Beauty myths are often no more than old adages that are handed down to each generation. Some of these misconceptions are centuries old and just plain silly. While logic doesn't seem to play a big factor in beauty myths, they're still abundant. These common beauty myths are pure fiction and deserve to take their place in the "beauty myth hall of shame."

• Soap is bad for your skin.

Older formulas contained animal fats and vegetable oils. Newer soaps are formulated to be milder and some contain moisturizers that don't dry out your skin. Clean skin is better than dirty skin.

• Antiperspirants can cause cancer.

This theory makes it's rounds on the internet and you may find this in your inbox. There is no evidence linking antiperspirants and breast cancer.

• Shaving your legs will make your hair grow in thicker.

You have as many hairs as is genetically determined, regardless of whether you shave them.

• Drinking a lot of water leads to beautiful skin.

While drinking water is necessary for our bodies, too much will only result in bloating and too many trips to the bathroom.

• Split ends can be repaired.

The only way to rid of split ends is to cut them off and prevent them in the future with good hair care.

• Dry skin causes wrinkles.

Not true. Most wrinkles are caused from the sun.

• You can wash acne and pimples away.

Scrubbing too vigorously will increase oil production and only aggravate the condition.

• The sun clears up blemishes.

While the sun will temporarily dry out pimples, it interferes with healthy skin cells. This can cause a worse breakout a couple days after sun exposure.

• Stick to one brand and line of products.

  This beauty myth was probably put out by cosmetic manufacturers who want to keep customers loyal to their brand.

  You don't need to use sunscreen on a cloudy day.

The sun's UV rays penetrate clouds and can still damage your skin.

• Natural ingredients are non-allergenic.

Whether it's a natural or chemical ingredient, if your allergic to it, you'll see a reaction.

• Chocolate and greasy foods cause acne.

No one food has been proven to cause breakouts. If you find a correlation, quit eating that particular food, it can cause acne.

• You can shrink the pores on your face.

Your pore size is genetically determined. Pores may appear larger by bacteria and dead skin cells.

It's too late to start using sunscreen.

It's never too late to start protecting skin from the sun.  The cumulative effect of the sun is what's damaging, so by avoiding it, you could halt some of its progress.  Furthermore, there is clinical evidence that once you start protecting the skin, it has the ability to repair itself.  This repair is not going to happen overnight; it's a gradual process that can take a couple years to yield significant results.

Scalp massage can turn around hair loss.

If it can, it's never been scientifically proven. Proponents of massage, claim myriad benefits, including an increase in circulation to the scalp, which causes the hair bulb to be flooded with the nutrients necessary for healthy hair growth. However the scalp is already one of the most vascularized areas of the body. There may be a placebo or anti-stress component, which could account for the limited success in a few people.

Everybody needs a moisturizer.

This is another multi-million dollar myth the cosmetic companies want you to believe. In reality, you only need a moisturizer if you experience the following clinical signs: redness, scaliness or itchiness. These are more frequently seen in cold weather. The drier your skin, the heavier a moisturizer you need. When does it make sense to have two different moisturizers? If you're extremely dry on, say your hand and only moderately dry on your body, use separate products.

Once you have a face lift,  you'll need another.

This sounds like a myth that a lot of celebrities have taken at 'face' value, but it has no basis in fact. What is true is that a face lift doesn't reverse the aging process. It just makes you look better than you would have looked without it from that point on. It's not unusual for a person who's had a face lift to decide one still looks pretty good, or at least better than all ones friends, and opt out of the second surgery.

  Skin needs to breath.
    Okay, let's all practice this one together. Your lungs breath, your skin holds your bones and guts together. Any questions?  Yes it is nice to not put makeup on your face everyday. Not because makeup suffocates the skin; but makeup, dirt, and oil can irritate and clog your pores. That is why your cleansing regiment is so important for you. Use good products and never sleep in makeup. That's it.
 

oily skin should be dried out.
     Oil production is very important for the maintenance of our skin. Most people are not nearly as oily as they think. If you are truly an oily skin it is very important to not dry out the skin but keep it balanced and clean. Hydration and oiliness are very separate. Just because your skin is oily doesn't mean that it needs no moisture. We put moisture on the skin to help it stay supple as it receives oil and water from the inside. If the skin is dehydrated we often begin producing more oil as our skin tries to compensate. This is the reason that many skins breakout. They have a dry flaky layer on the top surface and the oil that the skin produces gets trapped underneath and becomes infected. This is why it is so important to keep the outer layer of skin exfoliated and moisturized.
    Also, most oily skin cleansers are way to harsh and drying for the skin. The skin should never feel tight or dry or burn after washing. Also anything that burns or "cools" the skin is damaging it. Use those products on sunburns, your legs, or clean your tub with them...but do not put them on the face.
 

A light tan looks good.
    Your skin doesn't brown because it is happy about the sun exposure it is getting. It browns the same way that a piece of toast browns.. because it is being cooked. If you are wearing a sunscreen of at least SPF 15 everyday you will still get a bit of color during the warm months of the year. This is inevitable. But if you are putting yourself out in the sun to darken your skin then you are asking to look like a Coach handbag in 10 years. For you young girls, those large freckles and spots you see on older women's skin...if you are tanning now then you already have them. They won't show up until your mid-20's to mid-30's but the damage has been done. Beautiful skin is about clarity and evenness and smoothness. 

Blue eyes should wear blue eye shadow.
   If you put a ruby in a red velvet box, what happens to the ruby? It disappears or at the least becomes less noticeable. The same applies to eye shadow. contrast and compliment your eye color.. don't match it.

