Myth: Chocolate makes you break out. Fiction. Chocolate won't cause a breakout, but it is true that a poor diet can irritate your skin, so try to limit your chocolate cravings!
Myth: Cucumbers will help de-puff your eyes. Fact. Eye puffiness can be genetic, but there are definitely things you can do to reduce darkness and those puffy bags we loathe! Cucumbers can do the trick — and so can anything that's cold and can be easily applied to your eyes. The coldness restricts blood vessels which reduces swelling and puffiness. Just make sure to limit the application to about five minutes for optimal results.
Myth: Your cell phone can make you break out. Fact. Okay this is gross, but...apparently cell phones are premiere breeding grounds for germs. Some experts say the average cell phone has more germs than doorknobs and even toilet seats — yuck! Make sure you take a clean cloth to your cell phone screen every so often to help get rid of any breakout-causing germs!
Myth: Waxing or shaving will make my hair grow back thicker. Fiction. Contrary to popular belief, shaving and waxing will not make hair grow back thicker. Most people think this is true because when hair grows back in after waxing/shaving, the hair is a bit shorter than normal, therefore seeming thicker and coarser while longer hair appears more fine.
Myth: Popping a zit is fine if only done once in awhile. Fiction. Please try your hardest to leave your skin alone — especially during a breakout! Messing with a zit will spread oil and bacteria to the clean parts of your skin. Plus, popping a zit will undoubtedly aggravate your pores and won't leave you with the fresh-looking skin you were after in the first place!
Myth: Drinking lots of water will keep my skin healthy. Fact. Drinking water will definitely keep you hydrated and healthy and those benefits apply to your skin too! Next time you're craving a soda, reach for a tall glass of water instead — trust us, your skin will thank you!
Myth: The best place to apply perfume is on pulse points. Fact. Applying perfume to pulse points is the best way to make your scent last all day. Fragrances react with heat, so spritz your perfume on your wrists or the back of your neck and you won't need to worry about re-applying.
Myth: Tanning in the sun clears up bad skin. Fiction. No way! Sun exposure just causes additional skin irritation and damage. Make sure to cover your face with a good oil-free sunblock to prevent any additional irritation if you're going to be out in the sun.
Myth: Avocados can make a great skin mask. Fact. Sounds weird, but it works! Mash one ripe avocado and mix it with a little bit of lemon juice. Apply this mask to your face and neck for an over-the-counter toner/firmer.
Myth: I pluck one gray hair, multiple gray hairs will grow back in it's place. Fiction. This isn't true — which is good because some of us were starting to worry! While plucking gray hairs won't make more grow back in its place, it's not a good habit to get into since it can damage the root.
Myth: Sleeping on your back may prevent wrinkles. Fact. After hearing this, we're never sleeping on our sides again! The American Academy of Dermatology says that sleeping in certain positions may result in "sleep lines." After time, these lines can turn into deep-set wrinkles, so flip over and get your shut-eye on your back.
Myth: Beauty products have an expiration date. Fact. That's right — just like groceries, your beauty and hair products have a shelf life, too. The expiration date depends on the beauty product. Here are a couple common ones:
Mascara and Liquid Eye Liners: 3 months
Liquid Face Makeup, Cream Eye Shadow: 6 months
Powder Face Makeup, Powder Eye Shadows, Pencil Eye Liners, Lipstick, Lip gloss: 2 years
I hope that these responses to some of these old myths were helpful to you. Myths are a hard thing to pull the truth out of, but here is a start!
~XOXO FashionHustler
