Was Mom Right? Debunking 9 Skincare “Mom-isms"

Your mother was once your age, you know. In fact, I am sure there are lots of things she did at your age that she will never, ever share with you. But she did share her skincare tips, didn’t she? In some cases, the good, old-fashioned advice she might have given you still has enduring value (even if you will never agree with her statements about ‘the best’ music to listen to!)

Read on…

1. “Don’t pick at your zits, you’ll make it worse.” 

Yes, this is often true. Picking at acne can spread zits and leave scars. She probably gave you a tube of Clearasil and said, “This will fix your acne.” Clearasil is fine for spot-treating an occasional pimple, but the science of curing acne has come a long way. If you need a spot treatment though, make sure to get a bottle of Drying Lotion here. 

Check out some of the Acne Packages available, and of course, you can get a FREE CONSULTATION from Platinum Skincare to help you choose!

For more in-depth on treating severe acne (shameless plug ahead), read my book, The Skin Regime; Boot Camp for Beautiful Skin You can read the first chapter free online!

2. “Eating chocolate and greasy foods will make you break out.” 

Sorry, Mom, this is rarely true. Eating those foods might make you a bit heavier, but what you eat—unless you have a specific allergy to a food—won’t impact your skin in most cases. Eat an overall healthy diet, get adequate exercise, and your skin will improve along with your health! Definitely check out this article on internal causes of acne and corresponding treatments though. 

3. “Don’t over-pluck your eyebrows, they won’t grow back.” 

This is true to a degree: Eyebrow hair plucked too often will end up with distorted roots and might stop growing or grow back crooked. Whatever you do, never pluck the tops of your eyebrows—you don’t want to lose the arch lines; and keep in mind that full eyebrows provide wonderful frames for the eyes and look youthful.

4. “Mix some vinegar with cold water to use as a final rinse after shampooing.” 

This, as well as rinsing with the coldest water possible, is said to give you shiny hair, and yes—it works! Vinegar helps remove dulling product residue and cold water does indeed promote shiny hair.

5. “All you need is cold cream to remove makeup and cleanse your skin.” 

No, sorry, Mom—not if you have oily and/or acne-prone skin or if you don’t want to leave behind greasy residue. Cold cream can also clog the pores. Better, try the AB Cleanser for more cleaning power with fruit acids, or for a little extra exfoliating, using the Basics 3-in-1 Cleanser with fruit acids and scrubbing crystals will make a much bigger difference in your skin than cold cream.

6. “Always wear a big sun hat outside to keep your skin from getting old.” 

Oh, Wise Mama, you knew the sun was very bad for your skin, so you wore a big ol’ ugly gardening hat all summer—that’s because you didn’t have great sunscreens like the Cotz sunscreen to protect from premature aging and discoloration spots.

And for those lines and spots that came aboard anyway, Ma, you didn’t have fabulous at-home peels ranging from mild to strong to reverse sun damage, and you didn’t have the Internet where you could easily get FREE CONSULTATIONS for the best products for you and order with a quick click of a button. Our options are mind-boggling now, and they work!

7. “You can fade discolored skin or age spots with lemon juice.” 

Eh, not so much, Mom, but kudos to you for having the right idea of using fruit acids to improve and even-out skin tone. In fact, most of our modern skin acids designed to give us smooth, glowing skin, like Glycolic Acid, are fruit-acid based but much stronger. As for the spots, try Fade Bright Lightening, which is far more effective than lemons.

8. “Put cold, used teabags on your eyes to reduce puffiness.” 

Thanks for the tip, Mommy—that is actually really soothing! But for real puff-reduction, and improving the skin around your eyes, Derma Snap 8LM and the Eyelift Xpress Caffeine Roller work much better!

9. “Homemade egg and mayonnaise masks will nourish your skin.” 

Actually, that’s fine for making egg salad, but the Apple Stem Cell Caviar Extract Hydration Mask is much better for nourishing skin, Mom. And also, the Antioxidant Enzyme Mask provides gentle exfoliation with fruit enzyme extracts that help dissolve dead skin and restore radiance.

So, we learned a lot from you, Mom, but maybe you can learn a little about skincare from us, too! You’re never too old to learn about—and try— a new thing or two!

Where can I buy Dana's Book?

The Skin Regime; Boot Camp for Beautiful Skin, available as a Kindle download or Buy paperback to buy your paperback copy from Platinum Skin Care. You can also read the first chapter--FREE--by click here to read 1st chapter.