Stop Sabotaging Your Skin! The Dermatologist-Approved Healthy Skin Habits You Need to Start Now

0:00The following podcast is a dear media production.

0:08Welcome to Breaking Beauty, the podcast all about the breakthrough people, products, and moments in beauty. We're your hosts, Jill Dunn and Carlene Higgins.

0:21Welcome back to Breaking Beauty Podcast. I'm one of your co-hosts, Jill Dunn, and I'm here with my trusty sidekick and friend, Carlene Higgins. Hey, Jill. And we are two beauty editors turned beauty podcasters chatting each and every Wednesday about the breakthrough people, products and moments in beauty. And this is our last episode of the year. 2025 was a big one. We had so many incredible guests and we're so grateful for our listeners who have been on this journey with us for eight whole years now. Tentious, truly. We're going into year number nine. You're like officially my longest relationship, of, Carleen.

0:54And if you have some spare time during the holidays, feel free to go back and listen to our archives. They're all free. We have more than 400 episodes. Many of them are now on YouTube as well. So please subscribe to us on YouTube. And now we're looking ahead to the new year. I know that some people might be committing to new habits or just locking in with their goals, whether that be for work, love, financial, or even their hashtag skin goals. Yes. No better time, honestly, which is why the topic this week is the best and worst habits for healthy skin, according to a dermatologist, brought to you in part by the lovely folks at Neutrogena.

1:30And our guest is none other than my very own personal dermatologist and friend of the podcast, Dr. Julia Carroll. Hello. I'm so glad to be here. To be the last of the season, I feel very honored. I know. This is long overdue. And I got to shout out Dr. Carroll's credentials, everybody, because Dr. Carroll is a board-certified dermatologist, and her expertise has been featured not only on our podcast, but People Magazine, Elle Canada, and GQ, to name a few. And Dr. Carroll is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians. I mean, she's an active member of the Canadian Dermatology Association, the Toronto Dermatologic Society, American Society of Dermatologic Surgeons.

2:10I mean, the list goes on. It just means I pay a lot of dues. I thought I meant, this is why I can't get in with you that often, because you're sitting on all these boards. But I have to shout out your clinic where I go, which is Compass Dermatology in Toronto. You guys have been so great with all my laser treatments. And yeah, we're thrilled to have you here with us today. I'm really excited to be here. Yes, and all of that. And Dr. Carol consults with Neutrogena, where she acts as the national chair of the Mole Mobile, everyone, which helps people screen across the country. And it really is all about underscoring the need for melanoma and skin cancer prevention and the importance of early detection.

2:49So just ahead, we're asking Dr. Carol how to get the best skincare habits on lock for the new year, everything to do with barrier protection, adjusting your sunscreen routine for winter. And there's so many skincare trends out there. But honestly, I think we can all agree that all we really want is healthy skin, you know, the best skin that we can have. So as a dermatologist, what is your core philosophy on achieving and maintaining truly healthy skin? My core philosophy would be starting with you do want to keep it simple. I think the days of the 10 step crazy routines are over and people just aren't interested in spending that money, spending the time.

3:30And it's just really confusing. So I believe in keeping it simple. I also believe in multiple different modalities to keep your skin looking great. So just like you would go to the dentist, get your teeth cleaned. You want to do some laser. You know, if it's your cup of tea, you maybe want to do a little skin rejuvenation with injectables. And then it's really important what you're doing at home as well. Yeah, I agree with you. I think of it as a kind of like a funnel at this point. I don't know if this is the right analogy. but it's like the things that I do every single day and then I have and then like less times out of the year I come in and I have a dermatology treatment and then like twice in my lifetime I go for it with plastic surgery you know it's just like it's it's that funnel and that way you know we're hitting it from all ends yeah and we're officially in winter now so what are the daily habits you recommend to all of your patients and conversely what are some bad habits that maybe actively kind of undoing all of the work that we're doing toward our healthy skin goals.

