Ever had the never-ending list of beauty rules recited to you, but never really known why you're not supposed to do something? Here I've made a list (by no means a full one!) of some of those rules that get preached to us sans an explanation.
DO Lay brushes flat when drying
Laying brushes flat means that less water and residual cleanser seep down into the ferrule (the bit that the bristles are attached to). If water/cleaner continually get into the ferrule, it can eventually weaken the glue, resulting in the brush hairs falling out. The best thing to do is towel dry your brushes gently, and then lay them over the edge of a table, to prevent the hairs from drying out of shape.
DON'T use make up remover wipes
This is often a controversial one. Those who tell you not to use make up remover wipes do so because it doesn't really give you the best clean. They also have the tendency to break a lot of people out (myself included), so many steer clear of them. I think they're fine to use as the first step of your routine, as long as you follow with another cleanser, much like using Bioderma as the first step. The wipes alone won't remove all of the traces of make up though, and eventually your skin is just going to get clogged up with crap, so its important to follow up with something else. They are ok for once in a while use though - if you roll in from a big night out, taking your make up off with a wipe is going to do you more favours than not removing it at all.
DON'T pull at the skin around your eyes
Again, this is a bit of a controversial one. There's no doubt that the skin around our eyes is very delicate, and some say that pulling and vigorously wiping that skin will make us more prone to wrinkles and sagginess later in life. Others have said this is rubbish. I must admit, I am careful around my eyes, but if I'm trying to get the last remnants of gel liner off, I grab my cotton pad and really go to town. I think the rule with this one is to be gentle wherever possible.
DON'T cut your nails when they're wet
This is another one that I should probably pay more attention to. When nails are wet they become softer, so when you cut or file them, its easier to damage them. Allegedly. I would think that cutting nails when they are softer would lessen the impact of nail clippers or scissors.
DO use a glass nail file
I find filing my nails to be a terribly unpleasant experience (nails on a blackboard anyone?), so its no surprise to me that its not all that good for my nails either. Traditional nail files are much like sandpaper, and can be quite damaging to the nail, particularly if you run it back and forth along the tip of the nail. The best thing to do is to move in one direction, in short movements to shape the nails. Glass nail files are much finer than traditional 'sandpaper' ones, and in theory will do much less damage to your nails.
DON'T use a scrub exfoliator if youre spot/acne-prone
Exfoliators with little beads in them work at scrubbing away the dirt and grime from your face. If you've got a lot of spots, the theory is that scrubbing hard at them can transfer the bacteria from the spots to other parts of your face, spreading the spots. Using a liquid exfoliator (one that goes on a cotton pad) will be less likely to spread the bacteria, however the number one thing to keep in mind if you have a lot of spots is hygeine. Try not to touch your face, as this can also transfer the bacteria.
DON'T towel dry your hair
This is the one that I definitely don't obey. When I say towel dry, I mean rubbing your hair vigorously with a towel to dry it off. Wrapping it up in a towel and twisting it around the top of your head is fine, but once you start rubbing at it with the towel, it can cause breakage to the hairs, in addition to making your hair frizzy. The best thing to do is wrap it up gently to get some of the excess water out, and then once you've brushed it out (ideally using a Tangle Teezer), just pat it to get the last bits of moisture out, before letting it sit for a few minutes before you take the hair dryer to it.
Hopefully that clears up a few of the beauty-related why? questions that you might have, although I'm sure there's many more questions that need answering.
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