We hear these in DMs constantly. None of them hold up. Here are five we'd love to retire.
1. "Toothpaste dries out a spot."
It also burns the surrounding skin, disrupts your barrier, and leaves a chemical mark that can darken into a post-inflammatory stain that lasts months. The "drying" effect people credit is mostly the menthol and surfactants stripping the skin. A hydrocolloid patch gives you the desired outcome — flatter, calmer spot — without the collateral damage.
2. "Sun helps clear breakouts."
Short term, UV light reduces visible inflammation and gives you a tan that camouflages a red mark. Long term, sun exposure on inflamed skin is the single biggest contributor to post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation — those stubborn dark spots that outlast the original blemish by months. SPF every morning is non-negotiable for anyone who breaks out.
3. "Drinking eight glasses of water clears your skin."
Hydration matters for general health. Skin clarity is mostly genetics, hormones, and the products you use. Drinking more water won't hurt, but it's not the missing variable in your routine. Stop apologizing to yourself for not drinking enough — it's not the reason you broke out.
4. "Pop it before it gets bigger."
Almost every dermatologist on the internet has begged people to stop doing this. Squeezing a spot ruptures it inward, spreading bacteria, deepening the inflammation, and turning a four-day blemish into a two-week scar. If you must intervene, use a hydrocolloid patch over a whitehead — it does the same job your fingers are trying to do, without the trauma.
5. "Pricier means better."
The hydrocolloid in a $30 pack is the same hydrocolloid in a $15 pack. The difference is packaging, marketing, and brand markup. The thing actually doing the work — the hydrophilic gel layer — costs roughly the same wholesale across the entire category. Pay for the patch, not the campaign.
If you've been told any of these by a friend, a Pinterest pin, or a TikTok with no context — it's okay to let them go. Your skin will be fine. Better than fine, honestly.