Can't wear red lipstick.
    Anyone can wear red lipstick if you know what red to look for. The Marilyn Monroe red is best on light skin tones with light eyes. If you have a medium complexion you will look best in brown reds. Warm brown reds should look for olive tones and cool brown reds and burgundies for darker and red toned skins. Sheer reds looks good for less strong makeup too.

Shine in the t-zone equates oily skin.
   First of all the t-zone is the area across your nose and down your chin. Think of a lower case "t". Second oiliness or lack of it is judged by the cheeks. If your cheeks develop a shine within a couple of hours after applying makeup then yes you are oily. Shine in the t-zone indicates a normal skin. Dry skins know that they are dry and oily skins know that they are oily. Normal skins tend to think that they are oilier than they are. Check the cheeks to be sure.

I have to wear products that are hypoallergenic
The FDA requires that all products sold as cosmetics go through some kind of allergy testing. These tests are conducted or overseen by the companies themselves and not regulated. Each company has its own term for selling its products as non allergenic. Be aware however that all this means from a regulatory standpoint is that the products when tested did not produce allergic reactions in most subjects. So in a nut shell, all products are "hypoallergenic". Be aware that this is a marketing tool when used to promote a product and that it doesn't guarantee that you will not be sensitive to it.
Hair color makes the hair dry.
Hair Color nowadays not only gives color and grey coverage but nourishes hair from root to tip.
However, colored hair is more vulnerable than normal hair to external aggressions such as excessive sunlight.

We therefore recommend, that after application of hair color you use a conditioner specially formulated for colored hair This will provide gentle nourishment and make your hair color last longer and make your hair soft, shiny and healthy.

Hair color accelerate or cause graying.
No - the use of hair color does not accelerate graying of hair as it does not enter the scalp.

The root, which is the only living part of the hair, lies 4 mm under the scalp and produces a pigment called Melanin. This is responsible for the color of the hair. Hair color cannot enter the scalp and does not effect graying of hair.

Graying is a natural process, which can be due to aging , stress, physiological or genetic reasons. Hair color affects only the external part of the hair, which is made up entirely of dead cells.

Use of hair color will lead to hair fall.
No - the use of hair color does not lead to hair fall.

It is normal to lose on an average around 60 strands of hair per day. Given below are the reasons for hair fall :

1. Illness (Including anemia, certain deficiencies)

2. Certain scalp infections

3. Hormonal imbalances

4. Stress: Physical & psychological

5. Brushing / pulling hair in a rough manner

6. Hereditary

7. Ageing

Applying cocoa butter-or olive oil-will stop stretch marks.
Sadly, this isn’t true. Stretch marks occur when skin expands quickly (as in pregnancy), breaking the collagen and elastic fibers that normally support it. Or they’re simply luck of the genetic draw. Stretch marks are formed below the top layer of skin, where the cocoa butter and olive oil can’t reach. The most either can do is quell the itching that occurs when skin expands.

Tanning or dotting on toothpaste can help get ride of pimples.
True to both, but don’t run for the tanning booth or apply a Colgate face mask. A particular wavelength of light has been shown to stimulate porphyrin, a chemical that eradicates the bacteria that cause acne. But while some sun exposure may help pimples get better temporarily, you can experience a rebound effect. If the skin gets dry and damaged from the sun, your body’s response is to produce oil, sun exposure can lead to bigger problems, such as premature aging and skin cancer.    

As for toothpaste, it often contains menthol, which can help dry out a pimple. But other common toothpaste ingredients can irritate the skin.

Brushing your hair 100 strokes a day will make it shine.
“One hundred strokes is too much, You’ll do more damage than good.” Hair will break if you tug on it too much. However, gentle brushing – a few strokes here and there – will make hair shine by distributing the natural oils from the scalp down the hair shafts and flattening the cuticles to make them reflect more light. More significant, light brushing removes impurities and stimulates blood flow to the scalp, which nourishes hair follicles and keeps them healthy.

"All Natural" Beauty Products Are Best
 First of all, there are not really any ‘all natural’ products available for commercial sale. Unless you make them yourself, and are prepared to refrigerate them & use them within a few days, you really can’t find any. This is because, just as in food products, the ingredients are perishable. Just think what would happen to a jar of ’natural’ ingredients sitting on your vanity… The smell alone would keep me from opening the lid, let alone touching it! So beauty products, like foods, use preservatives to give them added shelf time. When you buy products, they have to last through storage with the company, shipping and still have some time left for you to use them. As for the term ‘natural’ it is not even regulated. This means any company can call their product natural, no matter what it contains.

Chemicals Are Bad For Your Skin
Not all chemicals are bad for your skin. Just as medicines are chemical or synthetic versions of medicinal plants, so the science of chemistry brings us beauty products. Many natural ingredients have been re-created in synthetic form for ease of use & distribution, which can also make them cheaper to supply.

Product Packaging Does Nothing But Add To The Price  
Many people believe there is no importance to the packaging of beauty products, that the bottles and jars are just made ’neat looking’ in order to make us buy the products. This can be true, but with some of the ’new’ beauty ingredients, packaging has a much larger, more important role. Some ingredients are considered unstable, meaning they are affected by sunlight and air exposure. For those ingredients, like retinol and some antioxidants, the packaging is a big deal — if you want to get some use of what you paid for!

Buying Beauty Products Is a Gamble:
If you want to avoid buying products that simply don’t work, being an educated consumer is your best bet.

Exercise Myths

Muscle can turn to fat.

Muscle and fat are two different tissues and cannot convert into the other. Decreased physical activity reduces your muscle tissue and your metabolism.

You can spot reduce.

You can't lose weight in any particular place before another. Your weight will first come off from the last place you put it on.