The magic bullet myth is the idea that there is one product or ingredient that will miraculously meet all of your skin care needs and/or solve all of your skin care problems. Many times you will see these products advertised with ingredients that sound anywhere from odd to quite bizarre- clay, mud, snail gel, snake oil, beeswax etc. They will often be accompanied by bogus claims such as: “Ancient miracle cream developed by Mayan medicine man. Cures acne, arthritis, warts, scars, diaper rash, psoriasis....”
Now, of the ingredients that I listed above most of them do have a known use that is beneficial for the skin. The problem is when false advertising stretches the truth about how much these ingredients can actually do. Another thing to note is that it is actually illegal for companies to make claims that their product can “cure” anything unless the FDA has approved their ingredient as a drug for a specific indication and they have FDA approved labeling that indicates that (ex. the Drug Facts box on OTC medications). Some companies get by this in a sneaky way- they will put in fine print on their marketing material “People that have used our products say that it heals:” and then give their list of ailments in large print. Dirty advertising.
Watch out for products like this and don’t be fooled by their dishonest marketing strategies. When in doubt about any product, look at the main ingredients and do an internet search for that ingredient. If there is any credible research that proves a benefit for your skin, you will find it fairly easily.
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