7 Skincare Myths Indians
Swear By And What the
Science Actually Says
Your mum swears by besan and raw haldi. Your aunty says your melanin protects you you don't need all that SPF. An influencer tells you lemon juice will fix your dark spots. And somewhere between all three, your skin is just waiting for someone to get it right.
Here's what the science actually says. No sugarcoating.
These 7 skincare myths are deeply embedded in Indian households, beauty routines, and social feeds. Some are well-meaning. Some are harmless. And some said with the best intentions are quietly causing the exact problem they claim to fix. Let's sort them out, one by one.
Your Melanin Protects You.
You Don't Need Sunscreen.
Melanin provides the equivalent of approximately SPF 2–13, depending on skin tone. That's useful background protection and nowhere near adequate. It does not block UVA rays, the ones responsible for premature ageing, collagen breakdown, and the deep pigmentation that's harder to treat than it is to prevent.
And here's the part that makes this myth particularly damaging: hyperpigmentation is more visible, more persistent, and significantly harder to treat on darker skin tones. The damage from unprotected sun exposure isn't less it just presents differently. And once it's there, reversing it is a long, expensive process.
It Comes from the Kitchen.
It Can't Harm Your Skin.
Natural is not a safety certification. Lemon juice has a pH of around 2 highly acidic, well outside the skin's natural range of 4.5–5.5. Applied before sun exposure (which, in India, is hard to avoid), it triggers phototoxic reactions chemical burns that leave behind hyperpigmentation, not less of it. The same lemon juice you applied to brighten your spots is darkening them.
Raw turmeric stains and can cause contact sensitisation with repeated use. Baking soda, at pH 9, destroys the skin's acid mantle the protective layer that keeps bacteria out and moisture in. The kitchen is for cooking. Skin is a complex biological organ, not a salad bowl.
It's Cloudy Today.
I'll Skip the SPF.
What the science says
Cloud cover blocks visible light. UV radiation is a different part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Up to 80% of UV rays penetrate cloud cover and they're hitting your skin whether or not you can feel the heat. UVA rays, which are responsible for deep pigmentation and collagen degradation, also pass through glass. Your window seat at work is exposing you. Your car during a commute is exposing you.
Daily SPF is not a sunny-day habit. It is the single most evidence-backed anti-ageing step in existence more so than retinol, vitamin C, or peptides. Not because those don't work, but because unprotected UV exposure undoes the work of everything else in your routine. SPF isn't optional on cloudy days. It's especially important on the days you think you don't need it.
I Used SPF 50 This Morning.
I'm Covered for the Day.
SPF measures the strength of UV protection, not how long it lasts. UV filters are chemical compounds. They absorb UV radiation and break down in the process that's how they work. Add sweat, humidity, and the act of touching your face, and protection degrades faster than the bottle suggests.
SPF 100 applied once will fail you by noon. SPF 50 reapplied correctly will not. The reapplication window is every 2–3 hours. If you're outdoors, exercising, commuting, or sweating lean toward 2. This isn't about product failure. It's physics.
My Skin Is Already Oily.
Moisturiser Will Make It Worse.
Oil and water are not the same thing. Oily skin can be dehydrated simultaneously lacking water, not lacking lipids. When skin is dehydrated, sebaceous glands receive a signal to compensate by producing more oil. Skipping moisturiser doesn't solve oiliness. It often causes more of it.
A lightweight, non-comedogenic hydrating formula restores water balance without adding congestion. The goal is to give skin what it's actually missing water so it stops overproducing what you're trying to reduce.
Wash More Often,
Clear Skin Faster.
The surface of your skin isn't just skin. It's a living ecosystem a protective layer of lipids and microbiome that keeps irritants out and moisture in. This is the skin barrier. Strip it through over-cleansing and you dismantle your first line of defence.
The result: skin becomes reactive, sensitised, prone to redness and inflammation and ironically, oilier, as sebaceous glands overcompensate for the hydration loss. Twice daily is the evidence-backed frequency. What matters more than how often you cleanse is what you cleanse with. A formula that removes pollutants, sweat, and excess oil without stripping the barrier is the difference between clean skin and compromised skin.
It Costs ₹8,000.
It Has to Be Good.
Price is not a formulation guarantee. What determines whether a skincare product actually works is the formulation itself: the right active ingredients, at clinically established concentrations, in a stable delivery system that allows absorption. That's it.
Prestige brands frequently invest in fragrance, packaging, celebrity endorsements, and retail margins. Not necessarily in active concentrations. A ₹1,200 SPF with proven broad-spectrum UV filters will outperform a ₹9,000 "brightening serum" with vague botanical extracts every single time. The only tool that cuts through it: read the ingredient list. Look for actives with published research. Ignore the price. Ignore the packaging. Ignore the claims that aren't tied to a specific ingredient at a specific percentage.
Good Skincare Starts
with Knowing the Truth
The myths in this list aren't random. They're rooted in tradition, reinforced by marketing, and repeated across generations with the best of intentions. Some came from a time before SPF science existed. Some are still being actively spread by brands that benefit from your not knowing better.
Understanding what your skin actually needs not what tradition prescribed, not what a high price tag implies is the only thing that changes outcomes. That's the standard every Élevé formula is held to.
Ingredients are chosen for what the evidence says they do, at concentrations that deliver it. No filler claims. No vague botanicals. No inflated price signals. Just formulations that work for Indian skin, in Indian conditions, every day.
Explore the range
Science-led formulations built specifically for Indian skin and climate conditions.
Shop ÉlevéHave a myth to bust?
Send it our way. We'll break it down with the same rigour no sugarcoating.
DM @iameleve