Do you remove your cuticles?

I don’t. I know a lot of women either cut them or push them back because they think that’ll make their hands and nails look better, but it’s not really a good idea. Removing that dead piece of skin can seem harmless, but it can actually cause an infection.

You see, there’s a good reason why we have cuticles. Their main purpose is to connect the skin of our fingers to our nails, thus creating a seal that prevents water and germs to get inside our bodies. When you remove this seal, either by cutting, biting or pushing it back, you’re creating an entrance for germs and bacteria. Once inside, they could cause an infection, called paronychia. Your fingers will become red and swollen and, even with proper treatment (usually antibiotics but surgical drainage may be necessary too), it will take months to go away.

Think about that next time you’re tempted to remove your cuticles. Even if you think your fingers will look better, it’s just not worth the risk.

Have you ever done facial exercises?

I remember first reading about facial exercise in a teen magazine when I was about sixteen. The article mentioned that it would help maintain facial muscle tone and so, I sat in front of the mirror, read the instructions and started exercising. I was feeling really silly and, after exercising for a few more days without really seeing any results, I just decided to stop. And I’m really glad I did. Although these days there are lots of websites praising the benefits of facial exercises, the truth is, they just don’t work. Worse, they can actually damage skin. How? Before answering that, we need to know what makes skin age..

Why skin ages and sags

Supporters of facial exercise believe that it prevents, stops and reverses sagging skin by toning up the muscles of the face. However, this theory has a major flaw: lack of muscle tone is NOT what causes skin to sag and wrinkle and so, even if it were possible to tone these facial muscles, it will provide no benefit for your skin. So, what causes aging instead? Lots of factors: sun exposure, genetics, gravity, bone and hormone loss, repetition of facial movements, depletion of collagen, elastin and fat in the skin and the loosening of the ligaments that hold the muscles in place which occurs as we age.

Why facial exercise is bad for skin

Now, exercising facial muscles cannot stop or reverse all those processes that cause aging, but it can make things worse because, as I stated above, repetition of facial movements is one of the causes of aging. Paula Begoun, in one of her articles about facial exercise, quotes Dr Wilma Bergfeld, Head of Clinical Research, Department of Dermatology at The Cleveland Clinic: “Though I don’t recommend them I do believe they could work in some controlled situations. However, you would never want to do anything that moves the facial skin, especially as it ages, or overmanipulate the skin, because it would create more wrinkling, increasing the loss of elasticity in the skin.”

Dr Oz and Dr Michael F. Roizen in their You: Being Beautiful book, agree: “Exercising the facial muscles is a sure way to increase wrinkles. The facial muscles pull on the skin to give you facial expressions. And the repetitive movements of the skin, over the years, combined with the normal thinning of the collagen and elastin of the dermis, will eventually crack the skin, causing wrinkles. Botox is the reverse of exercise; it paralyzes muscles and lessens wrinkles.”

This makes a lot of sense. Think about it: what are the areas of your face that have more fine lines and wrinkles? The forehead, and the areas around the eyes and mouth. Why? Because we move them a lot, when we smile, when we frown, when we squint our eyes and when we purse our lips (something that smokers especially do very often and another good reason why they should quit). Over the years, all these movements contribute to the formation of fine lines and wrinkles, so we should limit, not increase them!

The Bottom Line

There are no studies that show that facial exercise is good for skin, but there’s plenty of evidence that shows that increasing facial movements increases wrinkles too. Of course that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t laugh, smile or frown. It’s important to be able to express our emotions and we shouldn’t be paranoid about it causing wrinkles. We should just be careful to avoid unnecessary muscle movement and that means no facial exercise and no smoking for instance.

Do you do facial exercises?

Whenever we start using a new skincare product, and especially one that promises miraculous results, we want to see improvements already from the next day. But we have to be realistic. No product can work wonders in such a short time! But how much time should we give a product to assess its efficacy (or lack of it)? As it often happens, there isn’t a definite answer but it depends on the condition you are treating and the products you use to treat it:

The General Rule

With most skincare products, you need to wait at least a month to see some results. That’s because, as dermatologist Kenneth Beer explained in an old issue of Glamour magazine, “the complete benefit of skin creams won’t be visible until after a full cycle of skin-cell turnover to take place, at least a month”. If after that time, you don’t see any improvements at all, you can just toss the product away. And because smoking and sun exposure can affect the results you get, you should avoid both as much as possible. It goes without saying that if a product irritates your skin and gives you an allergic reaction, you should immediately stop using it.

