TERM MEANINGLESS
"Clean beauty" and "chemical-free"
Neither term has a regulatory definition. An analysis of 1,470 retailer-designated "clean" products found fragrance and botanical allergens in 82.9% o
Beauty Science · Knowledge
What Doesn't Work
Widely repeated skincare claims assessed against the published evidence — what the research supports, what it does not, and which terms carry no agreed meaning at all.
Widely repeated skincare claims assessed against the published evidence — what the research supports, what it does not, and which terms carry no agreed meaning at all.
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DOESN'T WORK
Skin "detox" and charcoal
The stratum corneum is a barrier to entry, not an excretory route. There is little to no clinical evidence for charcoal's cosmetic claims.
MYTH
DIY lemon juice and baking soda
Citrus psoralens plus UVA produce a phototoxic burn with lasting hyperpigmentation. Baking soda imposes a repeated alkaline insult on a barrier that n
PARTLY TRUE for contour
Gua sha, facial rollers and "lymphatic drainage"
A small randomised trial found real but millimetre-scale contour changes. No rigorous source supports the lymphatic drainage explanation attached to t
PARTLY TRUE
At-home LED masks
LED therapy has real support for acne and rejuvenation, mostly from clinical-grade equipment. Home-device evidence is thin, and the promotional materi
MYTH
"Natural is gentler"
Nearly a quarter of patch-tested patients react to a fragrance or botanical. Almost 80 essential oils have caused contact allergy.
MYTH
Niacinamide and vitamin C "cannot be mixed"
The original 1944 and 1963 papers describe a yellow charge-transfer complex forming in water. Neither reports loss of activity or generation of flush-
TERM MEANINGLESS
"Non-comedogenic" on a label
The familiar 0–5 comedogenicity ratings come from an assay in an animal that lacks functional facial sebaceous glands and does not get acne.
PARTLY TRUE
Oral collagen supplements
Pooled across all trials, collagen supplements improve skin measures. In studies without industry funding, they showed no effect on any endpoint.
MYTH as usually sold
Can anything shrink your pores?
Pore size is set by sebum output, sex, age and genetics. Sebum-suppressing and remodelling treatments can reduce measured pore area; astringents and "
EVIDENCE ABSENT
Is "purging" a real thing?
Reviews of clinical trial data found no evidence of retinoid flaring, and improvement even in the first weeks. "Purging" is a folk category that canno
MYTH
Do silicones suffocate skin?
Silicone films are water-vapour permeable. In direct comparison with petrolatum, silicone excipients showed TEWL no different from untreated control s
12 pages in this section.
Product claims, registrations and availability vary by jurisdiction. Always read and follow the applicable product label.