In a bid to slow down the effects of ageing and stay looking younger for longer, the chances are that you’ve read a sensationalised article or two with “skincare hacks” promising to turn back the clock and help you look like a teenager again overnight.
Though there are many unorthodox skincare techniques designed to help you keep your skin looking young and wrinkle-free, the internet is unfortunately awash with falsities and rumours that can cause more harm than good, with some actually causing you to age prematurely.
Below, we’ve put together five common anti-ageing myths and delve deeper into the truths, to ensure you can hold onto your youthful looks and keep your skin as healthy as can be…
Smiling causes wrinkles
Let’s start with a common one. Smiling won’t give you wrinkles.
Some of the world’s biggest celebrities, including Spice Girl Victoria Beckham and reality star Kim Kardashian, are often paparazzied with expressionless faces – rumoured to be because they want to prevent ageing and that they’re worried smiling too much will cause wrinkles.
Though smiling, frowning, and other motions of the face will cause lines to form throughout your life, the truth is that it’s virtually impossible to live without smiling, frowning, and expressing yourself without moving your face – and who’d want to live life like that, anyway?
We recommend enjoying life to the full and smiling. Being happy has anti-ageing benefits in itself, so there’s no reason why you can’t grin, smile, and laugh until your heart’s content!
Scrubbing your skin helps
Another common misconception is that dirt and grease cause you to age prematurely and that scrubbing your face every day and using expensive face masks and peels will help you.
However, if you want to keep your skin looking its best – soft, youthful, and healthy – then you should avoid those harsh scrubbers and peels that can damage your skin and strip it of its natural oils. Doing so only dries out your skin but it makes lines and wrinkles more visible.
Stick to organic facial cleansers and soaps and avoid using too many face masks and scrubs that will damage your sensitive skin. Opt for natural ingredients where possible – the more chemicals you put on your face, the more likely your skin is to suffer in the long-run.
The more you spend, the younger you’ll look
Celebrities and beauty bloggers have a bottomless pit of money to spend on their skincare regime, and it can leave you feeling like you’ve got to take out a small loan to do the same.
However, some of the highest-rated face washes, cleansing oils, micellar waters, and masks are supermarket staples, whilst products from The Body Shop and LUSH regularly come out on top in popularity polls (see Cosmopolitan’s budget skincare favourites for proof on that).
Rather than obsessing over brands and reviews, try products out on your own skin and develop a skincare regime that works for you. It might take you a few months to work out what you need for that perfect complexion, but with some trial and error (and freebies from friends) you’ll be able to create a program that works for you, without spending hundreds.
SPF makeup is good enough
Sun exposure is likely responsible for most of the visible ageing of your skin – the more time you spend outdoors, the more you’ll be exposed to those UV rays that cause wrinkles, skin pigmentation, spots, reduced elasticity, and the degradation of your skin’s natural texture.
In fact, research shows up to 90% of how old you look is based on how much sun exposure you’ve sustained in your lifetime, demonstrating the importance of an effective sunscreen.
Though we’re not suggesting you spend all of your time copped up indoors, we do suggest you rethink your regime – especially if you’ve been using moisturisers or makeup with SPF.
Though better than nothing, SPF foundations and moisturisers rarely offer the protection you need for all-day use, so buy a high-quality sun cream that you can reapply throughout the day and consider toning down your makeup during the summer so your skin can breathe.
Natural solutions don’t work
Finally, a quick word on natural solutions.
It’s easy to assume that, once you’ve gained a few wrinkles, lines, and bags under your eyes, that your only option is to go under the knife if you want to look younger.
But there are natural solutions that work, requiring no invasive procedures or surgeries.
The Oralift device, for example, is designed to reduce and delay the signs of facial ageing, fitting over your lower teeth to be worn for two hours, every third day. By using the device, your facial muscles activate, and Oralift wearers have reported benefits such as reduced lines, bags, increased fullness of the lips, more prominent cheekbones and repaired pores.
Not only is Oralift a more comfortable and safer alternative to cosmetic facial surgery, but it’s cheaper and can be reused for up to 18 months, offering you natural facial rejuvenation at home.
Did you believe any of these anti-ageing myths? Are you surprised to hear about them? Let us know your thoughts on Twitter using @Oralift and check back to the blog soon for more.