Acne and skin lightening products

When you use a well-formulated acne product, you should be able to see a small improvement already after a week. Skin lightening products with active agents such as hydroquinone and kojic acid can begin to work in a few days, but you’ll have to wait for months for your dark spots to be considerably reduced or even completely faded. If you’ve been using these products for 3 or 4 weeks and see no noticeable results, then they will just not work for you so you can stop using them and try another treatment instead.

Antioxidants and Retinoids

Antioxidants like green tea, Vitamins C and E, and coenzyme Q10 work by fighting free radicals, which are the main cause of premature aging. However, they can’t reduce the wrinkles you already have, only prevent new ones from forming. Because of this, when you use antioxidants, you may notice that after two or three weeks your skin is brighter and softer, but it will take years to see long-term antiaging results (ie, as you grow older, you’ll notice that your skin remains younger-looking for longer). Retinoids are the only ingredients that can actually reduce wrinkles and they will begin to work after 4 weeks, but to see noticeable results, you’ll have to wait months (and while retinoids work well, they don’t erase wrinkles as well as botox does).

So be patient! Although some products begin to work sooner than others, give them all a month before deciding whether they work for you or not.

Do you usually wait that long or are you impatient?

Although there are lots of expensive, fancy cleansers on the market that include antiaging ingredients said to help your skin look better and younger, I always chose simple, basic and cheap cleansers without them. Why? Because, when used in a cleanser, they get washed off and end up down the drain and so, how effective can they be?

Retinoids, Vitamins C & E and other antioxidants need to stay on the skin to work, and so they’re useless in a cleanser. So, save your money and opt for a cheaper option instead. Some of the ingredients that could provide some benefits in a cleanser are Alpha and Beta Hydroxy Acids (such as Glycolic Acid and Salicylic Acid). These ingredients have exfoliating properties and, if you massage the cleanser on your skin for a few minutes, they will remove some of the dead skin cells left on the skin’s surface and enhance the penetration of whatever product you’re gonna apply next.

However, and this is especially true for people with oily or acne prone skin who use Salicylic Acid to prevent and treat breakouts, you would still get much better results if you use a leave-in product with these ingredients. The longer they stay on the skin, the better they will perform. So, that’s my advice for you. Instead than spending lots of money on a fancy cleanser that only provides limited benefits at best, or doesn’t work at all, opt for a simple cleanser that cleanses your skin without irritating it and invest money in a good anti-aging serum or moisturizer. Your skin (and your wallet) will thank you!

Do you use anti-aging cleansers?

We all know how important it is to take good care of our skin, but there is such an overwhelming amount of products on the market that just makes it harder to choose the best ones to suit our needs. So, we read the labels, hoping that they’d help us to make the right choice, but can we really trust all the claims they make? And what about the common beliefs that we should choose expensive and natural products because they supposedly work better? Is that true? Read on to find out:

1. Hypoallergenic products are safer and better for sensitive skin

Hypoallergenic is a word that implies that a product is gentler and less likely to cause irritations and allergic reactions and so it is better for those with sensitive skin. But as I’ve already discussed in a previous post, hypoallergenic is just a marketing tool. The term is not regulated in any way, there aren’t restrictions on what ingredients can and cannot be used in products labelled this way and companies don’t have to prove that these products don’t contain allergens. This means that cosmetic companies can just put the word hypoallergenic on every product they want, even those that contain irritating ingredients. But by reading the ingredient lists, you can easily avoid products with ingredients that you know will cause irritations, allergic and even breakouts to your skin.

2. “Dermatologically tested” products are safer and more reliable

The term “dermatologically tested” is another marketing tool. It means that the product has been tested on skin and nothing more. They don’t tell you on whose skin and on how many people the product has been tested, how the testes were performed, by what dermatologist they were performed, or what the results were. And although we like to think that when a doctor endorses a product they have people’s best interests at heart, some dermatologists may recommend a particular product simply because he/she was paid to do so (obviously not all dermatologist do this, but sometimes it can happen).

3. You should use skincare products targeted to your age group

We are often told that we need to use skincare products targeted to our age group, ie teenagers should buy products targeted to teens, women over 50s those for mature skin etc, but that’s just nonsense. While it is true, for instance, that mature skin can be dryer and develop skin conditions associated with age, that doesn’t mean that all women over 50 will experience that. There are lots of mature women who have oily skin prone to breakouts for instance and the richer moisturizers targeted to this age group certainly wouldn’t help them. More simply, everyone’s skin, no matter how old you are, is different and has different needs. You should use products that are designed to treat any skin concern YOU may have, regardless of the age group they are targeted to.

