The world of skin care is big. Thousands of brands, endless opinions and enough conflicting advice to make your head spin faster than a toddler after a birthday cake.
Even though we live and breathe this stuff and continue to learn. So instead of leaving you to sort out the noise yourself, we’ve busted the myth for you.
Here are 12 of the most common skincare myths—and what’s actually true.
1. Hot water opens your pores
Novel.
Resources are not tiny doors. They don’t open and close depending on the temperature of your face washer.
What warm water can do is soften the oil and debris on the skin, which can make cleansing more effective. But hot water can also dry out and irritate your skin, which is a bit rude, really. If your pores seem more noticeable, this is usually due to oiliness, congestion, skin texture or inflammation – not because they’ve “opened up”.
The best bet? Stick with lukewarm water and a mild cleanser.
2. Your skin gets used to the products, so you have to keep changing them
Usually fiction.
Your skin usually doesn’t “get used” to a good product the way people think. If something works well for your skin, there’s no prize in replacing it just for the sake of change.
What may happen is that your skin improves, so the dramatic before and after feeling calms down. Or your skin’s needs change with the seasons, hormones, stress, age or lifestyle. That doesn’t mean your skincare has stopped working—it just means skin is a living, changing little beast.
A consistent routine often beats a chaotic cabinet full of half-used bottles.
3. Age spots are just part of getting older
Mostly fiction.
They are often called age spots, but a more accurate name is sun spots. They’re usually related to cumulative UV exposure over time, not just the fact that you’ve had more birthdays.
This is really good news, because it means that prevention matters. Daily sun protection can help reduce your chances of developing them in the first place.
So yes, time flies. But the sun is usually the real troublemaker here.
4. Diet has no effect on how your skin ages
Novel.
What you eat doesn’t magically override genetics, hormones, or skin care, but diet can absolutely affect how your skin looks and behaves.
For example, diets high in sugar and fast-absorbing carbohydrates can contribute to glycosylation—a process that can affect collagen over time. In plain English: too much sugar, too often, can make the structures that keep skin firm a little stiffer and less elastic.
This doesn’t mean you should fear a slice of sourdough or swear off birthday cake forever. It just means that your skin, like the rest of your body, tends to do best with a balanced diet rich in colorful whole foods, healthy fats and plenty of water.
Annoying; Perhaps. Groundbreaking? Not really. Your mom had something.
5. Hypoallergenic products are automatically safer for sensitive skin
Novel.
“Hypoallergenic” sounds wonderfully reassuring, doesn’t it? As the product arrives wearing a lab coat and carrying a clipboard.
But the term isn’t a guarantee that a product won’t irritate your skin. It usually means that the product is intended to be less likely to cause a reaction – not that it is resistant to the reaction.
Sensitive skin is personal. One person’s holy grail is another person’s itch.
That’s why patch testing matters, no matter how pretty the label sounds.
6. Products with collagen and elastin will strengthen your skin’s collagen
Mostly fiction.
This sounds logical, but skin is not that simple.
Putting collagen on your skin doesn’t mean it slides neatly in and replenishes your collagen stores like a refill case. Topical collagen can help with hydration and can make skin feel smoother and more comfortable, but it doesn’t simply replace the collagen your skin naturally loses over time.
If your goal is to support healthy-looking skin, ingredients like vitamin C, sunscreen, and well-formulated actives generally have better evidence behind them.
So collagen in skincare isn’t necessarily useless—it’s just not the miracle “put it on, grow more collagen” shortcut it’s often made out to be.
7. Makeup with SPF is just as good as sunscreen
Novel.
SPF in makeup is a nice bonus, but it usually shouldn’t be your main line of defense.
Why? Because to write SPF on the label, you need to apply a decent amount of product. And unless you plan to wear foundation like tent paint, most of us just don’t use enough to get that full protection.
The best approach is to use a broad spectrum sunscreen as your base and then layer your makeup on top. This way your skin gets the protection it needs and you still look shiny instead of pancakes.
8. Pimples are just a teenage problem
Novel.
Wouldn’t that be nice?
Acne and breakouts can definitely appear in adulthood – in your 20s, 30s, 40s and beyond. Hormones are often a big driver, especially in your cycle, during pregnancy, perimenopause and menopause, or during stressful times when your whole body is already having words with you.
Adult skin can also be a bit more difficult to manage because you may be dealing with breakouts and dryness and sensitivity at the same time. Cute.
A consistent, supportive routine usually helps a lot more than bombarding your face with every spot-zapping product under the sun.
Prone to breakouts? We have an entire line made with skin cleansing support in mind.
9. Antiaging products are only for people who already have wrinkles
Novel.
When it comes to skin, prevention is often much easier than trying to cover up later.
This doesn’t mean you need a ten-step routine at age 22 and a panic attack every time you find a fine line. It just means that supporting your skin early—with daily sunscreen, antioxidants, and barrier-friendly care—can help it stay healthier and more resilient over time.
Think of it like flossing. You don’t wait for your teeth to fall out to start caring.
Good skin care is a long game. Boringly consistent usually wins.
10. If you can’t pronounce an ingredient, it’s probably bad for you
Novel.
This myth really needs to go in the bin.
An ingredient with a long, complicated name tells you absolutely nothing about whether it’s safe, effective or suitable for your skin. Scientific names are often just that – scientific names.
Some great skin care ingredients sound like they belong in a chemistry lab. Some “natural” ingredients sound wonderful and herbal and can still irritate the life out of sensitive skin.
What matters is the ingredient itself, how much of it is in the formula, how it’s been used and whether it suits your skin.
So no, you don’t have to be able to say it out loud without tripping over your tongue for it to be a good ingredient.
11. More product means better results
Novel. Mainly.
With many skin care products, piling on more doesn’t mean better skin—it just means you run out faster and increase your chances of irritation.
Your skin can only use so much at once. Overuse of cleansers, exfoliators, actives or moisturizers can leave your bar grumpy, your face stingy and your bathroom shelf too expensive.
In most cases, using the right product in the right amount is the sweet spot.
The big exception? Sunscreen. This is a place where giving up is incredibly common, so being generous is actually the right move.
12. Your armpits aren’t really skin
Extremely fictional. Your pits would like a word.
Your armpits are skin – and pretty thin skin at that. They withstand friction, sweat, shaving, clogging and all sorts of everyday nonsense, so they deserve proper care.
They also have their own microbiome: a community of bacteria that plays a role in body odor and overall skin balance. Sweat itself isn’t the main culprit for BO—it’s what happens when skin bacteria break down certain compounds in that warm, cozy underarm environment.
That’s why underarm care isn’t just about blocking odor. It’s also being kind to the skin there.
Our natural deodorant sticks and pastes are made with odor-fighting, skin-loving ingredients to help keep underarms fresh, comfortable and happy – without the harshness.
Skincare myths are everywhere, and frankly, some of them hang longer than they should on low-rise jeans.
The good news? You don’t need perfect skin knowledge to make good choices. A little curiosity, a little consistency and a healthy suspicion of over marketing goes a long way.
Have a skincare myth you want us to dispel next? Drop us a line – we’re always up for a good myth-busting job.
