Stop overthinking skin care. What's essential and what's hype
6/15/202614 min
The list of skin care products being sold as “essential” can feel endless. What do all those serums, creams, acids and toners actually do — and do you need them? In this episode of Life Kit, host Marielle Segarra talks to health journalist Kelle Walsh, who just wrote a newsletter series for us on this topic.
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Transcript preview
First 90 secondsIra Glass0:00
This is Ira Glass. On this American Life, one thing we like is a good mystery. Sometimes about really big things, but most times the little mysteries are the best Our lost and found is currently filled with pants.
Speaker 20:12
I don't know w- I, I, I've never seen this happen.
Marielle Segarra· Host0:15
Wait, this is true?
Speaker 20:16
This is true.
Ira Glass0:17
Mysteries of every size each week, This American Life, wherever you get your podcasts.
Marielle Segarra· Host0:23
You're listening to Life Kit from NPR.
Kelly Walsh· Guest0:27
[Instrumental music plays] Brands create a lot of noise in the skincare space. Like, you can't just go to the store and buy a simple moisturizer. There's a dozen different choices it seems from every [laughs] single brand. And just to figure out what you need for your skin, you have to wade through it all. It's super confusing and complicated.
Marielle Segarra· Host0:52
Hey, it's Marielle Segarra, and today we're talking about skincare and how it's actually not as complicated as many brands make it seem. Kelly Walsh is a health journalist who also reports on wellness and lifestyle topics, and she has been deep in the weeds reporting a special newsletter series for Life Kit about skincare. Kelly, welcome to the show.
Kelly Walsh· Guest1:12
Hey. Thanks for having me.
Marielle Segarra· Host1:14
What was your relationship to skincare before you started reporting on this?
Kelly Walsh· Guest1:18
Um, I used a gentle cleanser 'cause my skin can be sensitive, a moisturizer, and then sun protection in the form of sunscreen, you know, ridiculously big hats and scarves and sometimes long sleeves.