4. Natural ingredients are better and safer than synthetic ones

There seems to be a general belief that anything that’s found in nature is automatically good while ingredients made in a lab must necessarily be bad for the skin. That is not true! There is absolutely no factual evidence nor scientific proof to support the claim that natural ingredients are safer and more effective. In fact, often the opposite is true. There are lots of natural substances that are bad for you such as poison ivy for instance. In addition, natural ingredients may be harder to preserve and so more prone to bacteria contamination. The truth is that cosmetic companies can’t put toxic ingredients in their products. That’s illegal. As for their effectiveness, there are simply some natural ingredients that work well and others that don’t, just like there are some synthetic ingredients that work well and others that don’t. You should use products that contain ingredients that work well for your skin and its concerns, regardless of their origin.

5. Expensive skincare products work better than inexpensive ones

The effectiveness of a product depends on its formula, not its price. There are expensive products that are well-formulated, just like there are others who promise to treat wrinkles or other concerns but simply have a very basic formula that doesn’t do much apart from hydrating skin, and even those that contain irritating or comedogenic ingredients. And the same can be said for drugstore skincare products. In addition, sometimes high-end and drugstore brands are owned by the same company. So when new ingredients are discovered, the expensive brand will release products with it first and then usually, months later, a drugstore version will follow suit so you can have the same benefits at a more affordable price. By learning to read ingredient lists you will be able to tell what products, regardless of the brand, are better-formulated and so avoid spending money on those that just don’t work.

I hope this helped to set the record straight on some myths surrounding skincare products. Do you know any others that need to be busted?

Even though acne is, unfortunately, a very common skin condition, there are so many myths about it circulating around that it can be hard to know what to believe and that may prevent you from treating this condition properly. So, today, I’d thought we could set the record straight on a few acne myths:

1. Washing your face often prevents breakouts.

Washing your face several times a day won’t help you get rid of acne or keep the breakouts at bay. That’s because acne isn’t caused by dirt. But using a cleanser too often, especially if contains harsh detergents, will dry out your skin and irritate it, thus exacerbating your condition. Instead, you should use a mild and gentle cleanser both in the morning and before going to bed, and pat skin dry. In addition, stay away from toners that contain alcohol as those can be very irritating too.

2. If you have acne, you can’t wear makeup

Of course you can wear makeup to cover your acne. You just have to make sure it doesn’t contain any comedogenic ingredients that will clog pores and make things worse. Unfortunately even products labelled non-comedogenic can sometimes contain problematic ingredients, so read the ingredient lists carefully to make sure you buy products that won’t aggravate your acne. Here, you can find a list of coemdogenic ingredients you should avoid. In any case, if a product makes you breakout, stop using it immediately.

3. Tanning helps heal acne

Actually no. There is no evidence that getting a tan helps heal acne. Instead, it just makes things worse. While a tan can temporarily help cover some of the redness, tanning in the sun or using tanning beds and booths dry up, burn and irritate skin. Tanning also causes premature aging and increases the risk of developing cancer. And on top of that, you’ll still have acne! So stay away from the sun and tanning booths and always wear sunscreen. This is especially important for people who use prescription acne medications as they make skin more sensitive to UV rays. If you really want to tan, use a sunless tanner product instead.

4. Popping pimples is the best way to get rid of them

Popping a pimple is never a good idea, especially if you have acne. It must seem like a quick solution, but it will actually slow down the healing process. That’s because when you pop a zit, you are pushing the bacteria further into the skin. That’ll make the area even more red and inflamed, and sometimes, cause scars. All things that are harder to treat than a pimple. And zit-popping devices such as blackhead extractors are just as harmful. If you have a pimple, dab some Benzoyl Peroxide or Tea Tree Oil on it to help it heal faster.

Do you know any other acne myths?

We all know that smoking is bad for our health. It causes cancer, lung and heart diseases, premature aging, wrinkles and a sallow complexion. But did you know that all forms of tocacco, from cigarettes to cigars, from hooka water pipes to smokeless products, also contribute to a lot of dental problems? Here’s what smoking does to our teeth:

Yellow teeth
Yellow teeth, together with bad breath, are the most known consequences of smoking on teeth and mouth. These yellow stains aren’t attractive (and bad breath even less so!) and can’t simply be removed with a toothbrush. You’ll have to get regular and throughout dental cleaning sessions at the dentist to get rid of them. These may seem like small side effects, but smoking, as we’re about to see, will cause much bigger problems for your teeth.

