Try This – 5 Big Ideas on Healing Skin, Preventing Wrinkles, and Reversing Acne

Hi Everyone! 

Skin health has always been a passion of mine. 

It was my constant battle with cystic acne growing up that introduced me to the world of nutrition. 

After trying endless prescriptions and topical creams, I discovered that hidden food intolerances like dairy were the cause of my skin troubles. 

Now, after years of working in health and understanding the power of food as medicine, I’m more certain than ever that our skin is a reflection of what is happening inside our bodies. 

That’s why I was so excited to sit down with holistic plastic surgeon Dr. Anthony Youn and talk about what it takes to heal our skin, reverse acne, prevent wrinkles, and maintain youthful skin no matter our age. 

What I loved about this conversation the most was Dr. Youn’s commitment to providing science-backed tips and not overcomplicating what it takes to have healthy skin. 

You know I’m all about simplicity, and these tips are super simple and set the record straight on things like sunscreen, Botox, sugar, skin-care routines, and more.

So let’s cut to the chase with the five biggest takeaways from my conversation with Dr. Anthony Youn… 

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5 Big Takeaways on Skin Health 

1. Overconsumption of Sugar Causes Rapid Aging 

Our skin is mostly composed of collagen; it’s what makes us look youthful and radiant. As we get older, our collagen breaks down because of a few different factors—one big culprit being sugar! Sugar attaches to collagen fibers and creates advanced glycation end products or AGEs. These AGEs literally age us. In fact, chronic high blood sugar is the number one reason for AGEs. 

Just moving away from ultra-processed, hyper-palatable foods can reduce the amount of oxidation and free radicals floating around in our bodies. Crowd out sugar-sweetened beverages and ultra-processed foods with a diet rich in colorful plants filled with antioxidants and protein. Just this step alone is foundational for better skin. 

Other sources of AGEs include fried foods and charring your foods—both meats and veggies! 

2. Supplemental Collagen Works but Collagen Creams Do Not! 

Dr. Anthony Youn wants us to know that collagen creams are a waste of money. Why? Well, collagen is a large protein and our skin is designed to keep large compounds out. So when you slather on collagen creams, they just sit on top of your skin doing pretty much nothing. BUT… collagen supplements are a keeper! 

A meta-anaylsis looked at individuals who took collagen over 90 days and found a statistically significant improvement in fine lines and wrinkles, skin elasticity, and skin hydration. Other studies have even taken skin biopsies of individuals taking collagen supplements and have seen an improvement in skin thickness. Dr. Youn recommends hydrolyzed collagen peptides, which have been broken down into amino acids and peptides so that our body can actually absorb them. My favorite brand is Momentous Grass Fed Collagen Peptides. Full disclosure, they are a sponsor of my content. You can use the code DHRU to get 20% off any order. Dr. Youn also has his own brand, which I have not tried yet. 

3. Practice Safe Sun Exposure 

Sun exposure is a highly debated area among experts. Dr. Youn tells us that UV radiation does indeed have a role in inflammation, oxidation, and DNA damage. While the sun is very therapeutic in certain doses, overexposure to UV rays can lead to things like skin damage and skin cancer. Practicing safe sun exposure is the key.  

One of my favorite recommendations from my cardiologist is to go to your weather app and find the UV index. During sunrise and sunset, the UV index is quite low, which makes these ideal times to get sunlight. 

If you’re going to be in the sun for extended periods of time, Dr. Youn has some advice on sunscreen. 

There are actually two different types of “sunscreen”: chemical sunscreens and physical sunblocks. The two concerning ingredients in most chemical sunscreens are oxybenzone and octinoxate, which have been shown to be hormone disruptors. If you’re looking for a chemical sunscreen, there are two ingredients that might be a safer choice: avobenzone and Mexoryl XL. So far, these appear to be safer ingredients than oxybenzone and octinoxate.

However, if you really want to be on the safest side, stick with a physical sunblock that features ingredients like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. This is what I do because I’m super skeptical about what these chemical sunscreens are doing to our bodies.

Dr. Youn Recommends using a mineral-based, physical sunblock on children to avoid chemicals getting into their bloodstream, which is very scary! 

Also, if you’re in a car, use sunscreen. Our windows block UV-B rays, which are the rays that cause burning, but they don’t block UV-A rays, which can cause rapid aging and skin cancer.  

He recommends using at least SPF 30 on your face and body! 

4. Botox Is Not Evil 

Botox is the most popular cosmetic treatment in the world, and we all want to know if it’s safe.

Here’s a little background first: Botox works by helping to block nerve transmission to muscles, which helps them relax. This in turn helps with targeting wrinkles in very specific areas of our face. Even though Botox is a toxin, the tiniest amounts in the right location have led to some pretty dramatic results for millions of people. 

But what do the studies show? 

One study in mice found remnants of Botox in the spinal fluid after the animals were injected, which sounds scary. I asked Dr. Youn if there are any systemic concerns about this. He believes that for now, there aren’t. In our conversation, he said that he personally has not seen any negative, long-lasting impacts from injecting Botox for over 20 years.

But there are people who have self-reported negative side effects, including neurological issues. Dr. Youn says he has scoured the literature and has not found definitive proof that Botox is unsafe. 

For now, this is an ongoing debate. 

For anyone considering Botox, Dr. Youn encourages doing your research and finding a reputable person or place to have your treatment done. Also, less if often more. The challenge with Botox is that it is pretty addicting, and that’s when we see some results that look unnatural. 

5. Simpler Is Better 

These days it seems like everyone has a 12-step skin-care routine filled with lotions, potions, and goos. But is all that really necessary? Dr. Youn and his team set out to create a scientifically backed skin-care routine using just the basics and saw some fascinating results. 

They put a group of individuals on a two-minute-per-day skin-care routine for two months. Afterward, they put the results of their experiment online and surveyed an audience to see how much younger they thought the participants looked. The average answer was five years younger! 

So, what is this two-minute, five-year-younger skin-care routine? 

Morning Routine

1. Cleanse your skin. If you have oily skin, use a foam-based cleanser. If you have dry or sensitive skin, use a hydrating or milky cleanser. 

2. Use an antioxidant-based serum. The most common one is a vitamin C serum. If you can find one that combines vitamin C and vitamin E, you’ll get some synergistic benefits. 

3. Apply sunscreen. SPF 30 is what Dr. Youn recommends. 

Evening Routine

1. Cleanse (and double cleanse if necessary). After a long day, your face accumulates a lot of grime, so cleansing is extra important at night. If you wear makeup, double cleanse. 

2. Apply an anti-aging cream. Dr. Youn recommends retinoid creams such as retinol. Retinols can help increase the thickness of your skin, prevent wrinkles, reduce inflammation, and much more. Always use a trusted brand and talk to a dermatologist if you have questions about retinol. 

That’s it! This is all you truly need to have an “anti-aging,” or as I like to say, “longevity-promoting” skin-care routine! 

I love chatting with experts who focus on what really matters and help us tune out the noise. Remember, sometimes just the basics alone are what it takes to create a healthy mind, body, and spirit and healthy skin. 

Here’s to glowing skin, Dhru Purohit