Skincare Myths to Leave Behind in 2025 (Debunked by Dr. Nassif)
Just open your phone, and you’ll find skincare advice everywhere, from friends to influencers. With so much information that’s often contradictory, it’s challenging to know what is true. Today’s article will separate skincare myths from facts as told by Dr. Paul Nassif, a world-renowned plastic surgeon and the founder and formulator of NassifMD® Skincare.
With Dr. Nassif’s unique perspective and deep understanding of skin health, we’ll separate common skincare myths from science and clinical practice and provide skincare product suggestions with synergistic ingredients to improve skin health, appearance, and radiance.
Let’s begin with debunking skincare myths and answering these questions:
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Does oily skin treatment require hydration?
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What’s the best sunscreen for everyday use for the face?
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Is expensive skincare effective?
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Can you change the size of your pores?
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What does over-exfoliated skin look like?
Myth: Oily Skin Doesn’t Require Daily Hydration
False. The best skin treatment for oily skin still requires daily hydration.
Dr. Nassif’s Take: It sounds counterintuitive, but oily skin can still be dry, and it often is. When your skin is oily, there’s too much sebum (oil) production, but hydration has everything to do with water.
Having too much oil and not enough water still leaves the skin dry and dehydrated, and oily-skin treatment products designed to reduce oil can contribute to dehydration. Products that strip the skin barrier, such as harsh cleansers, contribute to water loss through the epidermis (trans epidermal water loss). Furthermore, when the skin is dehydrated, it may respond by producing more oil. Oily skin may be your skin compensating for dryness.
Addressing skin hydration, even in oily skin, helps restore the skin barrier and balance sebum production. Oily skin treatment at home often means incorporating hydrating products into the routine.
Daily Hydrating Products:
Myth: Sunscreen Protection Isn’t Needed Every Single Day
False. Sun damage is a major factor in skin aging and wearing sunscreen every day provides the protection your skin needs.
Dr. Nassif’s Take: Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is the primary cause of sun damage and photoaging, including wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, collagen breakdown, and skin cancer. Repeated sun exposure causes oxidative stress, DNA damage, and inflammation, but the good news is that sunscreen blocks harmful rays.
Because UV rays penetrate clouds and windows, and UVA rays are present year-round, wearing sunscreen every single day is your best protection against premature aging and skin cancer. Wear sunscreen on cloudy days, in the winter, and when indoors by a window.
The best sunscreen for everyday use and sunscreen for indoor use:
Can you use expired sunscreen? We don’t recommend using expired sunscreen because its ingredients degrade over time, reducing UV protection.
Myth: Expensive Skincare Equals Results
False. The cost of a skincare product doesn’t correlate with or guarantee results.
Dr. Nassif’s Take: A skincare product’s price may have more to do with marketing and the perception of luxury, but what really matters are quality, science-backed active ingredients in synergistic formulas. These factors set NassifMD® Skincare apart. Our products are clinically proven and formulated with the expertise of a top facial plastic surgeon.
NassifMD® facial plastic surgeon skincare provides:
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Proven, active ingredients, including hyaluronic acid, retinol, vitamin C, skincare peptides, ceramides, alpha and beta hydroxy acids, and more.
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Science-backed concentrations of said active ingredients.
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Synergistic formulations – each product contains multiple active ingredients.
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Active ingredients in their most stable, and therefore effective, forms.
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Packaging that helps protect products from light, heat, and air that may.
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Biocompatibility – skincare that is compatible with human skin and supports barrier health.
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Personalized – With multiple products to choose from in each category, you can adapt your skincare routine to your needs.
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Affordable.
Effective, results-driven skincare that won’t break the bank:
Myth: Pore Size Can Be Changed Permanently
False. You cannot change your pore size. But you can use skincare to help your pores appear smaller.
Dr. Nassif’s Take: Do pores change size? and how to reduce pore size are some of the most common questions we hear. The bad news is that your pore size is mostly fixed by a combination of factors, including genetics, age, hormones, skin structure, sebum production, and others.
The good news is that while you can’t permanently diminish pore size, it’s helpful to consider what makes pores appear larger: dead skin cells and debris, inflammation, collagen loss, and dehydration. Many of these are factors you can influence with a healthy lifestyle and targeted skincare. Use this framework as a remedy for pore size:
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Hydrate
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Nourish
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Exfoliate
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Protect
NassifMD® Skincare that promotes an even, smooth, and hydrated skin texture includes:
Myth: You Cannot Over-Exfoliate Your Skin
False. Over-exfoliation can damage the skin barrier and contribute to skin issues.
Dr. Nassif’s Take: While exfoliation is a key pillar of skincare and a critical step in regularly removing dead skin cells and impurities from the skin’s surface, too much becomes problematic. Over-exfoliated skin may become overly sensitive, and instead of helping your skincare routine work better, it may become less effective.
Signs of over-exfoliation include:
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A tight feeling, especially after cleansing
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Redness, stinging, or itching
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Skin peeling, especially when combined with other symptoms
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Increased sebum production and oily skin
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Sensitivity to your regular skincare products, including cleansers, serums, and moisturizers
The key is to discover the type and frequency of exfoliation that works for your skin. Start with just once or twice per week and slowly increase the frequency. Adding NassifMD® Detox Facial Pads to your routine is an excellent place to start. For sensitive skin, try NassifMD® Detox Facial Pads – Gentle instead.
Additionally, it’s always important to hydrate after exfoliating. Try NassifMD® Skin Barrier Protection Cream as the last step in your evening routine for additional hydrating support.
With so much skincare information available online, it can be hard to separate trends and common myths about natural anti-aging skincare from tried-and-true skincare foundations. Further, there isn’t just a one-size-fits-all answer to many questions. What works for you is personal and may take some trial to dial it all in.
NassifMD® facial plastic surgeon skincare takes the guesswork out of your skincare routine and makes finding your routine easy. With expertly formulated, barrier protecting, gentle formulas, you can worry less about falling for myths and enjoy healthier, radiant skin.
References
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Ananthapadmanabhan, K. P., Moore, D. J., Subramanyan, K., Misra, M., & Meyer, F. (2004). Cleansing without compromise: the impact of cleansers on the skin barrier and the technology of mild cleansing. Dermatologic therapy, 17 Suppl 1, 16–25.
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Kaltchenko, M. V., & Chien, A. L. (2025). Photoaging: Current Concepts on Molecular Mechanisms, Prevention, and Treatment. American journal of clinical dermatology, 26(3), 321–344.
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Parvar, S. Y., Amani, M., Shafiei, M., Rastaghi, F., Hosseini, S. A., & Ahramiyanpour, N. (2023). "The efficacy and adverse effects of treatment options for facial pores: A review article". Journal of cosmetic dermatology, 22(3), 763–775.
