Hi, I’m Elliott. This is Mental Floss on YouTube and today I’m going to talk to you
about some misconceptions about make up, so if you’re confused, don’t worry: I’m AVON it.
Misconception #1: Test your foundation on your hand.
Okay even though I’m telling you not to do this, I’m going to do this to prove why
you shouldn’t. This is called taking one for the team.
So, typically your hands and face get different amounts of sun, so they’re likely to be
different colors. Which means a better place to test foundation would be your neck or your
jawline. See? This matches my hand but not my face y'all!
Misconception #2: You outgrow acne. Around 80% of people between the ages of 11
and 30 experience acne sometimes. Some people get acne for the first time when they’re
in their 30s or 40s. And people even older than that can have breakouts. Life is dark,
you guys.
Misconception #3: Clean makeup brushes every few months.
Many experts insist that you clean your brushes every week. Some claim that you can just do
it once a month. But you don’t want to wait until much longer than that. You know why?
There's bacteria, just sitting in those bristles. And since I just told you all of those fun
acne facts, I’m guessing I don’t need to give you much more motivation besides hearing:
these things cause breakouts.
Anyway, all you need to do is dab your nasty brush in a bowl full of warm water and shampoo.
And then just let it dry. Don't drink this.
Misconception #4: Your skin breathes. You’ve probably heard this sentence before:
“Let your skin breathe!” But... skin doesn’t breathe. If it did, that'd be terrifying.
In this context, people are usually encouraging you to remove your makeup OR try a product
that doesn’t clog your pores. Those are known as non-comedogenic products. Anyway,
clogged pores aren’t great but they aren’t slowly suffocating your “breathing” skin.
Misconception #5: Use a darker foundation than your skin tone.
Some people say that this will make you look tan. But it will probably just look like you’re
using a foundation that’s darker than your skin tone. And that'll look ridiculous.
Misconception #6: Washing your face with soap keeps it healthy.
Experts encourage the use of products specifically designed to cleanse your face. Scrubbing your
face with soap can actually remove some of the good stuff on your face, like protective
oils. And that increases the risk of rashes and burns. So you shouldn't do what I do,
which is wash your face with dishwashing detergent. Which just makes my cheeks sparkle.
Misconception #7: Preparation H helps with puffy eyes.
This is definitely counterproductive considering Preparation H might give you dry or inflamed
skin around the eyes. Back in the day, the product did contain a yeast derivative that
may have decreased puffiness. But, a) no one has ever done a scientific study on that and
b) that ingredient is no longer found in the Preparation H that’s sold in the U.S.
Misconception #8: Men do not wear make up. Earlier this year, a British survey found
that men spend around 160 dollars (100 pounds) a month on grooming products, including makeup.
Plus, men’s personal care products is now a 3.9 billion dollar industry. And it’s
expected to grow 13% by 2018.
Misconception #9: Pump mascara to get rid of clumps.
Don’t do this. Because you’re pumping air into here, which is going to make your
mascara dry out faster, duh y’all. And that actually causes MORE clumps in the long run.
Plus, the bacteria that comes from your eyes will accompany that air and end up in ideal
conditions for developing and multiplying. Instead, either swirl the brush around or
wipe it down with a paper towel. You hear this? Guys? You know what that is? That's
the sound of clumps!
Misconception #10: Popping a pimple is helpful. When you pop a pimple, two things can actually
happen that make the situation worse. Possibility #1 is that the bacteria that was once chilling
INSIDE the pimple now has access to the rest of your face and can settle in pores where
it will set up shop and make more zits happen. Possibility #2 is that any bacteria that may
be on your finger will now be in contact with the pimple. You could make it worse or even
infect it.
Thanks for watching Misconceptions on Mental Floss on YouTube, which is made with the help
of all these wonderful people. If you have a topic for an upcoming Misconceptions episode
that you would like to see, leave it in comments and we'll check them out. I'll see you next
week, bye guys!