Is it harmful to put on a lot of makeup? How many times a day should you clean your face? These are some of the questions that we answer in this post to prevent you from falling into beauty habits or routines that, due to ignorance or bad advice, harm your skin more than favour it.
Ageing, acne, blemishes, wrinkles, active ingredients… are some concepts related to skincare that concern, to a greater or lesser extent, everyone. Today there is so much information, miracle products and impossible promises about beauty that can confuse us, not knowing which is the best product or specific care for our skin type or that it is very difficult for us to know what is real and not.
We have all wondered at some point if the care we provide to our skin is correct (because yes, ‘fake news’ also exists in the world of beauty). In many cases, we assume certain and true advice that our mothers, grandmothers or friends without expert knowledge in skincare have given us; and that, unintentionally, it is advisable that contains wrong information or that can even be harmful to your skin type.
For this reason, and to try to clarify some doubts, in today’s post we are going to review some widespread ideas about skincare: lies that we assume to be true or truths that you need to know to reaffirm that you are right or take action on the matter. Let’s start!
Is it essential to drink 2 litres of water a day?
Is it necessary to drink two litres of water a day to help care for our skin? Yes! But not only this is necessary, to better understand it and give an answer to this question, let’s explain why. The epidermis, that is, the outermost layer of the skin, does not have its blood vessels, so the supply of water does not reach it through any vein or capillary, but is hydrated from the water that is in the lower layers, it is said, in the dermis. Therefore, if the body is well hydrated, the dermis and epidermis will also be.
In addition to this internal hydration process, the epidermis is also hydrated by external factors, such as the water in the atmosphere and, of course, the cosmetics that we apply to the skin to achieve optimal hydration. Therefore, both drinking plenty of water during the day and applying the right cosmetics are important to show off hydrated skin.
Oily skin should not use a moisturising cream
We demystify this idea from the beginning: all skins must be hydrated, regardless of their type, so as not to suffer problems of lack of water that can lead to dehydration. If it is not properly hydrated, it can produce more sebum in defence of this deficiency and the result has even worse consequences such as the appearance of pimples or imperfections.
The only trick or care that people with oily skin should have is to use cosmetics and products with a more fluid texture to avoid shine and protect the skin while maintaining a fresh and non-greasy finish.
Is it necessary to use a facial cleanser other than shower gel to cleanse the face?
We should not clean the face with the same gel that we use for the rest of the body since these soaps usually have a higher pH that can favour dryness and irritation of the facial skin. We must bear in mind that the skin of the face is one of the most sensitive and delicate, so for its care, we should use specific products to protect it.
How many times should we clean the facial skin?
And speaking of facial cleansing with a specific soap or lotion, you are probably wondering how many times it is necessary or recommended to cleanse your face. In this case, the answer may depend a lot on environmental conditions or different skin types, but under normal conditions, we should not ‘bombard’ our skin with excessive deep cleansing during the day.
In this way, it is recommended to cleanse the face in the morning with thermal water or toner to remove any traces of sweat or waste produced during the night or, simply, if your hygiene routine includes a shower when you wake up, with the water that falls on the face is enough. We leave deep cleaning for the night to remove traces of makeup and impurities accumulated during the day.
Is it harmful to wear a lot of makeup?
There is a commonly accepted idea about the ‘need’ to let the skin breathe and avoid the use of makeup for long periods, especially in the case of people who wear makeup a lot, such as models or actresses. However, nothing is further from reality. A good make-up base does not obstruct or damage the skin, quite the contrary, since it represents another layer of protection against external aggressions, especially in polluted cities or in areas with high solar radiation if we use a make-up base with sun protection.
Taking this into account, what is necessary is to choose the most suitable makeup for your skin type. For example, if your face suffers from acne, it is very important to choose a product without oils or with a high density that causes a very occlusive effect on the skin.
