Have you ever wanted to try an anti-ageing or beauty product, but then some well-meaning friend put you off the idea? There are so many rumours circulating beauty products and treatments that even just walking down the cosmetics aisle can make you scared for your wellbeing. However, we’ve roped in cosmetic chemists Perry Romanowski and Randy Schueller, authors of Can You Get Hooked on Lip Balm?, to help reveal the not-so-ugly truth.
1. Pseudo Salon: “Salon brands” seem too good to be true, so the rumour goes that any salon product you find in a shop is actually fake. However, the shop-bought versions are indeed as good as the real thing. Romanowski explains, ‘Salon brands depend on store sales to boost their profits. They want you to think that their brand is salon-only so it seems more exclusive, but they also want the high-volume sales that they can only get through mass market outlets…I can safely tell you that the products you are buying are the same as you would get from your stylist.’
2. Hairy Situation: There’s a rumour that hair extensions damage your locks and cause bald spots and, unfortunately, there’s some truth in it. ‘Over the course of about six to eight weeks, heavy extensions can pull on hair and cause the follicle to atrophy and stop producing normal hairs,’ says Schueller. Your follicles will recover and begin producing hairs again if you remove the extensions in time, but there’s not much that can be done if your follicles are permanently damaged. Schueller recommends, ‘While forgoing extensions altogether is the best move, if you must have Giuliana Rancic tresses, have the extensions removed monthly and go a few weeks au naturel to give your hair a rest before putting them back in.’
3. Snake in the Grass: The rumour goes that snake venom works just as well as Botox — without the needles. However, anti-ageing wellness expert Jené Luciani comments, ‘A peptide (that’s science talk for a protein compound) developed by a Swiss-based chemical company is being touted for erasing deep forehead wrinkles because it supposedly mimics the muscle-relaxing effects of a peptide found in temple viper snake venom. Unfortunately, all the marketing claims are based on studies the company funded, and this research is shoddy: It doesn’t reveal how many people were tested, who was tested, whether the product was compared to Botox (or anything for that matter), or whether its product even penetrates the dermis, where it might possibly have an effect.’
4. Fat Lip: While lip plumpers do make your lips larger for an hour or two, the way in which they achieve the Angelina Jolie look isn’t so great for your wellness. Romanowski warns, ‘That tingly feeling is not your imagination; it’s the body’s natural immune response reacting to a menthol-type chemical that most plumpers use.’ These plumpers temporarily irritate your lips, causing them to swell slightly, and this can cause scarring and permanently damage your sensitive lip cells if you use the products for more than a year.
5. Nails of Steel: There’s a common misconception that nail hardening products make tips stronger and prevent breaking, but actually these products make your nails more fragile and likely to break. ‘The formaldehyde in hardeners creates a bond between the strands of keratin protein in your nails,’ Romanowski notes. ‘This makes nails “stronger,” but it also makes them less flexible and, therefore, more brittle.’ Luciani adds, ‘While nail polish remover is a must-have, only use it once or twice a week…because it removes natural oils that help make nails elastic and strong. For further protection, use a hand and cuticle cream that contains petrolatum or mineral oil once a week to keep nails moist and improve their overall condition.’