Top Skin Myths—Busted!

Is what you believe about your skin keeping you from having great skin? Sometimes these incorrect beliefs lead to choices that actually keep us from getting the gorgeous skin we want. Below, I bust the skin myths I hear most often in :

Genetics contribute more to how skin ages than environment:  This is wrong, wrong, wrong. Environmental factors (especially sun exposure, stress, smoking and sleep habits) play much more of a role than genetics. Don't bet on having perfect skin if your mom did—unless you take care of your skin just like her. The two best things you can do for your skin? Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen every day and quit smoking (or better yet—never start!).

SPF numbers tell you how much sun protection you're getting: SPF only measures UVB protection. It tells you nothing about UVA protection, and UVA rays are responsible for many of the signs of aging, including tissue laxity and wrinkling. Flip over that bottle of sunscreen and look under the "active ingredients" section for titanium, zinc or avobenzone to ensure you're protected from UVA rays. And remember, you must reapply sunscreen after you've been in the water or following a sweaty workout.

By the time you're 18, you've accumulated most of your sun damage:False! You've only had about 20 percent of your life's total sun damage by the end of high school. This is both good (plenty of time left to prevent more damage) and bad (plenty more time to really wreck your skin if you don't wear sunscreen and adopt a good skin care regimen). Listen up young people: save yourself thousands of dollars in laser treatments trying to iron out the wrinkles by adopting good sun care strategies early in life. You'll thank me later.

Foundation is your friend: All apologies to my friends in the makeup industry, but (with few exceptions) this myth is a whopper. Foundation settles into every line and wrinkle, magnifying them for all to see. It's horribly aging. Unless Pat McGrath does your makeup every day, I recommend getting your skin in its best shape instead. When your skin is glowing and has beautiful texture, trust me—you won't ever think about covering it up!

The sun can clear up blemishes: UV exposure hasn't ever been proven to significantly improve acne. And what's more, it increases the incidence of skin cancers and signs of aging and can actually permanently darken the spots where any blemishes you picked are (pickers, you know who you are...). It's not worth it. It's a much smarter plan to adopt a consistent anti-acne skin care regimen and stick to it.  

There are effective treatments for cellulite: Sadly, not true. Some treatments can give temporary improvement in the appearance of cellulite, but there's no cure as of now. Don't get me wrong, I think temporary improvement is a great thing, especially since cellulite is so unattractive. Just be wary of any treatment that claims to do something more than offer a temporary fix. It won't.

It's best to switch products frequently so your skin doesn't "get used to them" and they'll quit working: Skin actually likes predictability. Switching regimens all the time can lead to unnecessary inflammation, unpredictable oil production and irritation. Sticking to a consistent regimen, with the addition or subtraction of a product here or there depending on the season or climate, equals happy skin. Save all the free products from those party goody bags for your guest bathroom.  

A base tan makes going in the sun safer: This  myth is straight out of the 1980s, and although I fervently believed it then, it's so, so untrue. All suntans are evidence of sun damage to your skin, and being tan doesn't make you less likely to damage your skin further. In fact, believing this myth you're more likely to head outside and expose yourself to further UV damage. Do your skin a favor and fake-bake instead (I like the St. Tropez line of self-tanners best). Just remember: unless it contains sunscreen, self-tanner doesn't protect you either!

You only need sunscreen when you're going to be outside: If it's bright enough to read a newspaper by, you need sunscreen. Rain or shine, cloudy days included. Period.

Dr. Rebecca Giles is the CEO and founder of . Contact her at 310-456-5350 or info@fixmalibu.com.