People believe a lot of things about their skin because they heard it at home, from a friend, or in an advertisement offering to “fix” the problem with a purchase. But, some of what we always believed and think we know is wrong, according to MUTHA™ CEO and Founder, Hope Smith.
“As an esthetician and a luxury skincare brand owner, here are some of the myths I’m debunking,” Hope said in a January 2022 Instagram story.
Skin Myth #1: Cleansing once at the end of the day is enough.
False.
According to Hope, “If you are wearing SPF or makeup you have to double cleanse. So, if you are wearing anything more than your skincare products you should cleanse once to remove the product, the dirt, and grime from the skin. And, you should cleanse another time, just to cleanse the skin.”
Skin Myth #2: Your skincare should contain SPF.
False.
“While any SPF is better than none, if you use two different skincare products: a separate SPF and a moisturizer,” Hope said.
Skin Myth #3: Oily skin doesn’t need moisturizer.
False.
“Well, it does,” Hope told followers. “Use a serum to treat your skin condition and then a moisturizer to treat your skin type.”
For example, skin conditions are:
- Signs of aging
- Acne
- Dehydration
- Pigmentation
- Rosacea
- Keratosis pilaris
- Eczema
- Psoriasis
And skin types are:
- Dry
- Oily
- Normal
- Combination
“In general, you should cleanse or double cleanse depending on what you already have on your skin with a non-foaming cleanser. You should exfoliate. You should hydrate and rebalance your pH with something like our essence for example. It’s a great, great step for this. You should apply your serum and then your moisturizer and then you can follow with a facial [face] oil,” Hope emphasized.
Skin Myth #4: You can shrink your pores.
False.
“So, pore size is mostly genetic. You can’t actually shrink your pores,” she said.
There’s not a product that’s going to shrink your pores!
“You can exfoliate to make your pores appear smaller. And you can take care of your skin so your pores look more clean, more translucent, almost clear. But nothing is going to open or close your pores. The reason you steam your pores, when you are doing extractions, is so that you can soften what’s inside and extract it. So, stop obsessing about your pores. They are not as big or as noticeable to other people as you think they are.”
Responding to a follower in the comment of her post, who was plagued by her pores, Hope wrote shrinking pores “is just marketing.” She offered another method for people with visible pores: use a primer under makeup to “help create a smoother canvas.”
“Just keep your pores clean and free of sebum, dirt, oil. Larger pores and texture isn’t a bad thing!” Hope wrote.
Learn more about Hope’s transformative natural skincare products and her five-step skincare routine.