4:37So we really want to start early on working on moisturizing the skin and keeping that skin barrier intact. Because as you know, as soon as something is broken, it's much harder to fix it. And, you know, just like if you have, you know, surgery, for example, you want to get ahead of the pain. So you want to start looking after the pain management before you have pain. And it's the same thing with skin. In terms of things that are bad habits for people in the winter, one of the worst things that Canadians do is they love to jump in super hot showers, which strips their skin of all the moisture. And then I think it's just also like the constant changing where people are trying this new thing, that new thing.

5:16That's a bad habit that I see, you know, across the board all season long. Yeah. Can you talk a little bit about winter air specifically? And like, does it actually have lower humidity? Is that a truth from a dermatologist? It is true. So the way that I try to explain it to people is that as the temperature goes down, particularly in our climate in Canada, the humidity level does go down. So think of it like the air is just seeking humidity wherever it can get it. And so, for example, your clothes may get staticky because it will pull humidity out because it's trying to balance itself. What are we?

5:51We are essentially a giant bag of water. And so this, you know, it will try to pull the humidity out of a human body as well. And so that's why you see your skin getting itchy and getting dry. And again, that leads to that barrier damage breaking down. And so it's a cycle because you've damaged the barrier and now it's not retaining water as well. And then more water comes out. The barrier is more damaged. It gets more injured and leaky and can't keep the water inside the skin. Yeah. I feel like the whole, you know, since and we've been interviewing you since our magazine days, honestly, and now everybody talks about skin barrier where before it was all about moisturizing, then it was hydrating, now it's skin barrier.

6:40And now I feel like the three terms are just, you know, used almost interchangeably. So maybe you could just tell us like what is the difference between those three terms and how do we know what to look for in a label? Like, does it depend on your skin type or what? If your moisturization levels are down, then that can impact your skin barrier. But there's more to the skin barrier. There's bacteria, there's pollution, sun damage, all those things. So we talk about it like a brick wall and we've got the skin cells and in between it, we have all natural moisturizer. It's called NMF. We have ceramides.

7:19All these things are at play and they're the glue that keeps those bricks together. When the brick wall gets damaged, then your natural moisturization leaks out. You can repair that with moisturization that you can apply in the form of different products. So it could be, you know, humectants which draw moisture in. It can be occlusives which seal it in. Ceramides are definitely one that we talk about a lot in moisturization. Hyaluronic acid is a huge one. It is actually like a huge drink of water for your skin. It's a great and product. It layers in nice with all your products. So if you're having a day where you're a little bit dry, so you're not moisturized enough or you're worried about your skin barrier, adding in a little extra hyaluronic acid is always a good idea.

8:05Yeah. When we're talking about healthy skin today, what does that quantifiably mean to a physician like yourself? When I'm looking for healthy skin, I guess first of all, I'm looking to see are there any skin diseases on the skin? So particularly say we're looking at the face, I'm looking for acne, I'm looking for sun damage, I'm looking for skin cancers, rosacea, eczema. Those are the things I'm looking for. Now, if those aren't present, then I'm looking at the texture of their skin. Does it have that bounce? Does it have that glow? Is there extra pigment? Are there broken blood vessels? Really, when you look at someone and you think that they have really healthy looking skin, you're making that judgment in probably two seconds or less.

8:49You see it from across the room. You see it when you first meet somebody. And it really comes down to skin luminosity. And so skin that is free of distractions, skin that is smooth, the skin that is plump, well hydrated. And if you look at children, they have light that bounces off their skin. And as we get older, we start to accumulate all these things. The light doesn't bounce off the same. So that's where healthy skin, some lasers, they come in to improve that. Makeup will also do the same thing because it's bouncing light off. So it really is all about light reflection. Yeah. The evenness is what I'm always aspiring to, but everybody's got their own thing.

9:30Yeah. And sometimes it's how the skin feels. Some people really want smooth. They hate all the little bumps and things that we get over time. So whether it's seborrheic keratosis or sebaceous hyperplasia, which are enlarged oil glands, or it's an old acne scar or pigment, melasma. Yeah. It's that ooey, dewy, even skin. So what's a good habit for soothing sensitive skin coming into the colder months? Because when your skin starts to look red or flaky, it's not So cute. Not so cute. I think when you are getting into the colder months, it's almost an unhabit is to actually pare back your skincare routine if you're someone that tends to have sensitive skin.

