Beauty Myths Busted – Part II

The cosmetics industry generates billions of dollars worldwide every year, but that’s not stopping some women from taking beauty myths for scientific fact, as we were also telling you the other day.

Whether they believe their hair will look healthier and shinier if they comb it 100 times in one sitting or wrap it in home-made concoctions of banana and who knows what else, or avoid shaving their legs for fear they might turn into men (not literally, of course), many ladies can’t tell the difference between myth and housewife tricks.

Real Simple has comprised a list of the most circulated beauty myths still held true: and yesterday we told you about how shaving doesn’t influence the width, color or growth of the hair, and how crossing your legs doesn’t prompt the appearance of spider veins.

Another myth that many women believe to be true is the one saying that wearing nail polish most of the time makes the nail turn a sickly yellowish hue. This one is true, says the e-zine.

One popular theory is that the polish doesn’t allow the nail to “breathe,” which is why it turns yellow, but that’s not accurate. In fact, it’s the nail that sucks in pigment from the polish.

That is to say, if you’re a fan of darker shades like red, blue or black, then most certainly your nails will turn yellow because they have more pigment, which is then absorbed.

One way to avoid that is by using a transparent base before applying nail polish, which will prevent the nail from absorbing pigment. That is to say, you can have your cake and eat it: rock the trendiest colors in polish and avoid discoloration.

Moving on to the next beauty myth – which is just that, a myth, unfortunately – Real Simple has talked to experts who confirm the sad truth: there is no escaping the much-dreaded cellulite.

Though there are thousands of products out there, from lotions, creams, oils and even pills, that claim to do just that (make cellulite go away), there’s really no way they can achieve this.

“Cellulite consists of fat deposits that get trapped between the fibrous bands that connect the skin’s tissues. The bands squeeze the fat under the skin, resulting in a lumpy texture,” Real Simple explains.

While cellulite can’t be made to disappear, the orange-peel aspect of it can be improved. There are many ways to do that, from liposuction to working out and even using creams designed specifically for this purpose.

However, a good moisturizing body lotion would have the same effect on the skin as a caffeine-based anti-cellulite cream, experts say. Even better, a fake tan works wonders in terms of hiding orange-peel skin.

For Part I of Beauty Myths Busted, see here.