False Skincare Myths

Pores are not doors: they do not open with hot water or steam, and they do not close with cold water. During facial cleansing, steam is used to liquefy sebum, making it easier to extract impurities. With specially formulated cosmetic products, you can simply try to refine the appearance of pore size: it is recommended to use astringent active ingredients (for example, Fomes Officinalis or burdock extract), clay masks and salicylic acid. Pores are not doors: they do not open with hot water or steam, and they do not close with cold water. During facial cleansing, steam is used to liquefy sebum, making it easier to extract impurities.

The ingredients listed at the bottom of an ingredient list (also known as "INCI") for a Skin care product are generally present in smaller quantities than the ingredients at the top of the list, keeping in mind that substances present in concentrations below 1% can be listed in any order after those with concentrations equal to or above 1%.

However, this does not necessarily mean that these ingredients are ineffective. Some ingredients listed at the bottom of the list can have very beneficial properties for the Skin but exert their activity at low concentrations. In fact, at higher concentrations, they could have the opposite effect and cause irritation: a typical example is retinol, which delivers its miraculous properties already at a concentration of 0.3%.

Also be careful of brands that advertise extremely high percentages of an active ingredient you are interested in: it is always wise to check what form the active ingredient is in and keep in mind that this stated concentration may not be accurate and the active ingredient may be "diluted".

In medicine, respiration has a single meaning and implies that lungs or other respiratory organs are involved. So no, the Skin cannot respire.

The Skin is a very important organ for the body's thermoregulation and for maintaining water balance, and it is rich in sweat glands that produce sweat, which helps cool the body through evaporation. It receives oxygen not from the air but from the vessels that irrigate the dermis, with which it exchanges O2 and nutrients.

The word 'respire' is often used figuratively to indicate that when the Skin cannot respire, it is because it is clogged by cosmetic products: this occlusion does not mean 'suffocating the Skin' but rather, many times, occlusion helps prevent it from becoming dehydrated, reducing the so-called TEWL (transepidermical water loss).

The cosmeceutical industry is a vast consumer-driven market that has seen strong sales growth since the early 2000s.

The term "cosmeceutical", which combines the words cosmetic and pharmaceutical, was popularized by Dr. Albert Kligman in the 1980s: it refers to a range of topical agents that offer both cosmetic properties, which improve the appearance of Skin, and pharmaceutical properties, which therapeutically alter Skin physiology and/or reverse a pathological process. An example of cosmeceuticals is dandruff shampoo, which is both a cosmetic (a cleanser) and a pharmaceutical proven to treat dandruff.

By definition, cosmeceuticals deliver fewer clinical changes than more heavily regulated and prescription medications, however the term cosmeceutical has no legal standing.

We start from a premise: the cost of a product is influenced by many factors, such as production costs, marketing, and the producer's marginal profit. Therefore, the price of a product does not always correspond to its quality or effectiveness.

There are products that cost a lot but what you will end up taking home will risk being mainly a beautiful packaging, which cost the company a great deal (and therefore also to you). The quality of a product depends on many factors, such as the formulation, the ingredients, and the methods of use. Of course, there are more expensive products that contain high-quality ingredients and are formulated to be very effective, but this is not the rule.

Silicones and parabens are commonly used ingredients in Skin care and hair care products. Despite public concern and fear that they are harmful or non-“natural” substances, they have been declared safe by both the FDA and the European Commission.

But what is the difference between parabens and silicones, and above all, what do they do?

Silicones
Silicones, and especially polydimethylsiloxanes, represent a class of excipients for the manufacture of topical dermatological products. Thanks to their exceptional physico-chemical properties, they offer numerous application possibilities for pharmaceutical formulations for Skin use. In addition to improving aesthetic and sensory properties, they can enhance the key properties of formulations such as their stability. The incredible thing is that most silicones used for topical application have an extremely low toxic potential for humans.

Parabens

 parabens are instead used as  preservatives to prevent the growth of bacteria and molds: the best thing is that they are some of the least allergenic preservatives available, with contact sensitization rates between 0.5% and 1.4% (rates that have remained stable since the 1990s).

However, the reputation of these compounds is rather negative, even though product preservation is an absolute necessity to prevent particularly problematic microbes, such as gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and gram-negative Escherichia coli, from contaminating cosmetics. The most commonly used parabens are: methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, and butylparaben, generally at concentrations of 0.4% or lower.

Parabens and silicones have been classified as safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as well as by the European Commission. The latter, through the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS), issues opinions on individual substances, which are regulatory bodies that ensure the safety of all substances on the market, based on scientific literature.

Skin and hair care products labeled "clean" are products that, according to their manufacturers, are free of harmful or potentially toxic chemicals. These products often contain natural or organic ingredients and are formulated without the use of substances such as parabens, sulfates, or silicones. Many consumers choose to use clean Skin and hair care products because they believe these products are safer and less irritating to the Skin than products formulated with chemicals. 

However, we must ask ourselves whether choosing ingredients considered more natural is truly better, and whether choosing ingredients considered more chemical-based is truly worse. Many "natural products" contain high concentrations of botanical extracts, which are one of the leading causes of irritant contact dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis, photosensitivity, and even toxic reactions. In a study conducted by the University of Ferrara, 6.22% of users of topical herbal products reported one or more adverse Skin reactions.

In addition, all cosmetics currently on the market are legally safe and no ingredient can be included in a cosmetic product if it has been certified as harmful.

Parabens, for example, are some of the least allergenic preservatives available, with contact sensitization rates between 0.5% and 1.4% (rates that have remained stable since the 1990s).

We’ve all tried using easily accessible, affordable products, hoping they’d have some effect on our Skin: toothpaste on pimples, lemon for spots, avocado, pumpkin, honey, olive oil. The harsh truth is that if it were that easy, there wouldn’t be a science behind these cosmetic products , and there wouldn’t be targeted checks and tests to ensure that everything we put on our face isn’t harmful.

The problem is that many products we have at home, or that we easily find at the supermarket, are absolutely not beneficial for our Skin, and most importantly, they haven’t been tested for it. At-home remedies most often cause disasters such as irritations, allergic reactions, and dermatitis. So-called "natural products" also contain high concentrations of botanical extracts, which are one of the main causes of irritant contact dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis, and photosensitization. In a study conducted by the University of Ferrara, 6.22% of users of topical herbal products reported one or more adverse skin reactions.

In conclusion, before spraying any citrus fruit you find in your fridge, really think about whether that can be useful to you and whether it can truly be the best solution for your Skin, better than the active ingredients that have been extensively studied in scientific dermatological literature.

You’ve definitely read that, after some time, the Skin becomes accustomed to the products you’re using, which is why it’s necessary to switch them often. This has no scientific basis, and now we’ll explain why. 

Skin cannot become accustomed for a simple reason: physiological cellular turnover is 20-28 days. That means within a month, all of your Skin’s cells have been replaced. 

If your cream doesn’t work as well as it used to, this can be due to several factors: seasonal changes, stress, or your lifestyle can interfere, and Skin may have different needs.