Oral cancer
Oral cancer is less talked about than other types of cancer, but it is still very dangerous and common among smokers. According to the American Cancer Society, smokers are six times more likely to develop it than nonsmokers. This diseases progresses rapidly and, if not caught in time, can be deadly. And if the tumour gets too big, the doctors may also have to remove part of the tongue or palate to get rid of it completely, leaving the patient disfigured. Scary, isn’t it?

Gum disease
Smoking affects the attachment of bone and soft tissue to your teeth, which damages the gum tissue, leaving smokers more prone to develop infections such as mouth sores and periodontal disease. It also causes receding gums, which leaves the roots of the teeth exposed. This causes hot/cold sensitivity which makes eating and drinking uncomfortable. More worryingly, gum disease can cause tooth decay and loss! And that toothless look certainly isn’t attractive, isn’t it?

Plaque buildup
Smoking can cause plaque and tartar buildup. In addition, it also helps the formation of bacteria on that same plaque, which can lead to infections. And that, can cause gum disease and we have already seen what terrible consequences that brings. To get rid of this buildup, you will again have to go for regular teeth cleansing sessions at the dentist.

Longer healing period
When smokers undergo any type of oral surgery, albeit small, they will take longer to heal than nonsmokers.

If you’re smoking, you should seriously consider quitting before it’s too late and you end up losing a tooth or worse. Even just reducing the amount you smoke will reduce the risks. And if overtime, you manage to quit completely, all the better.

We all know the mantra: cleanse, tone and moisturize. But is the last step really necessary for everyone? Contrary to popular belief, no. Not everyone needs a moisturizer. But what is a moisturizer anyway? A moisturizer is a product especially designed to improve the moisture levels of the skin and repair its natural protective layer thus keeping it hydrated and soft. Now, our skin already produces its own moisturizer, which is called sebum, but sometimes this alone just isn’t enough to keep skin naturally moisturized and a moisturizer is needed. But when? And who needs to use to it?

Who doesn’t need a moisturizer

If you have normal skin, then your skin is already producing the right amount of sebum it needs to keep it moisturized and thus, using a moisturizer isn’t really needed. The only exception is when, under extreme environmental conditions (like when the weather is too cold for instance), the skin’s protective barrier gets damaged and skin becomes unable to retain the moisture it needs. In this case, you need a moisturizer to replenish the moisture that’s been lost and repair the skin’s barrier. Those with oily skin too don’t need to use a moisturizer. That’s because oily skin produces too much sebum on its own and, as annoying as that may be, it ensures that your skin already has all the moisture it needs. Using a moisturizer in this case, may make skin worse and greasier, not better.

Who needs a moisturizer

People with combination skin need a moisturizer only on those areas of their face that are dry. That’s usually the cheeks, so they should apply a moisturizer there and skip the oilier T-zone. It’s those with dry skin who need moisturizers the most and it’s mainly for them that these products are designed. Dry skin simply doesn’t produce enough sebum to keep skin naturally moisturized, is often flaky and feels tight. People with dry skin need to use a moisturizer daily to keep their skin in good condition.

Don’t confuse moisturizers with antiaging products

There seems to be a popular belief that moisturizers are formulated to prevent and fight premature aging. That’s not true. Not always anyways. The ingredients that help fight the signs of aging are retinoids, antioxidants and sunscreen agents and most moisturizers on the market either don’t contain them or contain them in concentrations that are too small to be effective. Thus, most of them are just basic formulas that replenish lost moisture and repair the skin’s protective barrier, which are important functions, but not needed by everyone. If you have oily or normal skin, you’d want to skip a moisturizer and invest in a good antiaging serum instead.

The bottom line

Moisturizers are products designed to improve the skin’s moisture levels, and as such they are needed only when skin doesn’t produce enough sebum (its natural moisturizer) on its own. Some people may never need a moisturizer, others may need it only in winter but not in summer, while others may need to slather it on only on some areas of the face and not on others. As a general rule, you should apply moisturizer only when (and where) your skin feels dry, tight and looks flaky. Otherwise skip a moisturizer and only use an antiaging serum instead. You’ll save money and your skin will thank you.

Do you use a moisturizer?