is possible for everyone.
(Contributed by Sakshi Prabhu)