Debunking Common Beauty Myths

Audra Lowe: Alright, we’ve all heard the so-called simple solutions to all of our beauty problems out tere but today, Lisa Drayer is here. She’s the author of the Beauty Diet. Lisa’s got some information out there. She’s going to debug some of the most common beauty myths that get us every single time and get you to spend a lot of money every time. Welcome Lisa. Good to have you here. Lisa Drayer: Thanks for having me Audra Lowe: One of the first things is chocolate causes acne. Lisa Drayer: Right. This is not true. Audra Lowe: No? Lisa Drayer: In fact, acne is usually caused by hormonal shifts in our body. We can experience acne up to seven days before the menstrual period. Stress can also contribute, but chocolate is not to blame. In fact, research shows that dark chocolate can actually improve blood flow to skin and keep skin more hydrated. So there’s no need to limit chocolate in your diet. Audra Lowe: So, you should keep some dark chocolate around there, right? Lisa Drayer: Yes, just keep your portions in check. Audra Lowe: Exactly! Okay, so it doesn’t matter about age or all that good stuff. It's just really keeping it in under control, right? Lisa Drayer: Exactly, right. Audra Lowe: Alright, vitamin E. There’s a myth out there that it helps to reduce or get rid of scars which I've heard quite a bit, but then I also heard that being exposed to the sun right after using the vitamin E will make the scar even worse. What’s the truth? Lisa Drayer: Right. Well, you know what, Vitamin E creams are very soothing, so it's fine if you want to apply some cream topically. However, there’s no scientific evidence to support the fact that vitamin E based creams will actually reduce the appearance or thickness of scars. So there have been studies done. Topical vitamin E was actually distributed to burn patients and the researchers found that there was really no difference in the scar seen after one year of follow up. Audra Lowe: So bottom line, don’t waste a lot of money on those particular products out there, right? Okay, let’s go on to mayonnaise. We always hear a lot of conditioner. It makes your hair soft and silky and glossy. True, not true? Lisa Drayer: Yes, you know I've been hearing this one for years but in reality, you would think that mayonnaise would be helpful. It contains oil and it may condition the hair but in fact it will just leave your hair very smelly and messy, and it will be difficult to rinse out. Audra Lowe: But there is one particular situation where it does work though, right? Lisa Drayer: That’s right. It can suffocate head lice. Audra Lowe: Wow! Who would have known that? Who had that idea? Lisa Drayer: But otherwise, I wouldn’t bother. Audra Lowe: Don’t bother with it. Your nails, your fingernails, every now and then you’ll get the white spots on your nails and people will say it's because of a calcium deficiency. I used to hear it's because you’re tapping your nails on tabletops but what’s the truth about that? Lisa Drayer: Exactly. Well that’s the key. It's typically due to trauma that is white spots in the nails can happen if we slam our fingers against a hard surface and we don’t notice. Even a rough manicure can contribute to white spots. But very rarely is it due to actual nutrient deficiencies such as calcium or zinc. Sometimes it can accompany a disease state such as cirrhosis of the liver. But it's usually not the first sign of this particular disease state. Audra Lowe: And same with the nails. Two people will say that eating gelatin can help strengthen the nails. Is that something that you see work? Lisa Drayer: You know, theoretically, it sounds like it makes sense because gelatin is a source of protein and protein is important. It's the main component of nails. However, there’s no evidence that says that if you consume gelatin, it will be used exclusively for your nails. So, if you're consuming a wide variety of protein-rich foods in your diet, then there’s really no added benefit to consuming extra protein or even applying protein substances on top of your nails. Audra Lowe: And before we go, carrots, do they really improve your eyesight? Lisa Drayer: Well, you know, carrots are good. They do contain beta-carotene which gets converted to vitamin A which is important to protect against night blindness. However, they’re not going to improve your vision. So don’t throw away the contact lenses or the glasses. Audra Lowe: Exactly. Don’t stock them too much on the carrots. Thank you so much Lisa, good to meet you. Lisa Drayer: Thank you. Audra Lowe: And if you guys are looking for all the true beauty secrets, there’s a lot more, trust me, whether to the foods that you eat or the ingredients that you use, you can pick up a copy of Lisa’s book, The Beauty Diet which is available now.