Glowing skin might start in your genes. Your DNA likely plays a key role, but there are still things you can do for your skin.

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The beauty and skin care industry are saturated with products that make perfect skin seem not just attainable but standard. But genetics play large role in our skin's appearance and health.
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▼ The beauty and skin care industry are saturated with products that make perfect skin seem not just attainable but standard. Anti-wrinkle creams, acne medications, expensive facials: No matter what the skin ailment, there’s a product that claims to fix it. According to data compiled by the U.S. Census and Simmons National Consumer Survey, 1.35 million Americans spent $500 or more on skin care products in a three-month period in 2017. Overall, the same data showed skincare makes up 36 percent of the global cosmetic market.
But store-bought and prescription products are not the only factors that keep skin looking polished. Our genetics also influence how our skin looks and behaves, but researchers are still parsing through just how much of our skin health has to do with our DNA, and investigations into exactly which genes affect our skin’s appearance is still in the early stages.
Genetics play a large role, but not the only role, in determining whether you have good skin, says Adam Friedman, professor of dermatology at George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Human bodies house between 20,000 and 25,000 different genes, which are made up of DNA, and these genes determine everything about us, including how our skin behaves. Genetics are largely responsible for our skin type (like whether we’re dry, normal, or oily), many skin conditions, and, to some extent, even wrinkles.
When genes work like they’re supposed to, they regulate skin cell production—telling the body to create new skin cells as older ones die. “However, when a [gene] does not function correctly, you may make too little or too much of a particular signal,” Friedman says, “which can cause cells to grow too quickly, causing skin-clogging problems such as acne, or limit the ability of the skin to repair and rebuild following injury.”
Friedman says research has identified gene mutations, which are alterations to the normal structure and function of a gene, in many skin conditions, from eczema to melanoma. Even acne, a researcher named Hugo Hecht found in 1960, has a hereditary component. While there’s no acne gene per say, Hecht found that acne runs in families and the condition can be more difficult to treat when there’s a family history. Today, as a result of further research, there are many treatments for reducing the appearance of acne, one of the most common skin conditions, even when it’s genetic. (▪ ▪ ▪)

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