False beauty myths that you have been led to believe explained

Oil does not protect, fries hair

If your irons are capable of reaching temperatures above 216º (which is the temperature at which an oil, such as argan, for example, burns) then yes, using them as a protector can fry your hair. If you do not exceed 180º, you can use the hair oil as a protector without fear of scratching your hair. You can also use it to protect it from the sun on the beach or in the pool, since in those cases it does not reach such high temperatures.

3 Aussie Miracle Oil, € 8.99

There are cosmetics that close the pores

Pores are not windows that you can open and close at will. If your pores are very visible it is a matter of genetics and besides covering them with makeup there is little you can do to improve their appearance permanently. What we can do is take them as clean as possible so that they are not so obvious and for that, nothing better than clay masks that remove dirt. To prevent them from stretching further, use sunscreen, but make sure it is non-comedogenic.

L'Oréal Paris Pure Clay Dermo Expertise Anti-Imperfection Mask, € 10.40

You have to let your nails breathe

Sure you have heard (and read) it hundreds of times, but nails, like hair, do not breathe. They are actually dead tissue, so it is impossible for them to do so. If your nails turn yellow, it is not because they are always painted. However, if you notice that you have them very fragile, it may be a good idea to stop painting them for a couple of weeks a month, but not because of the lacquers, but because the nail polish removers dehydrate them.

You can use the moisturizer around the eyes

Well you shouldn't. The skin in this area is much thinner and more sensitive than that of the rest of the face and, in addition, it has a series of specific problems such as dark circles or bags that your favorite moisturizer will not be able to solve. So it is better to use a specific one for this area.

Biotherm Total Eye Revitalizer Aquasource Eye Contour, € 37

The sun cures acne

It is true that your appearance can improve with exposure to the sun, but that improvement is only apparent. Radiation has an immunosuppressive effect, that is, it lowers our defenses. The swelling caused by acne is nothing more than a way for our body to fight bacteria, to defend ourselves against them. So the after-sun outbreak is going to be much worse.

There is no difference between using a day cream and a night cream

It depends. If your day cream has SPF it is better not to use it at night, because you do not need to protect yourself from the sun and it would be a waste of the product. The body is prepared to regenerate at night, so it is the perfect time to use creams with ingredients that help the skin in this process, such as antioxidants or chemical exfoliants. These ingredients can be reactive with the sun and cause spots, so it all depends on the type of cream you use.

Vichy Anti-blemish Normaderm Nuit Detox Cream, € 24.43

If chlorine turns your hair green, you have to cut it

You don't have to be so drastic, but you do need specific products to care for blonde hair. Yes, chlorine can transform lighter blondes and add greenish undertones to them, but it can be avoided. And if it happens, it has a solution. When you bathe in the pool, you can put an oil on your hair to repel water. Rinse it well afterwards is essential in any case. If you already have it green, use a clarifying shampoo. In a few washes, you will wear your usual blonde again.

Rosemary oil makes hair grow faster

While it is true that rosemary oil is able to stimulate blood circulation, it has not been shown that this makes hair grow faster. There is no scientific study that supports that statement is true. What we do know is that it adds shine to hair. Therefore, you can use it as a finishing product after washing your hair.

Naissance Pure Rosemary Oil, € 12.29

It is bad to wash your hair every day

It's bad to wash your hair every day

No, it is not bad. Hair must be washed every time it is dirty. What damages it is not the water, but rubbing it with the towel, using the dryer, the irons … If in your case washing it involves all that ritual then it is better to space the washes more space. But if you let it air dry, there is no problem.

Using tonic is mandatory

No, it is not because, as we have already seen, no matter how much you put it on the label, it will not close our pores. In general, toners are an expendable step in the facial care routine. If we notice that the cleanser irritates our skin, the solution is not a tonic that calms it, but a less aggressive cleanser. However, there are times when toners can be of great help, such as when we have excessively oily skin, as it provides an extra cleaning.

Kiehl's Blue Herbal Astringent Lotion, 250 ml, € 22

You have to detoxify the body

The fashion of detox shakes and juices is very present in our lives but, unfortunately, it is just that, a fashion. Our body does not need such drinks because it is capable of eliminating "the toxic" by itself, without the help of berries with an unpronounceable name and exorbitant prices.

You have to change the shampoo, because the hair gets used to it and has no effect

And the same with the rest of cosmetics. Well no, the body does not get used to anything, what happens is that its needs may change depending on the time of year or our hormonal cycle. What can happen is that we get used to seeing its effects and we no longer perceive them as something different. If you have found the shampoo of your dreams, keep using it and if you think your hair needs more hydration or cleaning at any given time, you can alternate it with others.

Yves Rocher concentrated shampoo, € 3

Makeup is bad, because it doesn't let the skin breathe

The skin does not breathe, the skin perspires, which is not the same. And yes, it is true that some makeup can "clog" the pores, but that is not necessarily bad. The only thing you have to do is to use a good make-up remover afterwards, because the harmful thing is not to clean the skin (even if you don't wear makeup, you also have to do it) and moisturize it well afterwards.

Balms do not hydrate, they only protect

Have you ever noticed that after using a lip balm your lips were drier than before? It is something that can happen if we use it compulsively and do not allow it to regenerate itself. It is true that the main function of vaseline and cocoa is to protect them from external aggressions, but if you choose one with the right ingredients (coconut oil, olive oil …). Avoid the ones that can irritate (like geraniol) and your lips will be perfect.

Coconut, Passion Fruit and Carrot Lip Juicer from The Body Shop, € 9

Cosmetics contain toxins

You've probably seen the words "toxic free" on some labels of naturally derived cosmetics. However, that statement could be put on absolutely all cosmetics sold in Europe. No component is toxic, as all products pass exhaustive controls to verify that they are safe to use.

Many times we hear the same statement so much that we do not even consider that it may not be true. But it turns out that scientists do stop to find out what is the reality of all those mantras that we repeat over and over again: "Putting on makeup every day is bad because the skin does not breathe", "If you wash your hair every day it will you spoil "," Nails turn yellow from always wearing them painted "…

Luckily we have found a source of wisdom in the Naked Cosmetics blog, where the chemical engineer Cristina Carvajal has investigated many of them and has given us the answers we were looking for.

The reality behind the most repeated beauty myths

"Cosmetics have toxic ingredients . " It seems that today everything causes cancer and many cosmetic ingredients have long been accused of being toxic. In fact, there are many brands that have taken the opportunity to put large labels on their products that indicate that they are free of them. But the reality is that all the products we use are safe, since they go through very demanding controls and are subjected to very different parameters before they go on the market. So we can be calm.
"You have to do detox diets from time to time." Another totally false statement. Our body is able to get rid of what it does not need on its own , without the help of miracle shakes made with expensive ingredients with an unpronounceable name.
"Hair gets damaged if you wash it every day." What spoils the hair is not the water or the shampoos. Everything that comes afterwards spoils it: rubbing with the towel, the dryer, the iron … If you need to wash your hair daily, you can do it without problem, as long as you let it air dry to avoid damaging it.
"Putting on makeup is bad, because we don't let the skin breathe." Assuming that the skin does not breathe, we are one step closer to dismantling this myth. What spoils the skin is not cleaning it, whether you put on makeup or not, you always have to take care of it with good facial hygiene and hydrate it afterwards.

Do you want to know more beauty myths? Do not miss our gallery!

By Sonia Murillo