Yesterday we had part one of our Mythbustin' duo - we told the truth and shamed the devil about using Lanacane as facial primer, we decreed that the rumour abounding that oily skin doesn't need moisturiser is a load of nonsense, and we mocked the myth that skincare just stops working.
So if you enjoyed that post, you might like this: it's part two and we're laying into FIVE more popular beauty fairy tales. Are any of them true? Read on to find out!
DON'T PLUCK ABOVE THE BROW
A beauty entreaty as earnestly adhered to as the Ghostbusters' aversion to crossing the streams, we're often left wondering why this is such a bad idea. It's not, according to threading guru Shavata, but she does add a qualifier: “it is true that the majority of the hair you remove when shaping your brows should be from underneath the eyebrow.” Most people don't need to have too much taken away on top, and you can often get away with doing the minimum here.
FACT OR FICTION: Fiction. Brows need tidying both up and downstairs. “Use a very accurate pair of pointed tweezers so you remove only the hairs that you want to,” advises Shavata.
COFFEE CAN CURE CELLULITE
90s Supermodel Cindy Crawford is said to be a fan of rubbing left-over coffee grounds on her posterior to keep bum and thighs toned and cellulite-free, and in fact, a lot of anti-cellulite products like Shiseido's Body Creator Aromatic Sculpting Concentrate include caffeine too. But, um, why? Scientists have proven that it can speed up cell metabolism, and that means it can help with the elimination of toxins which are thought to cause the problem in the first place.
FACT OR FICTION: This one is half and half. While we know caffeine can help with the battle of the bulge, there is no topical cream – or coffee pot leftover - that can cure dreaded orange peel all on its own. Instead, a combination of body brushing and regular massage using a cream containing active ingredients like caffeine is likely to have the best results.
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CHOCOLATE CAUSES ACNE
Teenagers the land over have the hands slapped off them as they reach for a bar of Cadburys, but does eating chocolate really lead to acne? “No” says Marissa Carter of Dun Laoghaire's Carter Beauty and Acne Clinic. “Acne is caused by a sensitivity to hormones, but chocolate can cause an imbalance in sugar levels, leading to highs and lows. That can trigger a disruption in hormones, which could cause a pimple. But it's not the same thing as it triggering acne,” she reveals.
FACT OR FICTION: Fiction, but if you're prone to breakouts then Carter recommends that you lay off any food that causes blood sugar to spike and fall. “Stick to a hormone-friendly diet like Low GI or one that's high in Omega oils,” she advises.
ADDING SPFS TOGETHER GIVES YOU MORE PROTECTION
Maths works a little differently when it comes to sunscreen, and while you might think it makes sense, you can't add up the SFP in your products. “The reality is that a factor 30 is only about 2pc more effective than a factor 15,” reveals Eavanna Breen of Temple Bar's Akina Laser and Beauty clinic. “It's all do to with the amount of the ingredient in a product, so if you have a factor 15 in your skincare and a factor 20 in your makeup, you're getting factor 20 protection, not factor 35,” she adds.
FACT OR FICTION: Fiction. You're only protected to the level of the highest factor you applied.
TEST FOUNDATION ON YOUR HAND
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Unless you use your face to do the dishes and you subject it to the same indignities as your hands, it's unlikely the skin here will be a good match for your complexion. Your mammy might have told you this is the ideal place to test a new foundation, but Leonard Daly, of Queen Beauty Emporium, has a much better recommendation. “The best place is to test on the chin,” he says. “Try three different shades and the one that disappears is the right match for you.”
FACT OR FICTION: Fiction. Sure, you can test on your hand but don't expect the result to match your facial skin. Daly advises shopping for foundation bare-faced: “after all, you wouldn't buy a pair of shoes without trying them on, would you?,” he laughs.
