What is healthy skin?

There is a variety of skin care products on the market, and many of us have several products at home for everything from acne to dark circles. Our goal is to have healthy skin, but what does that really mean? 

Telisha Johnson, a plastic surgery nurse practitioner at Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center, explains what to look for in healthy skin. 

Healthy skin is smooth, firm/tight, even in color, hydrated, tolerant and free from disease. 

• Smooth skin has a soft and compact outer layer that has unbroken cell renewal and a regulated skin repair cycle 

• Firm/tight skin is full and has an abundance of optimally functioning collagen and elastin 
• Even in color skin has properly functioning pigment with even production and distribution 
• Hydrated skin has a barrier function that produces natural moisturizing factors that are formed within the structural proteins of the skin 
• Tolerant skin has a functional barrier that is tolerant to the surrounding environment 
• Free from disease skin is not sensitive nor does it have pre-cancer or cancerous lesions 

It doesn’t take dozens of products to address skin-care concerns. 

 “I cannot stress enough the importance of having a few simple products like a cleanser, exfoliator, toner and sunscreen. That’s only four products!” says Johnson. 

• Cleansers remove oils, dirt and makeup without damaging the skin 
• Exfoliators are necessary to remove dead skin cells and increase new cell regeneration—this helps produce more even skin, helping to ensure better distribution of your other skin care products 
• Toners help to balance the pH of your skin, remove impurities, reduce pores, and keep your skin feeling fresh and hydrated 

• Finally, daily use of sunscreen (30 SPF or higher) will decrease the risk of sunspots, skin cancers and wrinkled skin 

Those core products will build a solid foundation of basic skin care. To request a consultation about specific skin concerns, visit Luminis.Health/PlasticSurgery

Authors

Telisha Johnson is  a plastic surgery nurse practitioner at Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center.