15 acne myths indians still believe (and the truth)

A lot of Indians are taught by their parents, siblings and friends about skincare forever. Though these helpful suggestions are taught to us by love, most of them are totally wrong. These are some of those myths that will damage your skin barrier, leading to more acne problems.

If you want to try all those home remedies but still are not able to get any results then it’s time for you to go hard science. In this blog, we'll tackle those 15 common myths about acne that most Indians buy so you can kiss breakouts goodbye. Remove the ancient myths and grab a simple skincare system that will help you to combat these issues, like acne, on the regular.

Key Takeaways:

1. Lemon juice, garlic and toothpaste can also cause skin burns which leave a very deep dark spot instead of a clear pore because it's made from these simple cooking chemicals.
2. Washing your face 5 times a day or even over-scrubbing and scrubbing your skin with harsh materials, strip the skin's natural lipid barrier, leading to rebound oiliness.
3. Mangoes, fried foods won't cause acne directly but sugar ingestion, stressful (chronic) life, pollution of cities and dandruff will.
4. For oily skin, remember to moisturize as skipping moisturizer can make your sebaceous glands produce more oil.

15 Acne Myths Indians Believe

1.Oily food or mangoes causes acne

The Myth: 

Fried pakoras, paranthas or seasonal fruits such as mangoes can instantly lead to you having pimples because they lead to heat in the body.

The Truth: 

Neither fried food nor mango causes acne directly. Consuming food with a high glycemic index such as white bread, candy, as well as getting an excessive amount of dairy can immediately spike up your insulin and signal your hormone to increase sebum production and skin inflammation.

2.Application of lemon juice or vinegar quickly cures pimples

The Myth: 

Taking a raw lemon juice or Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) and applying it on the pimple would just make your pimple get burned, dried and would disappear the next morning. 

The Truth: 

Lemon juice has a high amount of citric acid and it’s highly acidic (low ph). It removes all of that natural waterproof layer from your epidermis so you get nasty burns, peeling, redness and dark marks after healing which can last for several weeks.

3.Washing face several times a day can stop skin breakouts

The Myth: 

Get Clean & Fight Pimples by washing your face five to six times a day, since your skin encounters daily exposure of dirt & Pollution .

The Truth: 

Over-washing strips away vital protective oils which help to retain water. If you have dry, flaky skin then panic mode kicks in and your sebaceous glands start producing more and more greasy sebum which clogs up your pores. Just twice daily cleanse your body.

4.Scrubbing your face hard with multani mitti removes pimples

The Myth: 

Vigorous physical scrubbing with a course of multani mitti, apricot shell fragments, or walnut scrubs will physically root out acne and blackheads.

The Truth: 

Hard physical friction opens up active acne lesions, spreads live bacteria on your face, and leaves microscopic tears in your skin barrier. A smooth multani mitti paste will be able to soak up surface oils while scrubbing it off your inflamed skin is like sandpaper.

5.Toothpaste overnight shrinks the blemish safely

The Myth: 

Applying a small amount of white toothpaste on the pimple at bedtime will make sure that your acne dries off by morning.

The Truth: 

Toothpaste can be termed as a strong chemical dehydrator similar to alcohol, menthol, hydrogen peroxide, and baking soda. While toothpaste can be effective at drying out a certain area, it is extremely irritating to the skin cells around the area and usually causes chemical burns and scarring.

6.Acne is just a teenage problem that you will outgrow

The Myth: 

Only teenagers get pimples due to hormonal changes during puberty, and acne will go away when you are a teenager.

The Truth: 

Acne is common in adults, particularly in India, because of the high amounts of stress, pollution from cities, and hormonal changes such as PCOS and PCOD/PMOS. Acne may be present during the age groups of 30s, 40s, and 50s.

7.Skip moisturizer can cure oily and acne-prone skin

The Myth: 

If your skin is oily, adding an oily lotion will just worsen the problem as it will further clog the pores and cause an outbreak of acne.

The Truth: 

When one is dehydrated, then his/her body will produce an increased amount of sebum (oil). Thus, when one does not drink enough water, then he/she ends up being more greasy as opposed to looking clear. One needs to apply low-fat, non-comedogenic gel moisturizer.

8.Sitting under the sun will dry out your active pimples

The Myth: 

Sunbathing or going out during a hot afternoon without sunscreen helps dry up wet, oozing pimples fast and equalizes skin color.

The Truth: 

The ultraviolet rays damage the skin’s barrier which results in the production of more melanin, causing dark patches on the skin as a result of acne to darken. In addition, the heat and sunlight clog pores and inflame the irritation resulting in reddening of the acne.

9.Unprotected hair oil treatment causes forehead acne

The Myth: 

Keeping coconut oil, amla and mustard oil on your hair for days is great to grow hair and nothing has anything to do with facial bumps.

The Truth: 

Heavy hair oils naturally migrate down onto the forehead, temples, and hairline throughout the day and while you sleep. The heavy oil traps dead skin cells and completely blocks your pores, causing a specific condition known as pomade acne or hairline pimples.

10.Popping pimple heals a pimple fast

The Myth: 

Squeezing out white pus from an acne pimple will flatten it, clear out the infection and speed up healing much faster.

The Truth: 

Squeezing and popping your pimples pushes out more of those bacteria, oils, and inflammations deeper within your body’s layers. It leads to spread of infection horizontally through tissues of skin resulting in bigger cysts, worse infections with deeper permanent pits.

11.Unrelated to the bumps on your face and back is dandruff

The Myth: 

Dry flakes on your scalp only affect your hair health and have no physical connection to the acne breakouts appearing on your cheeks, chest, or shoulders.

