The world of skincare is a lot. Thousands of brands, endless opinions, and enough conflicting advice to make your head spin faster than a toddler after a birthday cake.
Even though we live and breathe this stuff and still keep learning. So instead of leaving you to sort through the noise on your own, we’ve done the myth-busting for you.
Here are 12 of the most common skincare myths – and what’s actually true.
1. Hot water opens your pores
Fiction.
Pores are not tiny doors. They don’t swing open and shut depending on the temperature of your face washer.
What hot water can do is soften oil and debris sitting on the skin, which may make cleansing feel more effective. But hot water can also dry and irritate your skin, which is a bit rude, really. If your pores look more noticeable, that’s usually down to oil, congestion, skin texture or inflammation – not because they’ve been “opened”.
Best bet? Stick with lukewarm water and a gentle cleanser.
2. Your skin gets used to products, so you need to keep switching them
Usually fiction.
Your skin doesn’t normally “get used to” a good product in the way people think. If something is working well for your skin, there’s no prize for replacing it just for the sake of change.
What can happen is that your skin improves, so the dramatic before-and-after feeling settles down. Or your skin’s needs shift with the seasons, hormones, stress, age or lifestyle. That doesn’t mean your skincare stopped working – it just means skin is a living, changing little beast.
A consistent routine often beats a chaotic cupboard full of half-used bottles.
3. Age spots are just part of getting older
Mostly fiction.
They’re often called age spots, but a more accurate name is sun spots. They’re usually linked to cumulative UV exposure over time, not simply the fact that you’ve had more birthdays.
That’s actually good news, because it means prevention matters. Daily sun protection can help reduce your chances of developing them in the first place.
So yes, time passes. But the sun is usually the real troublemaker here.
4. Diet has no impact on how your skin ages
Fiction.
What you eat doesn’t magically override genetics, hormones or skincare, but diet can absolutely influence how your skin looks and behaves.
For example, diets high in sugar and rapidly absorbed carbs may contribute to glycation – a process that can affect collagen over time. In plain English: too much sugar, too often, can make the structures that keep skin looking firm a bit more stiff and less springy.
That doesn’t mean you need to fear a slice of sourdough or swear off birthday cake forever. It just means your skin, like the rest of your body, tends to do best with a balanced diet rich in colourful whole foods, healthy fats and enough water.
Annoying? Maybe. Groundbreaking? Not really. Your mum was onto something.
5. Hypoallergenic products are automatically safer for sensitive skin
Fiction.
“Hypoallergenic” sounds wonderfully reassuring, doesn’t it? Like the product arrives wearing a lab coat and carrying a clipboard.
But the term isn’t a guarantee that a product won’t irritate your skin. It usually means the product is intended to be less likely to trigger a reaction – not that it’s reaction-proof.
Sensitive skin is personal. One person’s holy grail is another person’s itchy regret.
That’s why patch testing matters, no matter how lovely the label sounds.
6. Products with collagen and elastin will boost your skin’s collagen
Mostly fiction.
This one sounds logical, but skin isn’t quite that straightforward.
Putting collagen on your skin does not mean it neatly slips inside and tops up your own collagen stores like a refill pouch. Topical collagen can help with hydration and can make skin feel smoother and more comfortable, but it doesn’t simply replace the collagen your skin naturally loses over time.
If your goal is to support healthy-looking skin, ingredients like vitamin C, sunscreen and well-formulated actives generally have better evidence behind them.
So collagen in skincare isn’t necessarily useless – it’s just not the miracle “put it on, grow more collagen” shortcut it’s often made out to be.
7. Makeup with SPF is just as good as sunscreen
Fiction.
SPF in makeup is a nice bonus, but it usually shouldn’t be your main line of defence.
Why? Because to get the SPF written on the label, you need to apply a decent amount of product. And unless you’re planning to wear foundation like stage paint, most of us simply don’t use enough to get that full protection.
The better approach is to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen as your base, then layer your makeup on top. That way your skin gets the protection it needs, and you still get to look polished instead of pancake-battered.
8. Pimples are just a teenage problem
Fiction.
Wouldn’t that be nice?
Acne and breakouts can absolutely show up in adulthood – in your 20s, 30s, 40s and beyond. Hormones are often a big driver, especially around your cycle, during pregnancy, in perimenopause and menopause, or during stressful seasons when your whole body is already having words with you.
Adult skin can also be a bit trickier to manage because you may be dealing with breakouts and dryness and sensitivity at the same time. Cute.
A steady, supportive routine usually helps far more than attacking your face with every “spot-zapping” product under the sun.
Breakout-prone? We’ve got a whole range made with skin-clearing support in mind.
9. Anti-ageing products are only for people who already have wrinkles
Fiction.
When it comes to skin, prevention is often much easier than trying to play catch-up later.
That doesn’t mean you need a ten-step routine at age 22 and a panic attack every time you find a fine line. It just means supporting your skin early – with daily sunscreen, antioxidants and barrier-friendly care – can help it stay healthier and more resilient over time.
Think of it like flossing. You don’t wait until your teeth are falling out to start caring.
Good skincare is a long game. Boringly consistent usually wins.
10. If you can’t pronounce an ingredient, it’s probably bad for you
Fiction.
This myth really needs to go in the bin.
An ingredient having a long, complicated name tells you absolutely nothing about whether it’s safe, effective or appropriate for your skin. Scientific names are often just that – scientific names.
Some brilliant skincare ingredients sound like they belong in a chemistry exam. Some “natural” ingredients sound lovely and botanical and can still irritate the life out of sensitive skin.
What matters is the ingredient itself, how much of it is in the formula, how it’s been used, and whether it suits your skin.
So no, you don’t need to be able to say it out loud without tripping over your tongue for it to be a good ingredient.
11. More product means better results
Fiction. Mostly.
With many skincare products, piling on more doesn’t mean better skin – it just means you run out faster and increase your chances of irritation.
Your skin can only use so much at once. Overdoing cleansers, exfoliants, actives or moisturisers can leave your barrier grumpy, your face stingy and your bathroom shelf very expensive.
In most cases, using the right product in the right amount is the sweet spot.
The big exception? Sunscreen. That’s one place where underdoing it is incredibly common, so being generous is actually the right move.
12. Your armpits aren’t really skin
Extremely fiction. Your pits would like a word.
Your underarms are skin – and quite delicate skin at that. They deal with friction, sweat, shaving, occlusion, and all sorts of daily nonsense, so they deserve proper care.
They also have their own microbiome: a community of bacteria that plays a role in body odour and overall skin balance. Sweat itself isn’t the main culprit for BO – it’s what happens when skin bacteria break down certain compounds in that warm, cosy underarm environment.
That’s why underarm care isn’t just about blocking smell. It’s also about being kind to the skin there.
Our natural deodorant sticks and pastes are made with odour-fighting and skin-loving ingredients to help keep underarms feeling fresh, comfortable and happy – without unnecessary harshness.
Skincare myths are everywhere, and honestly, some of them have been hanging around longer than low-rise jeans should have.
The good news? You don’t need perfect skin knowledge to make good choices. A little curiosity, a little consistency, and a healthy suspicion of overblown marketing goes a long way.
Got a skincare myth you want us to bust next? Drop us a message – we’re always up for a good myth demolition job.
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