Our Beauty Secret Revealed- 16 Beauty Myths: Fact or Fiction?

Myth: Chocolate makes you break out. Fiction. Chocolate won't cause a breakout, but it is true that a poor diet can irritate your skin, so try to limit your chocolate cravings! Myth: Cucumbers will help de-puff your eyes. Fact. Eye puffiness can be genetic, but there are definitely things you can do to reduce darkness and those puffy bags we loathe! Cucumbers can do the trick — and so can anything that's cold and can be easily applied to your eyes. The coldness restricts blood vessels which reduces swelling and puffiness. Just make sure to limit the application to about five minutes for optimal results. Myth: 8 hours sleep can help me lose weight. Fact. The experts tell us to aim for 8 hours a day, but if that just seems impossible, shoot for 6-8. Obviously we're not eating while we're sleeping, but in addition, not getting enough sleep can prevent us from burning as many calories as we should throughout the day...so get back in bed and rest up! (You don’t have to tell us twice!) Myth: Your cell phone can make you break out.           Fact. Okay this is gross, but...apparently cell phones are premiere breeding grounds for germs. Some experts say the average cell phone has more germs than doorknobs and even toilet seats — yuck! Make sure you take a clean cloth to your cell phone screen every so often to help get rid of any breakout-causing germs! Myth: Waxing or shaving will make my hair grow back thicker.          Fiction. Contrary to popular belief, shaving and waxing will not make hair grow back thicker. Most people think this is true because when hair grows back in after waxing/shaving, the hair is a bit shorter than normal, therefore seeming thicker and coarser while longer hair appears more fine. Myth: Pumping the mascara wand helps to apply mascara better. Fiction. This is a big no-no as far as mascaras are concerned. The only thing you get when you pump the mascara wand is extra air and bubbles in the mascara tube which dries it out and decreases its lasting power. If your mascara is running low but it's not time to toss it, just slowly twist the brush as you remove it to pick up more of the product. Myth: Obsessive face washing can eliminate acne.    Fiction. We know it seems backward, but over-washing your face will dry it out and remove natural oils, which will put your face into over-oil production mode. Stick to washing your face twice-daily, once in the morning and once at night. Myth: Drinking tea can make my teeth look yellow.      Fact. Red and white wine, soda, tea, and coffee can all contribute to the yellowing of tooth enamel. If you just can't give up your morning tea or latte, try to sip through a straw when possible to minimize contact with your tooth enamel. Myth: Cocoa butter will help get rid of stretch marks.   Fiction. There are plenty of creams and lotions that claim to eliminate or at least minimize stretch marks. While we would love for all of these to work, stretch marks are caused by weight gain or loss, and usually can't be reversed Myth: Certain cleansers can make your pores smaller.           Fiction. Pore size is genetic, so although there are tons of products out there claiming to shrink the size of your pores, they don't work to minimize pores permanently. What they can do is temporarily make your pores appear smaller. Hey — we'll take what we can get! Myth: Crossing your legs causes varicose veins.         Fiction. There are plenty of ways to potentially develop varicose veins, but none of them are related to crossing your legs (sigh of relief). Some examples of what could causes varicose veins include genetics, obesity, trauma to the skin, etc. Myth: Toothpaste can zap a zit.    Fact and fiction. Toothpaste contains ingredients that can dry out the skin, ultimately drying out/clearing up pimples. While this is true, drying out the skin can also cause irritation, so the benefits are short lived. Bottom line: Stick to your normal skin treatment or see a dermatologist if you are experiencing issues with your skin. Myth: Matching eye shadow will make your eye color pop.    Fiction. Actually, contrasting your eye makeup with your eye color is what will really stand out. Here are a couple recommendations based on your eye color: Green/Hazel: Plum, deep browns, and light golden hues Blue: Smoky charcoals, chocolate, and bright berry tones Brown: Soft pinks, natural beige, and shades of bronze Myth: I pluck one gray hair, multiple gray hairs will grow back in it's place.             Fiction. This isn't true — which is good because some of us were starting to worry! While plucking gray hairs won't make more grow back in its place, it's not a good habit to get into since it can damage the root. Myth: Sleeping on your back may prevent wrinkles.    Fact. After hearing this, we're never sleeping on our sides again! The American Academy of Dermatology says that sleeping in certain positions may result in "sleep lines." After time, these lines can turn into deep-set wrinkles, so flip over and get your shut-eye on your back. Myth: Brushing your hair 100 times every night will increase its shine.       Fiction. We wish! Brushing your hair too much actually increases the potential for pulling out strands of hair. Instead, just brush your hair when drying or styling it and use a shine spray, if you're looking for more luster. So now we know the fact from the fiction, the truths from the lies and the realities from the myths. ~Nicole J.