10:09So you want to pare back retinoids that you're using and acids. You may still want to include those in your routine, but not in the same frequency that you were using them before. Again, the hot showers, as much as they're tempting, are really not going to be helpful. and you still want to keep your skin protected with sunscreen. I love niacinamides for skin that is inflamed and irritated. They're always useful. And again, hyaluronic acid is just a good go-to because it attracts moisture to your skin. It's very safe for all skin types. So it's a good go-to that you can add in and out of your routine as needed.

10:52My question is always like, if I end up overdoing it with exfoliating, it's been known to happen. I'll get all flaky. OK, then it's like then I have flakes on my face and all I want to do is peel it off. Yeah. Like I want to go to town. Right. Derms would say what? Well, I think you want to let some of the inflammation settle down. OK. You don't want to go right back to, for example, a retinoid. Yes. But some of the lighter acids, an alpha hydroxy acid or a lactic acid. Lactic acid is a nice ingredient because it's also hydrating. Okay. And so it's more superficial. So think of it like a fine pair of scissors that you're just going to use, that is going along your face and just releasing those flakes that are about to go.

11:40So that might take you to the next level to just get them to come off a little bit quicker. Yeah, that's a good point. But I know it's very hard to resist. I find the same if I get a laser done that all I want to do is then like get rid of it. But you sort of have to let your skin go through the process. Yeah, because then guess what's the next step? You put foundation on. Then you have flaky foundation on your face and you look like, you're like, I'm not going outside today. Like I can't be in public. So that's good to know. Like lactic acid is derm approved. Is derm approved. To do that. Okay, got it.

12:11And I think for speaking for myself as someone with sensitive skin, And a little hack that I've incorporated as a habit is if I am using something really strong, like a retinol or a Dapoline, I will put an occlusive like around my nostrils, around my mouth, all around your eyes. And it helps insanely with it not traveling and not making you more irritated. Right, because those are the areas that tend to be really, really difficult. It is game changing, let me tell you. And as women get older too, I find that they get a lot of redness around the corners of the lips. It's embarrassing. Because then you feel like the joker when you're out and about.

12:50Right. And part of that is because, so the acid has collected in that area. And then a lot of people get a little bit of volume loss there. So it collects there. And then you're sleeping at night. And if you're a side sleeper and maybe you're a little bit of a drooler, then you've got the saliva going in there with all the bacteria from your mouth. and it just becomes this vicious cycle. So I love that with using an occlusive in those areas. Yeah, especially like in the winter, if you're like blowing your nose a lot, like I find all around the nose, around the mouth, around the eyes, it's helped a lot.

13:18Yeah, that's a really good suggestion. Because then you don't need to actually give up what you like to use. And what do you do for people, like my son has eczema, eczema, depending on where you live, you might pronounce it differently. Or what level of derm training? I say it's eczema when you start, then we start to call it dermatitis and then at the end is eczema. Okay. A really nerdy derm joke. Okay. So should we move to eczema? I think you guys are at the level of eczema. Yes. You are granted eczema status. We have graduated. I love it. Okay. Well, my son has that and I notice, you know, he never wants to be bothered to do anything about his hands until they are cracked and bleeding.

14:03And so getting in front of it is a challenge. What do you do when you get to that point? When the horse is out of the barn? I mean, then I think you need to call your dermatologist because that's when we need prescription medications. And people are sometimes a little bit nervous about using prescription products. They go down the rabbit hole on the internet or on TikTok. Steroids are a mainstay that we use. There's actually a lot of new prescription products that are out now that are non-steroids that, you know, I've just gotten into my hands in the recent past year and they are game changers.

14:39And so those have been very helpful, but still steroids are the main ingredient that we use for eczema. They're like tried and true. Right. Yeah. And tested and long-term use. And one of the things that I will explain to patients is that when you have a flare-up, you want to use your prescription product. You want to use it regularly. You want to use it as directed and for the amount of time until your skin is cleared. So as we go back to think about that dilapidated brick wall, often what happens is as soon as it starts to get a bit better and your son probably just doesn't want to use the creams and the products.

