There are plenty of acne myths out there.  After all, it’s a field we don’t yet understand, that science does not yet fully understand.  Yes, we blame it on hormones, and influxes of acne seem to support that idea.  But it’s not all that.  There are various other contributors, and we honestly cannot say it’s just one cause being that many suffer acne well into adulthood, and frankly there are quite a few types of severe acne that manifest only in adulthood.  So obviously, it’s not just hormones.  But here are a few major myths.

1. Acne can only be treated by a doctor-ironically, it seems that doctors can be the most uninformed individuals when it comes to acne.  Yes, acne is a medical condition.  But many over the counter treatments are clinically proven, and many use the exact same ingredients found in prescriptions in the same amounts!
2. Chocolate causes acne-there is no known cause of acne, only contributors.  So while chocolate and other foods like it certainly do contribute to acne breakouts, they do not directly cause acne.
3. By eliminating oils, you can get rid of acne-no.  That is not true.  While many think that oil causes acne, your skin needs moisture just as your body needs water.  The key is to balance these things out.  Dry skin can be just as prone to acne as oily skin.  And using treatments that dry out the skin can do more harm than good.
4. You grow out of acne at 18-while it’s a popular idea to think that you automatically grow out of acne, it’s not true.  Most people grow out of acne at some point.  But some suffer their whole lives with acne, and others suffer acne well into adulthood.
5. Acne is caused by poor hygiene-this is one of the biggest myths.  It’s easy to think that if they have acne, they must not take care of themselves.  But honestly speaking, there are quite a few that use what they think are the best scrubs and washes, and they still have acne.
6. You should treat acne by using no products-you have to wash your skin and take care of it.  We think that if we cover our eyes, it will automatically help.  But if you do nothing to treat acne, you will make it worse and make problems in the future much more likely.