The skincare industry thrives on confusion. Confused customers buy more products. So it is in nobody’s commercial interest to simplify things — except yours. Here are the most persistent myths, and what is actually true.
Myth 1: Natural Always Means Safe
Reality: Poison ivy is natural. So is arsenic. “Natural” is not a safety category — it’s a marketing word. What matters is the concentration and formulation of active ingredients, whether they are natural or synthetic.
That said, when natural ingredients are properly formulated and concentrated, they work. Glutathione, kojic acid, and alpha arbutin are all naturally derived, and they have robust evidence behind them.
Myth 2: Expensive Means Better
Reality: Price reflects marketing, packaging, and brand positioning — not necessarily active ingredient concentration. A €15 niacinamide serum and a €95 niacinamide serum may contain identical amounts of the active.
Focus on the ingredient list, not the price tag. The first five ingredients make up the majority of any formula.
Myth 3: You Need to Feel Your Skincare Working
Reality: Tingling, burning, or itching are signs of irritation, not efficacy. Effective skincare should feel like nothing — comfortable, neutral, absorbed. The “burning means it’s working” belief causes more skin damage than it prevents.
Exception: a mild, temporary tingle with AHAs (glycolic, lactic acid) at appropriate concentrations is normal. Burning is not.
Myth 4: Oily Skin Doesn’t Need Moisturiser
Reality: Oily skin can be dehydrated. Oil and water are different things. Skipping moisturiser when you have oily skin often triggers your skin to produce more oil to compensate for the lack of hydration — making the problem worse.
Use a lightweight, oil-free moisturiser. Your skin will balance out within 2–3 weeks.
Myth 5: You Can Shrink Your Pores
Reality: Pore size is determined by genetics. You cannot permanently make them smaller. You can make them appear smaller by keeping them clean (salicylic acid, niacinamide), preventing them from clogging (regular exfoliation), and reducing inflammation that makes them look larger.
Any product promising to “eliminate” pores is overstating its case.
Myth 6: More Products = Better Results
Reality: The most effective skincare routines are the simplest ones that get done every day. A 12-step routine you abandon by week two does nothing. Three steps done consistently for three months will outperform any complicated regime.
Each additional product also increases your risk of ingredient interactions and irritation. Less, consistently, wins.
Myth 7: Dark Skin Doesn’t Need SPF
Reality: Melanin offers some UV protection — equivalent to approximately SPF 13. It does not prevent all UV damage, does not prevent skin cancer, and does not stop UVA rays (which cause ageing and hyperpigmentation) from penetrating. Hyperpigmentation is actually more visible and harder to treat in deeper skin tones — which is why consistent SPF use is especially important.
Explore our Skin Care range — every formula is built on evidence, not trends.
