If you’ve been living with acne-prone skin, chances are you’ve picked up a pointer or two on how to tame your flare-ups. Whether these tips and tricks have any grounding in valid practices is another matter altogether, we’re afraid.

Avoiding cheese and chocolate may or may not be a good idea – when it comes to diet, there’s no relationship between food and acne that’s totally proven, but the general consensus is that processed white flour and sugar is far more likely to lead to some unwanted spots.

Toothpaste? If it’s worked for you in the past, we won’t stop you, but there’s more evidence that salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide are destined to work.

As for skipping the moisturizer? By no means is this a good idea. According to StyleList.com, it’s a myth that “applying moisturizer will add to the oil on acne prone/oily/sensitive skin. You want to keep your skin moisturized and balanced so skin doesn’t keep accumulating excess oils.”