Have you heard that parabens are dangerous? Or that chemicals are bad for your skin? Those are some examples of fearmongering in beauty and skincare products.
In recent years, we've seen the rise of "clean beauty" that supposedly promotes "safer" products. Most of these products claim to feature natural and "non-chemical" ingredients. But are these products really safer or better? Let's look at some of the most common fearmongering statements in beauty:
"Natural products are better; chemicals are dangerous."
"Clean beauty" brands claim that their products are better because they use "natural" ingredients. These brands also claim that chemicals are bad for your skin. But the thing is, everything is a chemical -- even water!
If you pay close attention, people who claim that chemicals are dangerous will always offer a more "natural" alternative -- these alternatives are supposedly better than other products. But when you look closer, you'll realize that this is purely for the purpose of selling their own products. In other words, it’s all a marketing and scare tactic.
Some ingredients are vilified worse than others, like parabens. The clean beauty crowd makes parabens the bad guy, when it is actually one of the most stable preservatives out there. There's so much research about it, too. Without preservatives like parabens, your products will go bad easily and be more vulnerable to microorganism contamination. This will negatively affect the stability and performance of the product.
Without preservatives, skincare products can easily become moldy and unsafe for use. Source: The Eco Well
"No need to buy -- just DIY!"
Let’s be honest, it would be great if we could all save money and make our own products, instead of buying everything. There are already so many tutorials and guides about making your own skincare too!
But the fact is, DIY is not the best option for skincare. Our homes are simply not the best place to mix products that we'll put on our body and face. This is because our home environment is not as conducive as a proper lab, which has strict hygiene and sterilization standards. We also don't have access to the kind of equipment and ingredients needed to create stable formulations.
While more affordable, DIY skincare products are also unstable and less reliable. (Photo: GETTY IMAGES)
Unfortunately, making skincare is not as simple as mixing a bunch of "good" ingredients together. The ingredients must be carefully weighed and measured, and then mixed properly using the right equipment. Sure, you can try making your own skincare -- but the effectiveness and stability cannot be guaranteed.
"You cannot mix different brands in your skincare routine."
You definitely can! Or, you can stick to one particular brand - it’s all up to you. What matters is how your skin reacts to the combination of products and if they work for you. Your skin will let you know if something is wrong. Just pay attention to your skin and you will be fine.
"Medical-grade skincare is better than normal skincare."
There are a lot of claims out there that medical-grade, professional, or clinical skincare are better than regular skincare. These claims originate from the fact that medical-grade skincare use buzzwords like "dermatologically tested." The truth is, terms like that are unregulated. This means that there isn't necessarily proof that a certain product is actually "dermatologically tested." Even if it is, there's no way of knowing exactly what the standards are to back these claims.
Because of a lack of regulation, there isn't enough proof or substantial studies that can confirm if medical-grade skincare is actually better. So as long as the product doesn't cause you any harm and comes from a reliable brand, that's good enough!
Many beauty buzzwords are unregulated and therefore not completely reliable. (Source: The Klog)
