The Beauty Myths Advertisers Don’t Want You to Know

Advertising beauty industry products is big business – it’s no wonder most of the high street brands even have the budget to place their collection in front of women and men via TV trailers and promotional YouTube clips.

While we won’t go as far as to say advertisers lie, they certainly bend the truth when it comes to claims surrounding their product. Does that mascara really give you 5 x volume? And can that fake tan give you a ‘just-got-home-from-a-day-on-the-beach’ glow? Who really knows? 

To help you though, we’ve compiled a few beauty myths those in the industry definitely don’t want you to know about:

Acne Isn’t Caused by Unclean Skin – If you’ve ever suffered from acne as a teen, you’ll have probably heard the taunts from fellow students that ‘you need to wash your face more often’. The fact is, acne isn’t caused by unclean skin. In fact, the more you wash it, the oiler it generally becomes, which of course means more blemishes.

But the advertisers probably won’t want you to know this fact. Why? Because they won’t be able to so easily push their super-duper facial cleanser, or their exfoliating scrub that promises to banish acne in seven uses. Or whatever. 

If you’ve ever worked in the beauty industry, you might know that good skin often starts from within. And if you’re suffering from acne, it could be down to diet, lifestyle or even hormonal issues. The important thing is to find the regime that works for you – and don’t be sucked in by the adverts.

Expensive Cosmetics Are Better than Inexpensive Ones – You’ll probably notice that expensive products feature more expensive-looking packaging, but that can often be where it ends in terms of which item’s more superior.

Some people report to only ever use soap and water to cleanse their face and have never had so much as a wrinkle or a zit pop up. Others, however, will claim that their high end moisturiser is the bee’s knees. 

But do you know what it’s really down to? Personal preference. After all, an ALDI face cream recently wooed people over recently, being dubbed as strikingly similar to one that cost £200+. So that’s all you need to know really.

You Should Choose Skincare Products Based on Your Age – Again, another myth that should definitely be busted! Advertisers would have you believe that you simply need to start moisturising your skin as soon as you reach the big 3-0, but if your skin doesn’t need it, it doesn’t need it.

What you should be doing instead is paying attention to your own skin’s personal needs – and then make your decision based on the products you’d like to use. After all, oily skin will need a different set of products than a dry complexion.

Just as you shouldn’t always take TV adverts as gospel, you should also be aware of pushy salespeople at make-up counters. After all, they’re on commission aren’t they? Avoid retail therapy and go for spa therapy instead! Take into account you and you only; if your skin needs that moisturiser, you’ll know about it.