July 8, 2008 – The skin is often the object of much attention and many rituals. However, the thousand and one small cares which one resorts to to improve its appearance are sometimes useless, even inappropriate. Here are six “hard rind” myths reviewed and corrected by dermatologist Joël Claveau.
Drinking eight glasses of water a day helps you have beautiful skin
Drinking water contributes to the general hydration of the body, but we cannot make a direct link between the quantity of water consumed and the quality of the skin. To hydrate dry skin, you should rather apply a fatty substance, such as a moisturizing lotion or cream, after the shower for example.
Going to a tanning salon allows you to build up a “bottom” that protects against sunburn
The tan that you get in a tanning salon provides very ineffective protection against sunburn. It is the equivalent of a sun protection factor1 (SPF) 2. For comparison, dermatologists recommend wearing sunscreen with a protection factor of at least 15.
There is no safe way to tan. If you’re tanned, it’s because you’ve taken too much sun and your skin has already been damaged.
Nothing can be done to avoid wrinkles: they are genetically programmed
There is a genetic factor, but it is minimal. In fact, 90% of wrinkles are caused by the sun. This greatly accelerates the aging of the skin, regardless of the type of skin. However, we know that, genetically, darker skin is more resistant to the onslaught of the sun than paler skin.
When it comes to wrinkle creams, only vitamin A (retinol) has been shown to be effective in reducing fine wrinkles and dark spots. However, it can also cause skin irritation. The best beauty cream is sunscreen.
Rubbing the skin with a horsehair glove eliminates cellulite
Since cellulite is essentially a subcutaneous problem, rubbing your skin with a horsehair glove – or any other type of brush – is useless. Rather, the horsehair glove acts on the superficial layers of the skin by removing dead cells (desquamation). In addition, this type of treatment often only irritates the skin.
Many techniques and products aimed at eliminating or reducing “orange peel” are currently being tested, but from a scientific point of view, no treatment to date constitutes an effective and lasting solution.
Taking a milk bath softens the skin
Did Cleopatra have more satiny skin thanks to her milk baths? Current research tells us that liquid white had nothing to do with it. Proteins in milk, like casein, are too large to pass through the skin. You can use a moisturizing lotion made from goat’s milk if you like the texture and the scent, but it is mainly a cosmetic treatment.
Poor hygiene or a fatty diet can cause acne
Currently, scientific studies do not allow to conclude that there is a link between diet and acne. Some recent research, however, associates milk consumption with the onset of acne in boys during adolescence. Hormones in milk could have a testosterone-like effect and cause pimples to erupt. But health professionals consider acne to be primarily a hormonal disorder.
As for hygiene, it is rarely involved, except in certain cases of occupational acne.2. At one time, people with acne were recommended to wash their faces several times a day with abrasive soaps. This is no longer the case. We now recommend washing your face twice a day, using a very mild soap or cleanser to avoid irritating the skin.
Claudia Morissette – HealthPassport.net
1. A sun protection factor of 15 indicates that you can be in the sun 15 times longer than you could without sun protection, before getting sunburned. The sun protection factor only takes into account UVB rays.
2. This is the case with people who are often in contact with oil, such as mechanics, or frying. The sprayed microdroplets can block the pores of the skin.
