EP 1292
1292. The Anti-Aging Skincare Trends That Are DAMAGING Your Skin | Amitay Eshel
In this episode of The Human Upgrade, Host Dave Asprey sits down with cutting-edge skincare formulator Amitay Eshel to reveal how today’s anti-aging trends may be destroying your skin—and what to do instead. They uncover the truth about oxidative stress, vitamin C misuse, and why mitochondrial damage is the real root of premature aging. You’ll learn how ingredients like NAD, tallow, senolytics, and autophagy activators can radically shift your skin’s biology from the inside out. This episode fuses biohacking, cellular repair, and human performance to help you build a smarter skincare routine that supports longevity, resilience, and real regeneration.
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In this Episode of The Human Upgrade™...
Your anti-aging skincare routine might be secretly aging you faster. In this episode, you’ll uncover how trending skincare products including vitamin C serums, harsh exfoliants, and blue light therapies can damage your skin’s mitochondria, accelerate senescence, and trigger systemic inflammation. You’ll learn how to reverse this damage, support cellular repair, and choose smarter formulations that work with your biology for long-term skin and brain health.
Host Dave Asprey sits down with Amitay Eshel, a pioneer in biohacking skincare and founder of Young Goose. With expertise in regenerative aesthetics and advanced bioactive formulations, Amitay is leading the charge in applying longevity science, epigenetics, and senolytics to skincare. His work helps high performers integrate topical nootropics, mitochondrial support, and neurohacking principles directly into their daily routine through the skin.
You’ll explore how skin aging connects to brain inflammation, how leaky skin barriers affect immune health, and why most anti-aging trends are outdated or biologically disruptive.
The Human Upgrade unpacks how red-light therapy, ketosis, cold therapy, fasting, and self-quantification tools can be leveraged to enhance skin function from the inside out. This is a masterclass in smarter not harder skincare, rooted in cellular optimization and performance longevity.
This episode is essential listening for anyone serious about biohacking, human performance, skincare longevity, mitochondria, Upgrade Labs-style recovery, and science-backed beauty routines.
You’ll learn:
- Which anti-aging skincare trends actually age you faster
- How mitochondria and senescent cells influence visible aging and inflammation
- What role neurohacking and the skin-brain connection play in longevity
- How to repair the skin barrier and reduce oxidative stress naturally
- The best red light, cold therapy, and fasting tools to reverse skin aging
- How to use skin as a self-quantification tool for overall health
- Why smarter skincare equals better cognitive and biological performance
Dave Asprey is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, founder of Bulletproof Coffee, and the father of biohacking. With over 1,000 interviews and 1 million monthly listeners, The Human Upgrade is the top podcast for people who want to take control of their biology, extend their longevity, and optimize every system in the body and mind. Each episode features cutting-edge insights in health, performance, neuroscience, supplements, nutrition, hacking, emotional intelligence, and conscious living.
Episodes are released every Tuesday and Thursday, where Dave asks the questions no one else dares, and brings you real tools to become more resilient, aware, and high performing.
SPONSORS:
-OneSkin | Get 15% off your first purchase at https://oneskin.co/ASPREY with code ASPREY.
-fatty15 | Go to https://fatty15.com/dave and save an extra $15 when you subscribe with code DAVE.
-Timeline | Head to https://www.timeline.com/dave to get 10% off your first order.
“Old skin equals old brain. Old skin equals a brain that is being inflamed.”
Amitay Eshel
- 00:00 – Trailer
A sneak peek at the anti-aging trends that may secretly harm your skin.
- 00:52 – Intro
Host Dave Asprey sets the stage for a deep dive into skin biohacking.
- 01:27 – Anti-Aging Mistakes
Why conventional skincare often backfires and accelerates aging.
- 05:20 – Skin Recovery Science
How senescent cells and inflammation block youthful skin function.
- 07:44 – NAD & Mitochondria
Why cellular energy and NAD levels are essential for skin health.
- 08:52 – Autophagy Compounds
Natural ways to trigger skin cell renewal and detox.
- 12:06 – Sleep & Topicals
How sleep and topical ingredients work together for skin repair.
- 18:36 – Overtraining Effects
Too much exercise can spike cortisol and damage skin over time.
- 21:07 – Vitamin C & Antioxidants
When popular antioxidants do more harm than good.
- 28:48 – Breakthrough Formulations
Game-changing ingredients designed to sync with your biology.
- 35:50 – Tallow vs. MCT
Comparing fats to see which nourishes and protects skin best.
- 36:11 – Sun & Longevity
How strategic sun exposure supports whole-body resilience.
- 37:28 – Red Light Therapy
Using light to stimulate collagen and mitochondrial repair.
- 40:12 – UV Light Benefits
Why UV isn’t the enemy if used with awareness and balance.
- 42:18 – Advanced Skincare Tech
The latest in senolytics, peptides, and regenerative topicals.
- 48:48 – NAD Topicals
Exploring how NAD-infused products can rejuvenate skin.
- 01:00:05 – Building Your Routine
How to create a biohacker-approved skincare protocol.
- 01:07:39 – Final Takeaways
Parting advice on longevity, mitochondria, and radiant skin.
Resources:
- Dave Asprey’s New Book – Heavily Meditated: https://daveasprey.com/heavily-meditated/
- Young Goose Website : https://www.younggoose.com/ and use code “Dave10” at checkout to get a discount!
- Young Goose Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/young_goose_skincare/?hl=en
- Danger Coffee: https://dangercoffee.com
- Dave Asprey’s Website: https://daveasprey.com
- Dave Asprey’s Linktree: https://linktr.ee/daveasprey
- Upgrade Collective – Join The Human Upgrade Podcast Live: https://www.ourupgradecollective.com
- Own an Upgrade Labs: https://ownanupgradelabs.com
- Upgrade Labs: https://upgradelabs.com
- 40 Years of Zen – Neurofeedback Training for Advanced Cognitive Enhancement: https://40yearsofzen.com
Enjoy the show!
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