Whether you’re a soap and water person newly dipping their toe in the world of skincare or the type to have a ten-step routine, you’re likely still falling into the trap of some held-up truths of beauty that simply arent, well, true.
Here to help us navigate the muddled world of caring for our skin is Caroline Hirons, the legend known as ‘the most powerful woman in beauty’.
Caroline is a globally qualified aesthetician, a CEW achiever award winner, and an influential icon who rakes in millions of views on her Instagram and blog.
Basically, she’s been working in beauty for 35 years and she knows her stuff.
Now, Caroline is helping us all out by releasing a book, called Skincare, to be published 25 June. Her debut book aims to be the ultimate no-nonsense guide to skincare, imparting all of Caroline’s wisdom her usual easy-to-digest style – from how to choose the right products to things to avoid.
A key part of her book is busting those skincare myths that are all too prevalent – and could be wrecking your carefully curated regimen.
What follows is an extract from Skincare on this topic, breaking down the skin-related myths everyone needs to know…
Extracted from Skincare, by Caroline Hirons:
SKINCARE MYTH ONE: You have to use everything from the same brand
I’m often asked these two questions: ‘Do you use different products every DAY?’ and ‘Don’t you have to use everything from one brand in order for them to really work?’
The answer is ‘Yes’. And then ‘No’.
Yes, I use different skincare every day, in the same way that I wear different clothes and eat different food, and I always have. Even when wildly restricted by budget, I would have at least two moisturisers and two or three cleansers on rotation. Your skin is different every day. Your products can be, too.
No, you do not have to use everything from the same brand. The only thing to be concerned about is clashing vitamin A products that you get on prescription, but in that case, your doctor would have advised you about what to use/not use when issuing the prescription. Over-the-counter products very rarely ‘clash’ because the percentages of active ingredients are low – they won’t build up or interfere with each other.
What IS important is the order you use items and the formulas themselves. Your serum from XYZ won’t know that your moisturiser is from ABC and stop working in protest. That’s not how it works, no matter what sales hype you are given from the brands at a beauty counter.
The products I use, as a rule, tend to have peptides, hyaluronic acid and vitamin A (at night) in them. They vary in strength and formulas, though may have similar ingredients. There are thousands of products out there. Embrace them (again, obviously within your budget), and the next time someone tells you that you simply have to use their moisturiser on top of their serum or they won’t work, don’t buy either of them.
SKINCARE MYTH TWO: Eye products fix genetic dark circles
Are dark circles driving you mad? Have you tried everything under the sun to get rid of them?
Your options are limited in terms of what you can do about them, and there are definitely things that can make them worse.
I’m talking specifically to my lovely Asian readers, darker-toned readers and even my lovely red-headed, extremely pale readers. If you can see dark circles under your eyes and, to your knowledge, there is no particular reason for them, look at your parents/immediate family. If they also have dark circles, they probably run in your genes, and there isn’t a cream alive that will safely deal with that kind of dark circle.
Sure, there are excellent eye products that can take the edge off, and
some brightening ones that will ‘lift’ the appearance of them, but anyone who looks you in the eye and says ‘this cream will absolutely fix your dark circles’ is either misinformed or not being completely straight with you. It’s a little easier for those of us with occasional dark circles caused by things like illness, dehydration, or too much of a good (bad) thing, but genes are hard to mess with.
If you really hate the dark circles, you could talk to a dermatologist about trough filler: a non-surgical procedure, it involves injecting the area with hyaluronic acid filler, which sits just under the skin and essentially hides the dark circles. For most people, one treatment will last 12–18 months.
SKINCARE MYTH THREE: Acne is caused by dirty skin
Not true. There is a massive difference between bacteria and dirt. Over-washing your face destroys the acid mantle that protects your skin (the very fine acidic film on the surface of the skin that is your first line of defence against bacteria and viruses), creates an alkaline environment, and makes your acne worse and your skin a dry, dull, sore breeding ground.
Having said that, I highly recommend that you regularly change your pillowcases (at least once a week).
SKINCARE MYTH FOUR: You can ‘dry up’ spots
Not true. A spot is a mixture of oil, inflammation, bacteria and dead skin cells. There’s no water in that list. All you are doing is drying the surrounding area in the hope that it will make the spot look smaller. What it actually does is put the spot on its own ‘look at ME’ platform.
SKINCARE MYTH FIVE: You can use toothpaste or nappy/diaper cream to spot-treat acne
A one-off spot may have its redness taken down – temporarily – by applying one of these, but they won’t get rid of acne. If acne could be fixed by what you’re using on your teeth or your baby’s backside, all of our problems would be solved. Dude. Stop putting toothpaste and bum cream on your face.
Skincare by Caroline Hirons is published 25 June (HQ, HarperCollins) in paperback, ebook, and audiobook. You can preorder it online now.
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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/06/12/beauty-expert-caroline-hirons-reveals-skincare-myths-shouldnt-buy-12844070/
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