10 Beauty Myths Your Grandma Told You
It’s common to hear lots and lots of advice from our elders. Whether we’re listening to life tips (ranging from how to properly budget money to how to know when you’ve found “the one” to how to cook the perfect steak) or just soaking up the knowledge that our older relatives have to offer, these life lessons are worth taking to heart — most of the time. With every piece of advice our elders throw at us comes at least one or two myths that we have to question (with love, of course). We’ve teamed up with Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. to debunk 10 myths you might have heard from your grandmother that are worth contesting — just don’t tell her ;)
1. Pumping your mascara makes it work better. Actually, pumping your mascara can negatively affect the formula. By pumping the brush into the tube, you’re putting air bubbles into the mascara which will make it dry out and clump faster.
2. You should let your wounds breathe. Airing out your wounds won’t heal them faster! Cover ‘em up with BAND-AID® Brand Adhesive Bandages by Oh Joy! to speed up the healing process and ensure they won’t get infected (it can also help prevent scarring — a major plus!). The best part is that these bandages — which are exclusively available at Target stores and Target.com — are actually super cute.
3. A base tan will prevent you from getting a sunburn. Bottom line: You can get sunburned anytime you expose unprotected skin to sunlight — even when it’s cloudy outside. Having a slight tan before you head out for a sunny vacation, for example, absolutely won’t prevent you from getting sunburned, so toss this myth out the window. Apply SPF to your bod if you’ll be in the sun and make sure you incorporate SPF into your daily skincare routine, regardless of whether you’re vacationing or not.
4. Once your powder compacts shatter, they’re done for. Wrong! You can totally save a broken makeup compact (anything that’s powder, basically) with a little rubbing alcohol. Simply crush up the entire pan of makeup — including the pieces that broke :( — and then add a bit of rubbing alcohol until it’s absorbed. Press down to make the makeup whole again and let it set. Done and done!
5. Avoid oil-based products if you have oily skin. Despite what you may have been told, you should not avoid oil-based products if you have oily skin. Oil attracts oil, so if you use a cleansing oil to wash your face, it’ll work to balance out oily skin.
6. Toothpaste can help shrink zits. While this is an old school beauty hack, the ingredients in some toothpastes aren’t necessarily beneficial for your skin. More times than not, you’re better off leaving the zit alone or using a treatment that’s made specifically for breakouts.
7. Shampoo will stop working if you don’t switch it up. This is *so* not true. Shampoo cleanses your hair — period — and won’t stop working just because you’ve been using the same formula for a while. That said, if the needs of your hair change (i.e. your hair becomes more oily than ever before), it’s time to switch up your formula.
8. Filing your nails can be done in any direction. If you alternate which direction you file your nails in, your nails can become more brittle and prone to breakage. Stick to filing them in one uniform direction instead of going back and forth. There’s nothing worse than a broken nail that can snag on things, so keep a nail file handy! You *will* need it.
9. If you eat too many sweets, you will break out. This just straight up isn’t true. There’s not one specific type of food that can cause you to break out. Everyone’s skin is different, so it’s best to just stick to a healthy diet if you’re concerned about how your diet is affecting your skin. It’s all about a balance, which means you can eat sweets and have good skin — just do it in moderation.
10. You should always match your foundation on your neck. While most people color match their foundation to their neck, it’s really best to find the closest match on the inside of your wrist. Try three shades: the shade you think your skin is best matched to and a shade lighter and darker than that. This ensures you find the closest match to your skin and lets you figure out if your skin tone has changed at all.
Have you debunked any beauty myths? Show us on Instagram and tag #iamcreative so we can follow along.
This post is a collaboration with Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc.
Author: Beth Wischnia
Styling: Yising Chou
Photography: Chris Andre