We all want to feel good in our skin.

Skin matters — to how we look, how we feel, and how we move through the world. But beyond appearance, it is our first line of defence: a barrier, a communicator, and a mirror of internal health.

And yet England has no clear, centralised public health messaging on how to care for it.

Each year, around 24% of people in the UK — 13.2 million individuals — visit their GP with a skin concern.

Skin conditions are the most common reason for starting a new consultation in primary care.

This is not fringe.

This is not “cosmetic”.

This is the everyday reality of one of the country’s biggest, most visible health burdens.

Many of these concerns are preventable, manageable, or easier to live with when people have access to simple, evidence-informed advice.

According to the British Skin Foundation:

• 60% of people in the UK have experienced a skin condition

• 1 in 5 children develops eczema, often before age five

• 70% of people with visible skin differences say it affects their confidence

• Acne, rosacea, psoriasis and sensitivity remain among the top reasons people seek help

Skin issues affect millions — and many could be eased or avoided with consistent, national guidance.

Yet public information on how to care for your skin before things go wrong is almost non-existent.

Why This Matters: Prevention Is Possible

Skin is one of the few organs we can see, touch, and care for every day.

Simple guidance can prevent harm, reduce flare-ups, and support wellbeing. Even chronic or inherited conditions become easier to manage when people understand what influences them.

Public health messaging already covers:

• sleep

• diet

• mental health

• exercise

• environmental exposure

These factors all affect the skin — yet skin itself is rarely included in those conversations.

This is a missed opportunity.

The NHS already does much of this work.

It funds dermatology services, cancer prevention campaigns, and digital guidance on related topics. What’s missing is cohesion and visibility.

It’s time to bring skin in.

What Exists Now — and Why It Shows the Potential

Across the country, NHS teams are already running pockets of excellent skin education:

• UHDB skin cancer roadshows

• Kent & Medway Cancer Alliance sun safety campaigns

• Dermatologists like Professor John McGrath sharing evidence-based skincare guidance through trusted public platforms such as the ZOE podcast

These are promising — but they’re scattered, narrow in scope, and difficult for the public to access consistently.

They focus on specific risks like melanoma, without offering broader, everyday skin understanding.

People need both.

The Simple Opportunity:

Bring Skin Into Existing National Messaging

This isn’t about new organisations, new structures, or complicated systems.

It’s about including skin in the public health conversations we are already having.

Examples:

• When we talk about sun safety, include practical, evidence-informed skin care.

• When we talk about mental health, acknowledge its impact on inflammatory skin conditions.

• When we talk about sleep, diet, and movement, name their visible effects on the skin.

• When the NHS App shares seasonal alerts (UV, heat, air quality), link them to skin protection too.

Skin is already affected by these factors.

This would simply acknowledge that reality.

These are early ideas — illustrations.

Researchers, clinical teams, and policymakers would determine the most appropriate form any future messaging should take.

The point is simple:

The public deserves something — and right now, they have almost nothing.

Why This Matters to the Public

People care about their skin.

Millions spend money, time, and energy trying to improve it — without clear, trusted guidance.

This isn’t about making people self-conscious.

 It’s about helping them feel:

• better informed

• better protected

• better supported

Skin health affects confidence, comfort, mental wellbeing, and daily life.

Recognising it within national health messaging would bring clarity and reassurance to millions.

Where This Fits in The Skin Well Project

Phase Two is about shaping practical, realistic steps toward national improvement.

Not new institutions — just better messaging.

Not overhauls — but coherence.

Not complexity — but clarity.

Because skin health is public health.

And it’s time our national conversation reflected that.

Sources and Further Reading

British Skin Foundation, NHS, Cancer Research UK, Wound UK, British Association of Dermatologists, University Hospitals of Derby and Burton, Kent & Medway Cancer Alliance, Professor John McGrath (ZOE podcast), and others.

Because skin health is public health.

And it’s time we said so.