There is so much pressure on us women to look a certain way and to buy certain products because they are a must especially at your age! So called beauty products are sometimes hygiene products parading as miracle workers and sometimes expensively packaged, nice smelling nothings! The buying public, ever susceptible to marketing patter and eager to buy anything that promises youthfulness or the belying of one’s real age, buy into all sorts of myths that are just that; myths –
‘Fairness’ creams make you fair
Rubbish! So called fairness creams are mere sun screens that will help prevent tanning and help bring your skin close to its natural tone. Those ads with models at the beginning of the ad who are always sad looking, unsuccessful and dark and who are then transformed into fair, confident and successful individuals by the simple expedient of applying a topical cream are nothing but gimmicks pandering to our racial biases and our preference for fair skin.
‘Men’s Fairness’ creams are different
Not so, they are much the same. If the men’s fairness cream market is a 100 crore market today, it is mainly so men don’t have to bear the humiliation of using what is considered to be a women’s product. The packaging and fragrance being different makes these more acceptable for men to use; that is all.
There are soaps and then there are ‘beauty’ soaps
If anyone believes that a ‘beauty’ soap would somehow transform the texture and look of one’s skin, one is sadly, sadly delusional!
Facial bleaches make you fair
Also rubbish. All they do is bleach facial hair. So if one is dark skinned, the bleached hair can become even more obvious; rather like fur on the skin.
Anti wrinkle creams work
Again this is a myth, no matter what Ponds, Garnier, Olay and a host of others say. At best they will moisturize the skin and impart a softness and smoothness. Some contain special ingredients but to expect any visible difference is just naïve. So don’t expect your husband to send you flowers and chocolates just yet.
The more expensive the cream the better it will work
This is also nonsense. Many of the high end creams, specially the imported brands, have more or less the same ingredients as generics; only have better packaging and perhaps a better fragrance.
You need a separate eye cream
You don’t. Take a look at the ingredients list; they are about the same as moisturizers, only the package for under eye creams is tiny, perhaps fancier and the price greatly inflated.
Products with collagen will give you great skin
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Not so. Collagen applied topically is not absorbed by the skin and will stay on the surface giving no benefit.
Shaving encourages hair growth
Again a myth. This one makes us shave our children’s head in infancy in hopes of a full, head of hair and also makes us hesitant to use razors as a means of cheap hair removal. It’s a beauty myth peddled by manufacturers of hair removal creams. Shaving does not encourage hair growth; it just causes the hair to grow more evenly and blunts the tips, making it seem thicker.
Photoshop (and makeup) happens!
This one isn’t a myth! A talented makeup/ photoshop artist can transform you! Just look at this video to be convinced:
