Makeup advice is everywhere. We hear beauty tips and tricks from our friends, mothers, sisters, and co-workers. Magazine covers scream, in neon headlines, that within its pages a reader will discover the secrets to eternal beauty. What many of us don’t realize, though, is that much of this beauty advice can do more harm than good. It’s time to separate beauty fact from fiction, and finally discover which tips will actually help when it comes to looking great.
Who knew that washing your hair every day could actually be damaging, or that fast food does not, in fact, lead to pimples? I’m sure that you will be just as surprised as I was to discover the truth behind these commonly held beliefs, among many others. Personally, I was glad to learn that I can save some money on haircuts, since trimming my hair will not actually help it grow faster. Check out the gallery to read more about the truth behind some of the most common beauty myths.
Did any of these truths take you by surprise? Will any Lovelies out there be altering their beauty routines? I know I will!
[Images: top photo, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]
Myth: Washing hair every day is great for keeping it healthy
Fact: While it may sound beneficial, daily shampooing can rid hair of its natural oils, which make it soft and shiny. Unless you have extremely oily hair, try to shampoo every other day, or use a dry shampoo.
Myth: There are products that will shrink your pores
Fact: Pore size is genetic, and cannot be altered by topical creams. While many lotions and foundations can decrease the appearance of pores, no product exists that will actually make them smaller.
Myth: Greasy junk food can cause acne
Fact: While burgers and fries are terrible for your waistline, they will not necessarily cause severe damage to your skin. Acne is more likely to be caused by hormones, stress, bacteria, or pollution than it is by fast food.
Myth: Putting cucumbers on the eyes is key to reducing puffiness
Fact: While cucumbers on the eyes can get rid of puffy eyes, the secret to this trick is not in the cucumber itself. Rather, it is the cold temperature of the cucumber that helps with puffiness. The same effect can be achieved by soaking cotton pads in cold water and applying them to eyelids.
Myth: Toothpaste is great for zapping zits
Fact: Although it may be helpful in drying out pimples, toothpaste is far more likely to leave skin dry and irritated. To get rid of a problem pimple, I recommend using a bit of zit cream and a healthy dose of patience.
Myth: Concealer should be applied before foundation
Fact: When applying makeup, foundation should come first, as it evens out skin tone. After the foundation has been applied, use concealer to cover pimples or other problem areas.
Myth: Regular haircuts will help hair grow faster
Fact: Hair grows at a rate of about 0.5-1 cm per month, a rate that will not change based on how often hair is trimmed. While regular trims are encouraged, as they prevent split ends and dryness, they will not impact the growth of your hair.
guest
A layout I can actually read. Is hell freezing?
guest
@Thatslifekid@xanga - Haha that’s what I thought!!
Although I feel like this has been posted before? Or am I imagining that?
guest
@bittersweetromantic@xanga - They posted it yesterday, with the flip through layout and it wasn’t working so they reposted it with *gasp* a new (normal) layout, and it works!
daffodil / 1601 posts
@Thatslifekid@xanga - It’s almost like writing out a list isn’t ‘broken’ and doesn’t need to be ‘fixed’ with some fancy, cosmetic lay out.
guest
I actually thought cucumber could reduce the dark cicrle lol
daffodil / 1601 posts
@OPPS__CHARIS@xanga - Cucumber does have vitamin K in it which should help reduce some darkness, in theory, but it is mostly the coolness that reduces puffiness.
rose / 937 posts
Myth 1 isn’t really a myth anymore, since you’ll almost never hear people tell you to wash daily, it’s always every other day at the least. It was entirely propagated by marketing in the 50s I believe in order to increase sales, as at that time a once a week wash was quite normal.
Myth 2 is kind of true, depending on why your pores are large. If it’s genetics, then you can only make them appear smaller/less visible. If they are scarred pores or enlarged because of something non-genetic like acne, then cosmetics can help to slough the skin enough to eventually return them to a smaller size. And if they are just enlarged because they have debris in them, then of course product use can legit decrease the size if it rids the debris.Myth 3, while I agree, should not be labelled a myth because there really is no concrete evidence as to what can cause acne. It’s so subjective to everyone. I’ve seen countless people saying that a clean diet cleared their skin. Imo it has more to do wtih allergies causing such an acne-like reaction, but meh.
orchid / 205 posts
@Thatslifekid@xanga - Nonsense. my layout is readable. and if you start with this post, it would be greatly appreciated!
ranunculus / 3285 posts
I’ve given up on my pores.
guest
i’d like to just add to the list of people who thoroughly enjoyed this layout. no clicking and scrolling and waiting for every caption. love love love it. keep it up.
guest
So I was aware of pretty much every myth on this page, minus how harsh toothpaste is on skin. It’s a good thing I don’t use it for pimples! I should have realized, since just about every toothpaste has a type of sulfate in it and that’s the main reason washing your hair every day is so damaging. I’ve been doing the “no-poo” lifestyle for a little over a year now, and my hair has never felt better or behaved so well! I included a link to an article about this, which includes all the info I needed to convinced me to go no-poo. I only cleanse my hair every three or four days, and it looks great the whole time. Some women can go a whole week! My mom and her boyfriend do no-poo; she’s been doing it longer than I have, only cleanses her hair once a week, and even HE likes how his hair feels now.
All About the No Shampoo Method
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This is the basic rundown of the no-poo method which I so loudly vouch for, though this focuses more on its benefits for curly-haired girls. You could be a Curly Girl and not know it, like I was! I personally use the DevaCurl products – a little on the pricey side (though you can find them on Amazon for around 25%+ off), but they’re gentle and effective, smell SOOOOO good, and last for ages. I got two 32oz bottles of the One Condition and one 32oz bottle of the No Poo Cleanser when I got my tax return in February. I’m only halfway through the second bottle of conditioner (I use a pretty generous handful every time I cleanse my hair), and I can make the No Poo last just as long by adding a little bit of water when it starts getting low because it’s so thick. Love it. They have a great selection of products to play with, and I’ve loved every single one I’ve tried so far!
DevaCurl
Sorry if I’m going on and on about this, I just believe in it so strongly that I feel everyone who has hair problems should at LEAST try it out for a month or two to see the difference.
(And no, this isn’t spam, I promise.
guest
I don’t really agree with the concealer one. The purpose is to cover up zits, then put foundation on to create an even skin tone. Definitely feel like using concealer after would make my face look uneven as hell.
guest
In an indirect way, greasy food can cause pimples. For instance, if while eating or after you touch your face without having cleaned your hands then the greasiness on your fingers can clog your pores.
It’s just not the ingestion of fast food that causes clogged pores.
sunflower / 332 posts
I try not to follow and beauty advice at all,
I just do what I please.
guest
Why would someone think that cutting their hair will make it grow faster… and sometimes I use tooth paste for my pimples and it works well. I always moisturize so dryness isn’t really an issue for me.