5 Popular Items That Don't Actually Work - And Some Substitutions That Do

Seeing heavily-advertised items for what they really are is tough. Marketing is a gift, and the people who do it are excellent at creating advertisements that consumers love and believe in - whether they're true or not. Here is a list of five commonly-purchased items that don't actually work at all, and what you can try using instead.

1. Airborne
Airborne was created by a school teacher and many doctors say there is no actual proof that it helps your immune system whatsoever. If you really want to avoid getting sick this season, eat a balanced diet, get enough sleep, drink plenty of water and wash your hands. Sorry folks, but a healthy lifestyle is the best immune system boost there is.

2. Diet Soda
In general, foods that are sweet but have zero calories are chalk-full of chemicals that are not good for your body. In fact, some studies have showed that because our bodies aren't designed to take in all of these chemicals, diet soda actually stores as fat in your body more so than regular soda. Have to have it? Try flavored Polar Seltzer or add some juice to club soda. Try here or here for a couple of good recipes.

3. Many Sunscreens
Many people look for sunscreens with the highest SPF to ensure that they're getting optimum protection. However, SPF ratings are part of an equation that includes how long the sunscreen is effective paired with specific skin types. When choosing sunscreen, look for 18 percent concentration zinc oxide or titanium oxide. Sunscreen for babies is a good way to go, or any of these kinds here.

4. Nose Strips
Unless you're a race horse, have a serious snoring issue and/or a deviated septum - nose strips won't help your breathing. Tests showed that nose strips don't actually improve the amount of oxygen you receive. They do however work well on horses and will improve your snoring. If you're only using them to better your breathing, though - it's not really worth it.

5. Many Acne Treatments
Acne treatments often have ingredients in them that serve as an irritant more so than a solution. So when you're shopping for treatments, make sure you're not following a commercial and follow the ingredient list instead. Look for a BHA treatment with a pH level of 3-4 and avoid any irritants. While ProActiv is a good solution, it uses AHA glycolic acid, which is a step down from the preferred BHA.
(*The worst offenders are Burt's Bees Natural Acne Solutions, Neutrogena Rapid Clear 7 Day Acne Intervention Kit, Avon Clearskin and Kiehl's Blue Herbal Collection.)

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Check out the full article at Lifehacker.com.

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