Skin Myths

Clean, moist, and nutritionally sound. Is that the key to clear skin? This is Dr. Steven Andrew Davis, Speaking of Health. Over the years certain dictums have emerged about keeping our skin as clear, as lovely as possible. Truths or myths? Consider the importance attached to skin cleanliness. No one will argue that showers and baths and washing your face removes grime, dirt, germs and odor. But many people with a complexion problem assume or are told that they need to clean and scrub more when, in fact, more scrubbing won’t help, it might even hurt. Many true complexion problems are triggered at the level of the hair follicle which is too far beneath the surface for any regular scrubbing to reach. What’s more, over cleaning can be a bigger problem than under cleaning, since zealous scrubbing can strip away protective cells and oils and allow the skin to be more easily irritated by wind, weather and outside irritants.

How about the idea that diet is the key to healthy skin and a vibrant complexion? Obviously, a good diet is important to good health generally, but aside from disease states triggered by vitamin deficiencies, a dietary approach to skin care has little scientific foundation. For every person on some so-called revolutionary or miracle diet whose skin flourishes, there are many more who get nothing from special diets or vitamins on which they spent a bundle. For a copy of this script, access our web site, speakingofhealth.com. Speaking of Health, I’m Dr. Steven Andrew Davis for CBS News.