15:13So he's like, oh, it's not itchy anymore. It's not bugging me. I'm going to stop. But the problem is that eczema, if you think of it like a little monster, is just below the surface. You haven't really gotten rid of it. And so as soon as you let your guard down, it pops back out. What you really want is to have that barrier repaired all the way through, and then it's strong again, and it can resist the outside world. You'll end up using less product if you're consistent and use it as directed instead of using just a little bit here and a little bit there, and then you never really get rid of it.

15:42And overall, if you looked at a year, you're going to use more than if you just used it and used it as directed. Right. Yeah. Okay.

16:05today's episode is brought to you in part by quince okay i have kind of an embarrassing confession to make my dog ate my neighbor's cashmere beanie and i felt really bad about it but like a new one would have been so expensive. So I found the perfect solution. Of course, it's Quince. It always comes back to Quince. They carry a Mongolian cashmere ribbed beanie. It's unisex. It comes in two sizes. It's$40 Canadian,$34.90 US. Like start the car. So it's butter soft, pure grade A Mongolian cashmere, but it's such an inexpensive price. And that's what I love about Quince. It's the best place to stock up on good quality staples when you're paying a fraction of what you would pay elsewhere.

16:53And what's great about that is it's not fast fashion either by working directly with trusted factories that maintain high standards for both craftsmanship and ethical practices. And by cutting out the middleman and markups, that's how Quince is able to pass those savings on straight to us. So I really appreciate that. There's so much more in the way of staples that you can get there too, like denim that goes with everything, silk tops and skirts for the holidays, cashmere scarves, down jackets, wool coats, like all the good stuff. It's just, it's the best thing that came to Canada recently, I have to say, and the way of retailers, I'm so excited about it.

17:35So find gifts so good, you'll want to keep them with quince, go to quince.com slash breaking beauty for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns now available in Canada too. That's q-u-i-n-c-e.com slash breaking beauty to get free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com slash breaking beauty. Hey everyone, it's Maddie here, host of The Bad Broadcast. If you're looking for some good, clean positivity, I'm not your girl because over the bad broadcast, we dive deep into all the things we love to hate. Bad dates, bad bosses, bad roommates, all while finding the humor in it. We also chat pop culture, relationships, food, and all things nostalgia.

18:19Think of it like a sleepover with your best friends where you get to vent, laugh, cry, and watch your favorite chick flick. You can listen to the bad broadcast every Monday wherever you get your podcasts, or you can now watch the full episodes on YouTube. Remember to be safe, be kind, be hot, and I'll see you on Monday.

18:45It's a little off topic, but I keep seeing it. So I'm going to ask you about it. Is there any truth to, like some people are talking about how they're getting eczema on their face and they're thinking maybe it's from gel manicures touching their skin. Is there any truth to that? Have you seen this? So that is something that we've known for a long time. I learned that in my training, not just gel manicures, but nail polish in general. And I think a lot more people get regular manicures than they used to, you know, years ago, you know, my 15 year old daughter, I can't even tell you like her babysitting budget goes all towards her babysitting money goes all towards manicures.

19:20So the interesting part is it's not all the time, but it's when it's when you first apply the nail polish or you first get the gel manicure before it has totally cured. There's fumes that are still coming off of it. So your hands are much more sturdy, thicker skin. The second thickest skin on your body is on your hands next to your feet, whereas the thinnest skin on your eyelids. And so the fumes may not bother your hands, but you're scratching your eye. You're maybe putting on your eye products. And those fumes for about 24 hours are still coming off and they can absolutely cause a flare if you had underlying eczema or people may actually have an allergy.

19:57But it's often hard to pick up because I'll say to them, you know, how often does it happen? Like track it with your manicures. And I probably diagnose one or two people a year with that allergy. Wow. Something that I'm always curious about in the, I'd say it's a more wintertime habit for myself is applying lip balm like constantly. Is that a good skin habit or a bad skin habit and why? Because I think we've all heard that old wives tale that like you can, like the more you put on, the more you need to put on. And you get addicted. Yeah, for lack of a better word. So I think it depends on what's in the lip balm and also your own body and other habits.