The Truth: 

Dandruff flakes have high levels of malassezia yeast and bacteria. These flakes fall naturally onto your forehead, cheeks, back, and shoulders throughout the day causing inflammatory fungal breakouts, tiny itchy bumps, and clogged pores on your upper body.

12.Makeup always causes acne breakouts

The Myth: 

Anyone with acne should never wear any kind of makeup as it is toxic to our skin and causes clogging of pores.

The Truth: 

Makeup isn’t bad at all, it’s more about what goes on your skin and how cleanly you wash it off. Oily, fragrant foundation causes acne. Makeup is safe to use if you opt for “non-comedogenic” products and do a double cleanse with an overnight facial wash.

13.Go to the salon for a facial

The Myth: 

An expensive hot steaming, manual extraction and massage facial from your local beauty parlor is the best, most direct medical treatment for severely infected acne.

The Truth: 

Vigorous physical face massages with large, scented creams can burn the infected face tissue, create deeper under the skin zits, and spread existing facial bacterial infection all over. Doctors aren't the technicians performing the salon faces-they generally aggravate cystic acne more than treat it.

14.Home remedies are always safer than skincare products

The Myth: 

Raw garlic paste, ground garlic and raw turmeric from the kitchen is always healthy and much better and safer than store bought chemical face washes.

The Truth: 

Ingredients of kitchen products are unknown quantities of powerful chemicals that can lead to contact dermatitis, chemical burns, and allergic reactions. Skin care formulation involves isolating useful chemicals and getting rid of toxic ones.

15.Drinking 8 Liters a Day Will magically heal your acne

The Myth: 

Drinking huge volumes of water will push all internal acne causing toxins out of the body and result in completely flawless, clear, and product-free skin.

The Truth: 

Proper water intake will maintain function but cannot magically alter hormonal imbalances, genetic clog tendency, or bacterial overgrowth, the more surface-area-level issues. Over-drinking water will do nothing if your topical treatment is wrong.

How Do Common Acne Misconceptions Compare to Real Science?

For better understanding you should watch out to check what kind of damage you are inflicting on your skin with these homemade cures and scroll down to read the most common Indian skincare myths and remedies to counter it.

What Is the Simplest Skincare Routine to Fight Acne Myths India?

Forget those messy, overly complicated home treatments for a brightened complexion, and just implement this simple, gentle and effective treatment.

Step 1: Cleanser kindly twice each day. Use a specialized cleanser, like Alite anti-acne face wash that cleans the skin pores, removes pollutants and oil without strips off the moisture present in your skin.

Step 2: Ensure good moisturizing and apply a small amount of oil-free water-based gel moisturizer on the skin that is sufficiently moist to moisturize your face.

Step 3: Protect every time-never compromise on your sun protection duty. Apply a matte finish gel sunscreen at the daytime and thus let all those harmful uv rays fade away your active acne marks by keeping away from darkening.

Step 4: Treat active pimples kindly and skip those kitchen remedies and apply a well researched and approved active acne spot gel to the active pimples while before sleeping to dry them out nicely.

Which Routine Practices Help You Maintain Clear Skin?

1. Washing your pillowcase twice weekly will ensure that no dead skin, oil from your hair, and bacteria get accumulated on your face.
2. Clean your phone screen everyday using alcohol wipes to ensure that you do not transfer any bacteria from your face onto the screen.
3. Keep hair oil overnight and wash your hair the morning after applying hair oil rather than leaving it on your scalp for days at a time.
4. Clean your makeup brushes, wash your cosmetic sponge and brush once a week to prevent bacteria build-up.
5. Do not touch your face, keep your hands off your face, don’t pick up anything and don’t hold anything with one hand while holding another one.

Conclusion

Busting these common pimple myths is probably one of your best steps towards healing your skin. Scrubbing your face constantly; applying spices from the kitchen and not drinking enough water will cause a weak, raw, inflamed skin barrier.

Simple things are healing for your skin; consistency matters most of all; trusting what dermatologists tell you. Replace harsh home remedies with a dedicated, gentle routine featuring Alite anti-acne face wash, you stop stripping your skin and give it the balanced care it needs to stay clear, smooth, and naturally healthy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1 .What is it about an anti-acne facial wash that makes it superior to homemade solutions?

Whereas a lot of natural kitchen product acidities fluctuate, an anti-acne face wash has ingredients that are formulated precisely to break down blockage in the inner pores and ease surface bacteria lightly. It regulates too much sebum without causing irritation to your skin and chemical burns like lemon juice or raw garlic do.

Q2 .Is diet change able to completely cure acne?

Reducing sugar intake, dairy products and junk foods will help reduce body’s internal inflammation but it is not enough to treat acne completely. A good daily skincare regimen is required for washing off pollutants from outside; removing dead skin cells and controlling bacteria causing acne.

Q3 .What is done to remove a mark of winter pimples?

If you want to get rid of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation then you have to refrain from picking and squeezing the pimple. Use spot treatments/products containing niacinamide instead; moisten the skin well with a cream and wear a sun block daily to defend the skin against UVA Rays.

Q4 .Is it okay to use hair oil on your scalp if you have spots on your forehead?

Absolutely not! You must not let the hair oil remain in your hair through the night if you are prone to forehead eruptions. Apply oil to your body one hour prior to taking a bath; then rinse off completely by washing with shampoo; after that, wash off again so that no residue remains on your hairline.

Q5 .Does sweating while exercising or working in hot kitchens lead to sudden acne breakouts?

Sweat does not cause acne; but, the combination of sweat and makeup, along with smog covering your skin for hours causes an excellent breeding place for bacteria. Since you exercise and cook using spices from the Indian kitchen, the skin comes into contact with heat so often that the skin becomes highly sensitive. Washing your face immediately after rinsing your face with cold water prevents this poison from penetrating deeply into your skin.