10 Skincare Myths Debunked by Dr. Kaplan

There’s a good side and a bad side to having a lot of information right at our fingertips, and unfortunately there’s a number of skincare myths that are constantly circulating – no matter how many times they’ve been debunked. 

The issue with skincare myths is that people take them seriously and are unsure why their skin still feels unhealthy. By continuing to debunk these skincare myths, Dr. Kaplan hopes to remind everyone of the importance of proper skincare and ensuring you're using methods approved by dermatologists. 

No matter what, we all fall into the trap of trusting myths, so if one of the 11 skincare myths we’re debunking today is something you’ve been doing, you’re not the only one! But, Dr. Kaplan’s here to debunk it and make sure you’re treating your skin the way it needs to be treated.

Myth #1: Drinking Water Hydrates you Skin

It’s not that water doesn’t hydrate you, it very clearly does, and it’s essential to your health and wellbeing. In fact, drinking water helps with brain function, energy, digestion and so much more. If you’re extremely dehydrated you may notice a negative impact on your skin, so of course you want to stay hydrated for your skin’s health.

But does it directly hydrate your skin by drinking 8+ cups of water a day? No, it doesn’t.

There’s little to no research done on the topic and by drinking water there’s no direct impact on your skin. Plus, it doesn’t rush to your skin cells first, it goes through a rigorous process beforehand. When you drink water, it first is absorbed into your bloodstream, and then gets filtered by the kidneys. Mostly, water keeps your body running internally, but externally, your skincare routine is what truly hydrates your skin.

Recommended products: Diamond Contour Collagen Boosting Hydration Créme, Daily Moisture SPF 30 Concentrate, Night Replenishment Concentrate

Myth #2: Eye Creams Don’t Do Anything Different than Normal Moisturizers

This skincare myth is one everyone wants to be true. Why? Because it cuts your skincare routine down a step, and it’s one less product you need to purchase. But, as much as we all wish we could just use our regular moisturizer on the skin around our eyes, it’s not recommended. There’s a few reasons for it, and the biggest being how different the skin around your eyes is compared to the rest of your face. Since it’s thinner, and more sensitive, you want to use a cream that caters to your skin around that area. 

So, what’s the key differences between your facial moisturizer and eye cream? Well, not only are they formulated specifically for the thin, sensitive skin around your eyes, they’re also thicker. Within this thick formula are a lot more active ingredients that are specifically designed for your eye area’s problems (which aren’t the same for the rest of your face). These issues aren’t just wrinkles, but also darkness and puffiness. This skin also dehydrates a lot faster, so it needs an even bigger hit of hydration than the rest.

Basically, eye creams do a lot more than you think and it’s all in the formula. If you’re looking to fight aging and keep your skin healthy, listening to this skincare myth might be doing more damage than you know.

Recommended products: Diamond Contour Ultimate Hydration Firming Eye Serum, Intensive Eye Concentrate

Myth #3: You Don’t Need to Moisturize if you have Oily Skin

This skincare myth is said way too often for its own good, and it’s completely false. Everyone always believes that moisturizers just hydrate – and they do, of course – but they also helpregulate oil production. Basically, if you have oily skin and stop using a moisturizer your skin will continue to produce even more oil to make up for the lack of moisture it's receiving.

Not only this, but your skin’s oil and moisture are two very different things which also debunks this skincare myth. Your skin’s oil is called sebum and it’s released by the sebaceous glands helping to maintain your skin’s barrier function. On the other hand, skin hydration is when water is absorbed into your skin’s layers to maintain plumpness and elasticity. So, without a mix of both you’re risking your skin’s health and even if you have oily skin, it’s still not giving your skin the type of moisture it needs. 

Recommended products: Diamond Contour Collagen Boosting Hydration Créme, Daily Moisture SPF 30 Concentrate, Night Replenishment Concentrate

Myth #4: SPF isn’t Needed in the Fall, Winter or if you’re Indoors

Now this is a skincare myth that’s constantly being debunked, and we need to keep doing it because without daily SPF you’re putting your skin at risk. Many people believe that if you can’t feel it, the sun’s probably not damaging your skin, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.

At all times, even when it’s cloudy, the sun is present and when it’s there UV Rays are still making their way to your skin. Even when you’re inside, your windows aren’t designed to protect you from UV Rays. That means, even if you’re having a relaxing Sunday on a rainy day your skin can still be at risk.

That’s why, no matter what, SPF is so important to maintaining skin health and youthfulness. 

Recommended products: Daily Moisture SPF 30 Concentrate, Diamond Contour Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Complete Complexion Treatment, Perfect Pout Lip Balm

Myth #5: Spray Tans can Protect Your Skin from Burning

Now this is a skincare myth that can cause some serious damage to your skin. Even if you have a spray tan, or if you’ve used any other form of sunless tanning, it willnot protect you from the sun’s UV Rays. You’ll still be putting your skin in the same danger as before.