20:36So I'll explain it. So if you have a lip balm that has a lot of mint things that are tingly, those medicated lip balms, they feel good at first, especially if you have lips that are dry, maybe a bit itchy. the minty sensation redirects your brain from itchiness and so it will feel good in the short term it's the same thing like if you get a bug bite and you put on some of those after bite and things right they'll take the their sting a bit and that takes your brain away from the itch to the sting so they all run along the same nerves those sensations so things that are minty and tingly will make it feel better but they're actually irritating to the lips if you think to some of the lip products we use that you put on and they are a little bit stingy and then you get larger lips it's because they're inflamed right so you want to stay away from those medicated stingy uh sorry minty tingly lip balms uh the other thing is if they're flavored flavors themselves can be irritating or even be an allergen for the lips but if they are flavored and then you're constantly licking your lips, then that can cause what's called lip lickers dermatitis.

21:47And again, it's that saliva that's irritating and it's around the lips. So if you are a lick lipper, if you're a lip licker and using your lip balm is making you lick your lips more often, then that's not a good choice for you. I just like a really simple, like a petrolatum base lip balm. Yeah. There's lots out there. I think that's the best. So I think that in itself is not a bad habit, but I think it's what it depends if there's extra ingredients and then what those balms make you do. Yeah. Right. OK. And what about the skin area around the eyes? You mentioned it's more delicate in that area.

22:29So what habits would you personally do as a derm on the daily to keep your eye area at its peak healthiest? So I want to protect it from the sun. So I'm using sunscreen that I use around the eye area. Sunglasses, I feel, are also really important. I'm always on the hunt for sunglasses that have a wide arm on them to cover that area. It's not very on trend right now. They're hard to find. So I have a few in my tickle trunk that I keep. And then I also love an eye cream. So a lot of people think eye creams are just another way to buy more product. But I do think it's important to have products that are specifically made for the eye because the eye area is different and it's obviously close to the eye.

23:18So you want something that's ophthalmologist tested that is lower in allergens that's tested by dermatologists as well. Neutrogena has a collagen bank reviving eye gel cream. it's lovely because it's a gel so it's also cooling so when you put it on it has that sensation of like de-puffing reducing the tension around the eye so that's a good one and it's a nice size I like traveling with them yeah I like a gel formula during the day under makeup because I find if it's too oily then my makeup is just going to slide everywhere so that's a good one for daytime. And, you know, sometimes if you put products on that aren't going to stick to the area, then they can run into the eye and irritate the eye.

24:03So a gel product is nice because it's light. It has more water in it than a traditional cream. And so it's going to soak in a little bit nicer. Okay. Love it. And why is it a non-negotiable to wear broad spectrum of sunscreen year round? I feel like you probably have to tell people this every single day why it's important. So let's share with the class. Okay. So because exposure to ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B rays can cause cancer. Yeah. I mean, that's really what it comes down to. Yeah. And if you if there's enough light out that you can see your hand in front of you, then you are getting exposed to those rays.

24:46So there's the immediate where you can get sunburns from them. Now in the winter, we don't see that obviously as much. Skiers may see it. People that are out snowshoeing, out walking can still get sunburns. But I think that's the danger in the wintertime is that you are not getting as much of the UVB, which is the burning rays. So you're not getting the signal, but you're still getting the A. And those are the ones that go deeper into the skin. They disrupt the collagen. They disrupt the cells. And when they disrupt the DNA in those cells, then later on down the line, those cells can start behaving badly and they can turn into skin cancers.

25:20Not to mention they're breaking down your collagen. It's the number one thing that leads to aging. All you have to do is look at the outside of your arm and the inside of your arm and the difference in texture and pigment, the rigor of the skin to know what the sun has done over a lifetime of exposure. Yeah. A little hack because I always think of UVA as like aging. Those are the aging race. Not only are they dangerous, but they also are the ones responsible for that DNA scramble. Yeah, aging, e-burning. Yeah. And I think that's the thing that somebody can tell themselves is like, well, I'm not getting a burn, so I'm fine.