Beauty facts and myths: discover the truth!

About genuine mistakes and false beliefs

What is a myth?

The term comes from Greek and means a misconception that many people cling to without verifying it, even though it has long since lost its connection to current scientific knowledge. Why do myths stay so persistently in our consciousness? One reason is that we learned them as children and have never forgotten them. And so, we have been repeating certain things in our daily bathroom routine ever since then – simply because we believe them to be true and are used to doing them. Let’s put beliefs about skin care and hair care to the test and reveal some hair-raising mistakes and naked truths. Get those beauty myths out of your head!

Beauty myths about the face

Who really thought that toothpaste could help against spots? Some beliefs come about by accident and last for generations. We have collected a few myths about facial care and expose the truth behind many a misconception.

Facial care: could these beliefs be false?

Belief: Your skin becomes addicted to moisturising

Certainly not. Your skin does not adjust to the care you give it by reducing its moisture and lipid production. Creams only balance out the lack of these and strengthen our skin’s natural protective layers.

Belief: You can use a towel for a face massage

Absolutely false. You need to be careful when drying your face. Gently dab your face with a towel after cleansing it. This may take longer, but it puts your skin under less stress.

Belief: Exfoliating dries out the skin

Not at all. Exfoliating gently removes impurities and dead skin cells, stimulates cell regeneration and increases the blood circulation in the top layers of skin. It also reduces excess oil, without disrupting the skin’s balance or drying it out.

Belief: Toothpaste helps relieve spots

Not a good idea! Some toothpastes contain zinc and do indeed have a drying and anti-inflammatory effect. But many also contain fluorine and menthol. These ingredients irritate the skin and may even make spots worse.

Daily skin care is not a myth

Hair care: no more old-fashioned traditions!

Belief: Cutting the ends of your hair promotes hair growth

Unfortunately not. Hair does not grow any thicker or faster – not even if you go to the hairdresser’s every month. The hair root is responsible for hair growth, and is not stimulated by getting your hair cut. Nevertheless, looking after the ends of your hair helps it to look healthier.

Belief: You can get shiny hair with 100 brush strokes a day

Far from it. Combing your hair frequently stimulates the circulation in the scalp, and with it the sebum production, meaning that naturally occurring oil is also spread throughout your hair. The layer of grease therefore makes your hair look shiny.

Belief: It’s best to cut your hair when there’s a full moon

Perhaps. The tides prove just how strong the moon’s influence is on sea water. People who believe in the power of the moon believe that it can also have an effect on the water balance in our body and on our hair. They believe it grows faster if you have it cut during a waxing moon.

Belief: Beer and eggs are great for strong hair

Absolutely. Mix egg yolk with olive oil, leave it to work for a long time and then rinse off thoroughly – this home-made version of a conditioner will make your hair look glossy. Beer provides a stronger grip, but unfortunately does not have a pleasant smell.

Beliefs about the body

We take a closer look at a few beauty myths – from head to toe. Does sweating make you slim? Just a rumour. Should you drink water long after you are thirsty? Whatever the truth may be – accept it.

Body care: the naked truth

Belief: You get the best sleep in the period before midnight

Wrong: What’s important is that the phases of deep sleep – the time when the mind and body recover – take place primarily in the first five hours after going to sleep. It makes no difference whether that’s before or after midnight.

Belief: It’s impossible to drink too much water

On the contrary. Too much water can actually harm the body. Especially when you sweat a lot, the body is deprived of salt. A very rough recommendation is to drink around 2–3 litres a day. This may vary depending on your body weight and amount of activity.

Belief: Sweating gives you a great figure!

Not really. Sweating increases our well-being, but it does not make us slimmer. Whether during sport or in the sauna: the water we lose by sweating is immediately restored when we have a drink afterwards.

Belief: Underarm sweat always smells bad

Not at all! Underarm wetness is odourless. The unpleasant smell only develops when the body’s own bacteria start decomposing the sweat.

Belief: Varicose veins are caused by crossing your legs

Forget it. Although varicose veins do usually start at the back of your knees, crossing your legs has nothing to do with it. Vein disorders primarily occur due to genetic weaknesses of the connective tissue.

Belief: Shaving makes you hair grow back thicker

Not true. When the shaved hair grows back, the stumps only look thicker because they are all the same length.

Belief: Bathing for too long causes dry skin

This is true in principle, but if you observe a few basic rules, you can enjoy your bath without any worries. Temperature: 38 degrees. Duration: no more than 30 minutes. With moisturising and rehydrating bath additives, you can provide your skin with extra protection.

Everyday beliefs

We expose some other curious beauty myths!

Beliefs for inside and out

Belief: Chocolate gives you spots

Wrong. An unhealthy diet can have a negative effect on the appearance of your skin. However, blocked pores are primarily responsible for spots, caused by increased production of sebum and corneous cells. The reasons for this are your hormonal state, your skin type and your skin care.

Belief: Spots on your nails are caused by a lack of calcium

Not true. The causes of these spots are likely to be small lacerations in the growth areas of the nails.

Myth: Reading in low light is harmful

Not true. Reading by torchlight under the covers will not affect your eyesight. Although the eye muscles do have to work harder due to the lack of light, your vision is not impaired because of it.

Myth: Tanning protects against sunburn

Partially true. If you go on holiday with a light pre-tan, you will need a lower UV protection factor. But don’t think you can get away with a self-tanning product, because this does not protect you from sunburn. And you should in any case always apply sufficient sunscreen.

Myth: You cannot tan in the car

Partially true.35% of UVB rays and most of the UVA radiation is transmitted through glass, so it is possible to tan and damage the skin. You should use a cream with adequate sun protection factor.

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