Opportunity
Middle school is a pivotal window when children, ages 11-14, are developing lifelong habits around health, nutrition, sun safety, and skin care. At the same time, adolescents are increasingly exposed to skincare misinformation through marketing and media. As a result, many students lack the understanding of how skin functions to determine best practices for care, which often leads to harmful skin habits and misuse of products.
Vision
To empower middle school students with accurate science-based knowledge about skin health giving them the skills to make informed decisions, build healthy habits, and critically evaluate
the marketing and trends they encounter.
“Every child deserves to understand the skin they’re in and the science to protect it”
Skin Literacy Lab brings a physician designed, science-based skin health education to middle school classrooms- covering common skin conditions, sun safety and what’s really in your
skincare products.
Learn our mission
Skin Literacy Lab is a nonprofit that brings physician-designed skin health education to middle school students, equipping young people with the science they need to care for their skin, tune out misinformation, and build healthy habits for life.
Founded by Dr. Lauren Taglia, MD, PhD, FAAD, Skin Literacy Lab addresses a critical and overlooked gap in youth health education: despite being the body’s largest organ, skin health is rarely taught in schools. In its place, middle school students turn to online sources and social media—a landscape filled with misinformation, unnecessary products being directly marketed, and content that too often fails to represent diverse skin conditions and tones.
As a dermatologist, Dr. Taglia sees the consequences in her daily practice: teenagers with sensitized skin, chronic conditions left unmanaged, and young people confused about how to best care for their skin. Skin Literacy Lab was created to intervene early, before misinformation takes root.
Our evidence-based curriculum—covering skin conditions and care, sun safety and protection practices, and skincare ingredients literacy—is delivered through free, in-person workshops in middle schools. Programs are inclusive by design, affirming all skin types and tones, and grounded in clinical expertise. Our mission is to ensure that every young person has access to the foundational skin health knowledge they deserve.