More Acne Myths to Debunk

There can be a lot of misinformation floating out there about skin care, especially about common conditions like pimples. Just when you think you’ve proven them all false, here are three more acne myths that need debunking:

Using Toothpaste on Your Acne – This is an acne myth almost as old as time. A lot of people swear that by applying toothpaste on your pimples, they will go away just like that. The one thing toothpaste will cause to your skin is dryness, and while that helps with your pimples by removing the oil around it, it will not treat the underlying problem at all. Toothpaste used to have this active ingredient called triclosan, which is an anti-bacterial component that can mess with your hormones. Triclosan can also irritate and inflame your skin, worsening your acne in the process.

Pimples Appear Out of The Blue – Acne does not develop overnight. It can take weeks for your pimples to become visible. The process starts with your skin’s pores being clogged by dead skin cells mixed with oil. As this happens, bacteria becomes trapped underneath your pores and start to populate around the area. This leads to the the the appearance of your pimples. It just doesn’t appear over the course of 8-10 hours, and it definitely cannot be treated overnight either.

Effect of Hair Products – Many hair products, like mousses, gels, sprays and styling waxes tend to have oils that can lead to even more pimples when your styled hair is constantly touching your forehead. Many hair products are oil-based, with ingredients like petroleum, silicone, mineral oil, and coconut oil. These are all potential irritants for those with acne-prone skin. To see if your hair products are causing your acne, check where the breakout is happening. The hairline, neck an upper back are common areas for acne breakouts to happen that are caused by hair products. It’s best to find hair products that don’t contain these ingredients when you have acne, or to minimize the use of hair products. You can even style your hair so it’s not touching your forehead.