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 works to liquefy sebum, making it easier to extract impurities. With cosmetic products formulated specifically for this purpose, you can simply try to minimize the appearance of pores: 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 works 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 random 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 extremely 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 promote extremely high percentages of an active ingredient you are interested in: it is always best to check what form the active ingredient is in and keep in mind that this concentration may not be real and the active ingredient may be "diluted".

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

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 "breathe" is often used figuratively to indicate that, when Skin does not breathe, it is because it is blocked by cosmetic products: occlusion does not mean "choking Skin" but on the contrary, many times occlusion helps prevent it from drying out by 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 the physiology of Skin 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 produce fewer clinical changes than more heavily regulated and prescribed pharmaceuticals, yet the term cosmeceutical has no legal meaning.

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" ingredients, they have been declared safe by both the FDA and the European Commission.

But what is the difference between parabens and silicones, and more importantly, what do they do?

Silicones
Silicones, and especially polydimethylsiloxanes, represent a class of excipients used in 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 core performance of formulations such as their stability. The incredible thing is that most silicones used topically have an extremely low toxic potential for humans.

Parabens

 Parabens are instead used as  preservatives to prevent the growth of bacteria and mold: the best part 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, these compounds have a rather negative reputation, even though product preservation is an absolute necessity to prevent 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), provides opinions on individual substances, which is carried out by regulatory bodies that ensure the safety of all commercially available substances 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 among the leading causes of irritant contact dermatitis, allergic reactions, photosensitivity, and even toxic poisoning. 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 added to a cosmetic product if it is 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 have all tried using easily accessible and inexpensive products, hoping they would have some effect on our Skin: toothpaste on pimples, lemon for spots, avocados, pumpkins, honey, olive oil. The hard truth is that, if it were that easy, there would be no science behind products in cosmetics, and there would be no targeted checks and tests to ensure that everything we put on our faces is not 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, above all, have not been tested for it. Home remedies most often cause problems such as irritations, allergic reactions, and dermatitis. So-called "natural products" also contain high concentrations of botanical extracts that 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 the fridge onto your skin, really think about whether it 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 dermatological scientific literature.

You have surely read that, after a while, your Skin becomes accustomed to the products you are using, which is why it’s often necessary to switch them out. This has no scientific basis, and we’ll explain why now. 

Your Skin cannot become accustomed to anything for a simple reason: physiological cellular turnover takes 20-28 days. This means that within the span of a month, all the cells of your Skin will have been replaced. 

If your cream no longer works as well as it used to, this can be due to several factors: seasonal shifts, stress, or your lifestyle can all interfere, and your Skin may have different needs.