Whether they want to admit it or not, many people do judge the book by its cover, and that’s exactly why appearances are of great importance to us, irrespective of our age or gender. To aid us on our quest to appear younger, tidier, fitter, and more attractive than we think we are, the beauty industry created a whole regimen of creams and contraptions. But the question is, are all of these various products effective or necessary? Not really. In fact, some of these aren’t just a waste of your money, but can actually be bad for you.
These 10 products are all excellent examples of such gimmicky and often harmful beauty and self-care purchases.
1. Pore Shrinking Skincare Products
A poreless face is today’s beauty standard. It is also physically impossible, as pore size is genetically predetermined, just like the color of your eyes. People with combination and oily skin also tend to have larger pores, which is why many of these “pore-shrinking” lotions and potions are typically targeted at these skin types.
As we age and our skin loses collagen, pores can become stretched out and more visible, and that is another time when people start searching for a pore-tightening cream or serum. Unfortunately, as of now, there are no skincare products capable of changing the size of pores. Products that are available can only give a temporary effect that wears off within minutes.
2. Stretch Mark and Cellulite Creams
This is another one of those items that target a person’s greatest insecurities, and much like pore-minimizing products, these creams are completely incapable of doing anything about the underlying issues. These creams are supposed to give results by improving the blood circulation in the area of concern, or by intensely moisturizing the area. None of these methods actually work, as both conditions are genetic.
Apart from that, no over-the-counter cream can actually legally penetrate to the deepest layers of the skin, otherwise, it would have to be considered a prescription medication, and both cellulite and stretch marks are not surface issues, so these products cannot work by their very definition.
Losing weight can sometimes decrease the amount of cellulite, but the condition itself is actually not pathological at all, it’s just the way your body accumulates weight. As for the stretch marks, only laser treatments are capable of zapping those, as stretch marks are essentially deep scars that developed during periods of rapid growth or weight gain.
3. Hand Sanitizer
You may think that hand sanitizer is one of those must-have hygienic products that make you a more clean person. That would be wrong, as hand sanitizer is one of those items that are actually more harmful than they are helpful. Not only is hand sanitizer less effective at cleaning your hands than regular old soap, but it can also dry out your skin severely, even causing cracks and bleeding in some cases since it contains so much alcohol.
Apart from that, some argue that hand sanitizer also makes you more susceptible to germs. Whether or not the latter is true, though, using hand sanitizer is just not necessary outside a hospital setting.
4. Cuticle Cutters
When it comes to cuticle cutters, the problem is not with the product itself, as it clearly does what it’s advertised to do. The main issue arises from the results of cutting off your cuticles. Few people actually know that cuticles play an important role in protecting your nails from damage and infections, including nail fungus.
So, by cutting off the cuticles, especially using an often unsanitized tool, you are significantly increasing your likelihood of introducing an infection to your nails. Instead, simply push the cuticle down using a single-use wooden cuticle pusher, or even better, avoid doing anything to the nail cuticles altogether.
