Cosmetic Quarterly: National Healthy Skin Month
- skincare-tips
For this edition of Cosmetic Quarterly, we’re doing a Q&A with Dr. Mackenzie Gwynne, MD about the importance of healthy skin, how to achieve it and maintain it during National Healthy Skin Month!
How can you tell your skin is or is not healthy?
This can be tricky. Assessing skin health is largely what dermatologists spend years in training to do. Generally, we assess the overall appearance of your skin which includes but is not limited to the color, texture, and elasticity of skin. We are always looking for any signs of chronic sun damage as well as any particular skin spots that could be potentially precancerous or cancerous.
What are your go-to, tried and true treatments for healthy skin?
A mild moisturizer like Cerave with sunscreen, mild face wash like Cerave gentle foaming cleanser and a prescription retinoid such as tretinoin.
What are the steps to a healthy skincare routine?
The first ingredient to healthy skincare routine is sunscreen. It is so important to get into the habit of applying sunscreen with SPF 30 or above in the morning. This is especially important when living in a sunny climate such as South Carolina. The UV rays that sunscreen blocks can cause skin cancer and also “photoaging.” The best sunscreens by photoprotection measures are Zinc or Titanium oxide. These are what we call physical barrier sunscreens as they are made from minerals that physically block the sun.