ADRIAN MA, HOST:
Before you step into the summer sun, you probably know to put on a little SPF. But say you want to go beyond that. What else do you need to know to protect your skin? Online, there are thousands of products and endless advice videos which can make skin care seem really complicated. The good news, though, is that it doesn't have to be. From NPR's Life Kit podcast, journalist Kelle Walsh explains the science of healthy skin.
KELLE WALSH: According to dermatologists, taking care of your skin isn't difficult.
MICHELLE HENRY: You know, the fundamentals of skin care are very simple. Good quality products. You don't need 20 of them. You need - consistency is more than having 25 products. Find a regimen that works with your skin type. Stick to it, right?
WALSH: That's Michelle Henry, a dermatologist and surgeon who teaches at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York. She points to skin's primary function as a barrier that protects us from external harm. It's also essential for things like temperature regulation and vitamin D production. Maintaining skin health really is about keeping that barrier intact, and it's pretty straightforward.
SARANYA WYLES: From a skin health standpoint, it's really two key ingredients we're talking about. This - you just have to keep your skin moisturized, and you have to keep your skin protected from UV with sunscreen.
WALSH: That's Mayo Clinic dermatologist and researcher Saranya Wyles. Sun protection also includes clothing, hats and avoiding the strongest UV rays during the day. Also useful, say experts, a gentle cleanser, something that won't strip skin's natural oils. Besides those three core products, experts say there are a few ingredients that while not essential are considered nice-to-haves, like antioxidants.
KELLY DOBOS: Antioxidants go hand in hand with sunscreen.
WALSH: That's cosmetic chemist Kelly Dobos, who teaches at the University of Cincinnati. She explains that UV damage, along with pollution, can cause skin to generate free radicals - unstable molecules that can damage DNA, proteins and the natural oils that help protect that skin barrier.
DOBOS: A topical antioxidant is going to help neutralize those free radicals.
WALSH: She says to look for ingredients like vitamin C and E, green tea and niacinamide in moisturizers and standalone serums. Exfoliants are another helpful ingredient, experts say. Alpha hydroxy acids like glycolic or lactic acid can help skin shed old cells more evenly, bringing new ones to the surface. This is a process that happens naturally, but slows down as we age, says Dr. Wyles, making skin drier and more vulnerable.
WYLES: So when you're younger, your skin just has an innate reparative, regenerative capacity that's just functioning at a very high level.
WALSH: Experts say that as these products and ingredients support the health of your skin, they can also make it look brighter, more even and possibly with fewer visible lines. But they aren't going to turn back the hands of time, says Dr. Henry.
HENRY: So there's just a limit to what skin care can do.
WALSH: If your goal is to reduce deep wrinkles, loose skin or lots of hyperpigmentation, Henry says, there are cosmetic medical treatments that can help. Things like prescription retinoids or lasers are common. You can see a dermatologist for these treatments.
As for what's possible at home, helping your skin be healthy and look that way is definitely in the realm of over-the-counter skin care. Beyond that, manage your expectations. All those products with sciencey-sounding (ph) or just bizarre ingredients and the multi-step routines...
HENRY: In many ways, it's a marketing tool for this, like, aesthetic ideal that is just basically made up. Just because you don't have wrinkle-free, rosy skin does not mean it's not healthy. Healthy skin is comfortable, functional skin, frankly, right? And the good thing is that, for the most part, healthy skin does look beautiful.
WALSH: For NPR News, I'm Kelle Walsh.
MA: Want more skin care tips from Life Kit? Sign up for their one-week newsletter series at npr.org/skincare.
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