Skincare Myths We Can Retire

If you’ve ever stood in the kitchen wondering whether the avocado in the fruit bowl belongs on your face, you’re not alone. Skincare advice gets passed around so freely that some of it sticks, even when it doesn’t do much. A few of these tips can actually do more harm than good, so here are the ones I think we can happily put away.

“A good scrub is the secret to smooth skin”
Coffee grounds and sugar might smell lovely, but the grains are rough and uneven, and they can cause tiny tears in the delicate skin on your face. They’re fine for a gentle rub on the body. For your face, a mild exfoliant formulated for the job is a much kinder option.

“Kitchen ingredients make the best face masks”
Yoghurt and honey are fine to eat, but they weren’t designed for skin. Lemon juice is the one to be most careful with. It’s very acidic, can irritate, and can make skin more sensitive to sun. If a homemade mask sounds tempting, a patch test on your inner arm first is a sensible habit.

“Toothpaste dries out a pimple”
It may feel like it’s working because it stings and tightens, but that’s usually just irritation. Ingredients in toothpaste aren’t meant for skin and can leave you with redness and a bigger problem than you started with.

“If it tingles, it’s working”
Not necessarily. A mild warmth can be normal with some active ingredients, but stinging, burning or lasting redness is your skin telling you it’s unhappy. Back off, simplify, and give your skin time to settle.

“Steam opens your pores, and cold water closes them”
Pores don’t have tiny doors. They can look bigger or smaller depending on oil, sun damage and age, but you can’t open and close them. A warm cleanse helps loosen dirt and oil, and that’s about the extent of it.

“Natural means gentler”
Plenty of plants are powerful irritants, and essential oils are a common cause of reactions. “Natural” isn’t a guarantee of kindness, and “chemical” isn’t automatically a bad word. Everything on your skin, from water to the most expensive serum, is a chemical. What matters is how well the formula suits your skin.

“You don’t need sunscreen on cloudy days”
Australia’s UV levels are strong, and UV rays get through cloud. Sunscreen is the unglamorous hero of any routine, and it’s the one product I’d never skip. Sunscreens sold in Australia are regulated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), so look for a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher and reapply when you’re outdoors for any length of time.

“The more expensive it is, the better it works”
Price tells you very little. A well-made, simple moisturiser or cleanser from the chemist can do just as much for your skin as something from a department store counter. Look at the formula, not the packaging.

Our Take
If you only change one thing, make it sunscreen and a gentle cleanser. They do far more for your skin than any hack. And if you have a skin concern that won’t settle, such as persistent redness, breakouts or a mole that’s changed, see your GP or a dermatologist rather than experimenting at home.