Beauty Myths Debunked

Myth 9: Rubbing your eyes creates wrinkles.

You won't get crow's-feet just from kneading your eyes when you're tired, says Frank. But the tug of gravity and the repetitive movement of facial muscles, as in smiling or frowning, can break down the collagen in your skin and create wrinkles over time. So that silly taunt you heard as a child―"If you keep making that face, it will freeze that way"―has merit.
 
 

Myth 10: Applying cocoa butter or olive oil will stop stretch marks.

Sadly, this isn't true. Stretch marks occur when skin expands quickly (as in pregnancy), breaking the collagen and elastin fibers that normally support it. Or they're simply luck of the genetic draw. "Stretch marks are formed below the top layer of skin, where the cocoa butter and olive oil can't reach," says McBurney. The most either can do is quell the itching that occurs when skin expands.