Sunless tanning is a great way to get a tan without the harmful effects of the sun, but they’re only designed for that. So, even if you have a spray tan or another form of sunless tanning on your body, you’ll still want to make sure you’re protecting your skin with SPF, wearing a hat and going into the shade when you need to. 

If you do choose to do sunless tanning, just remember to make sure you’re looking at the ingredient list! Make sure you’re getting one that’s good for your skin.

Recommended products: Daily Moisture SPF 30 Concentrate, Diamond Contour Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Complete Complexion Treatment, Perfect Pout Lip Balm

Myth #6: Toothpaste and Rubbing Alcohol Work to Beat Acnes & Breakouts

It’s always nice knowing that you can use something that’s always in your household to treat acne and breakouts – but unfortunately, we need to debunk this skincare myth too. When it comes to rubbing alcohol and toothpaste, they’re both not supposed to regularly come in contact with your skin. What can end up happening is you’ll dry out and irritate your skin even faster, which can do more damage than good. 

Though rubbing alcohol specifically can kill bacteria, it’s never been tested on skin and based on the negatives that could happen with consistent use, it’s not recommended by dermatologists. When it comes to toothpaste, which may seem like the safer option, it still isn’t the best. Toothpaste can be irritating for your skin thanks to the chemicals found inside it and you risk easily overdrying the skin. We recommend sticking with products that you know will be good for your skin and not dry it out completely.

Recommended products: Diamond Contour Supercharged 1-Minute Daily Facial, Clarifying Toner, Purifying Foam Cleanser, Firming Mask, Cell Renewing Microfoliant

Myth #7: SPF isn’t Needed for your Lips Since your Lips don’t Burn

Dr. Kaplan suggests completely ignoring this skincare myth because it couldn’t be further from the truth. Your lips are a sensitive area of your face and if anything, it needs more protection from the sun compared to anywhere else. 

The skin on your lips is much thinner than the rest of your face, even thinner than the skin around your eyes. That’s why it’s so prone to damage and why they easily get chapped and sore. For this reason, it’s incredibly important to ensure you have a SPF in your lip products, or at least use one with SPF as a layer on top of your lipstick.

Recommended products: Perfect Pout Lipstick, Perfect Pout Lip Balm

Myth #8: You Need a Big, Rigorous Skincare Routine to get Healthy Skin

If you’ve been following Dr. Kaplan’s work and using his products, you’ll know that he’s all about simplifying the routine and quality over quantity. This myth is completely busted by him and other dermatologists because it’s not about how big your skincare routine is, it’s about the ingredients and the formulas.

If you’re using products that are formulated with powerful ingredients in the right way, you really don’t need a 7 or 8 step routine! Simplifying and ensuring that you are able to do it daily is always the way to go. If anything, a bigger, longer skincare routine can actually do some damage if the ingredients aren’t right and if you’re overdoing it on your face.

Recommended products: Daily Regimen, Diamond Contour Supercharged 1-Minute Daily Facial, Diamond Contour Ultimate Hydration Firming Eye Serum

Myth #9: You’ll Age Faster if you Wear Makeup Every Day

Nope! This is a big skincare myth. A lot of people believe that wearing makeup every day will harm your skin and actually age it faster. If you’re using makeup daily, don’t worry… it won’t. 

The biggest thing to remember if you're someone who wears makeup every day, a few times a week or only on occasion is that you need to take it off at night. If you’re not taking it off at night regularly, you can do some damage to your skin, but it’s not because of the makeup, it’s because it hasn’t been removed.

So, as long as you remember to use your makeup cleanser, you’re good! You’ll also want to look for makeup products, if you can, that give your skin nutrients all day long so that it also acts as skincare.

Recommended products: Perfect Pout Lipstick, Lip 20 Liner, Clarifying Toner,Purifying Foam Cleanser, Cell Renewing Microfoliant

Myth #10: Scrubbing Your Skin Hard will Keep Your Skin Clear

If you’re scrubbing hard on your skin, this can actually do more damage than you think. It might feel like you’re getting more dirt off your skin and unclogging your pores, but what you’re doing is actually irritating your skin. Have you ever scrubbed your face really hard and noticed that your skin looks a bit more red? That isn’t a good thing, in fact your skin is being damaged and it may be a bit inflamed. This is especially true with exfoliators. If you’re exfoliating, remember, there’s no need to scrub hard since the ingredients do the work for you!

Recommended products: Cell Renewing Microfoliant, Diamond Contour Supercharged 1-Minute Daily Facial, Firming Mask