Longevity Skincare

It goes much deeper than face value.

Cellular function, DNA repair, barrier strength, healthy daily habits…we’re learning that these are the factors that shape the future integrity of your skin.

Skincare, for those above 30ish say, has long focused on softening lines and improving texture. But experts are saying we’ve only been skimming the surface. When it comes to beauty, they’re now pointing to deeper factors that influence how skin functions— and thus, how well it holds up over time—and finding ways to target the biological roots of aging.

“Skincare has evolved significantly from focusing on cosmetic appearances and prioritizing immediate results, to emphasizing overall skin wellbeing,” says Samantha Mansell, spa director at Cal-a-Vie Health Spa in California, who stays closely attuned to the developing science and innovation.

This new holy grail? Skin longevity—keeping skin strong and resilient for the duration. That includes improving superficial markers, but also less noticeable (though certainly no less critical) aspects like wound healing, barrier strength, and cellular rejuvenation. “Over time, our ability to repair DNA declines, which contributes to UV damage and pigmentation. Mitochondria—our cells’ energy producers—also become less efficient, leading to slower turnover and reduced healing,” explains Dr. Nichola Conlon, a molecular biologist who studies cellular aging. “Skin longevity is about tackling these, and other, hallmarks of aging on a cellular level to maintain skin health and function as the years pass.”

And to do that, a strategic approach is essential, says Jaimee Holmes, who has spent decades developing skincare products, helped define some of the industry’s strictest clean standards, and now leads skincare innovation at health brand, Timeline. Which is where the current advances in longevity science and plant-based formulations come in—tools that help the skin repair itself, respond to damage more efficiently, and retain its structural integrity over time. What’s truly exciting is these breakthroughs come from clean science and ingredients grown in the earth, as experts look toward smarter, safer solutions for long-term skin wellness. “Along with healthy life habits, using the right products consistently can make a real impact,” says Holmes. The innovative formulas for a longer, healthier “skinspan,” mapped out here.

“Skincare has evolved significantly from focusing on cosmetic appearances and prioritizing immediate results, to emphasizing overall skin wellbeing.”

—Samantha Mansell, spa director at Cal-a-Vie Health Spa

Trigger Renewal and Strength

Within this promising new class of longevity-focused products, a core priority is that aforementioned mitochondrial function—a key driver of how well skin cells perform over time. Quick reminder: mitochondria generate the fuel cells need to do things like renew, maintain collagen (skin’s essential scaffolding), and bounce back from environmental stress.

Timeline’s skincare line, for one, targets this process in its plant-based serum and creams through a postbiotic called Urolithin A—it’s complicated, but essentially that’s a beneficial compound produced by gut bacteria during the digestion of pomegranates.

“Mitopure (the formulation in its products) is the first and only precise dose of Urolithin A clinically proven to support the process of mitophagy— recycling damaged mitochondria and renewing them with healthy ones—leading to improved skin hydration, barrier function, elasticity, and a brighter, healthier complexion,” says Holmes. “All of the ingredients are at active levels, and meet the highest standards within the global definitions of ‘clean.’”

AV Laboratories forges a different path to similar goals. Founded by researchers studying how plant stem cells influence the behavior of human skin cells, particularly in terms of renewal and repair, the brand developed AVL SOM3, designed to kick up the skin’s production of NAD+—a coenzyme that plays a critical role in cell energy and hundreds of other biochemical reactions, including DNA repair and inflammation control. The result is a line of skincare that helps skin do what it’s naturally designed to do: restore itself, stay resilient, and age well.

And skin biologist Dr. Shuting Hu launched Acaderma to approach skin longevity as a process that requires both internal cellular maneuvering and external fortification. The brand’s Lunar Glow serum features a cherry tomato–derived compound that activates autophagy, the skin’s cleanup process for damaged cells that can otherwise wreak havoc; The Oasis Barrier Booster Serum is an anti-inflammaging (the low-grade, chronic inflammation that accelerates skin aging) serum created to help reduce stress from outside aggressive forces. Hu explains: “The goal is to strengthen skin so it improves visibly, but also perform optimally for the long haul.”

Protect and Defend

While you’re actively renewing your cells, it’s just as important to protect and defend all that’s happening beneath the surface. One of the biggest threats to the function, structure, and energy of skin cells is oxidative stress, which builds up daily from exposure to sunlight, pollution, and other environmental enemies, according to Christine Lee, esthetician and education manager at the skincare brand, Comfort Zone. “It’s vital to fortify with antioxidant ingredients that neutralize oxidative stress,” she says. Comfort Zone’s Skin Regimen LX line was developed with this in mind. Its vitamin C serum includes an aptly named Longevity Complex, which blends antioxidants, vitamin C, myrtle berries, and wild indigo to regulate stress signals; spinach extract to support skin function; and carnosine, a peptide that helps prevent collagen damage.

Byroe’s Tomato Firming Serum looks to three types of tomato extracts for their antioxidant strength. Rich in compounds that help shield the skin from free radical damage, the formula works hard to protect against environmental bombardment.

And full flower hemp extract, along with a mix of 13 active ingredients, is what gives Muri Lelu’s Bloomrise Sativa Serum antioxidant power to help the skin recover from daily exposure to stress and pollution.

“The goal is to strengthen skin so it improves visibly,

but also perform optimally for the long haul.”

—Dr. Shuting Hu, skin biologist and cofounder of Acaderma

Reinforce the Barrier

All the high-powered serums in the world won’t make a difference if your skin barrier isn’t intact. “A strong outer layer is what keeps moisture in, irritants out, and helps skin respond better to everything else you apply,” says Mansell.

A robust barrier is also host to a healthy skin microbiome, which regulates immune function, according to Tarannum Renavikar, a naturopath at Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary and Holistic Spa in Thailand. “When that barrier is disrupted, it triggers the immune system repeatedly, causing persistent inflammation that breaks down collagen.” And when you want your skin to hold itself together over time, that’s the last thing you need.

Care starts with a cleanser that’s kind and gentle.

Comfort Zone’s Skin Regimen LX Detox Cleanser uses shea butter and squalane so it doesn’t strip the skin. “We formulate with biomimetic peptides and ingredients that closely mimic the skin’s natural composition,” says Lee. “This helps reinforce barrier integrity as it replenishes.”

For targeted repair, Wildsmith Skin’s Ceramide Lipid Repair Balm contains a Bioactive Ceramide Complex and rich plant butters to reinforce and strengthen, while Ursa Major’s Alpine Rich Cream uses alpine and forest actives to deeply moisturize and support the skin’s outer layer, especially when extra nourishment is needed.

Support from Within

Skin longevity isn’t just about what you apply—it’s shaped by how you operate wholesale. “Our skin is a dynamic, living organ that mirrors our internal health,” says Renavikar. “We now know the critical role of sleep, stress resilience, and emotional wellbeing to keep the hormone cortisol in check, which when elevated, impairs healing and increases inflammation and glycation, a key aging factor.”

Nutrition, as one would imagine, is also a central player. Says Renavikar: A diet heavy on fiber, antioxidants from fruit and veg, and fermented foods helps optimize the immune system, regulate inflammation, and supports the gut-skin axis— important for nutrient absorption and collagen formation.

Of course, you don’t have to forgo deliciousness. HTB Immune Energy Chews, made with Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat—an ancient grain packed with polyphenols—help reduce inflammation and boost immune resilience. They taste like chocolate candy while feeding your microbiome.

Additionally, Dr. Conlon points to oral supplements as a way to enhance skin from the inside out, like her Nuchido TIME+, a clinically tested formula that boosts NAD+, a molecule essential for cellular repair and energy.

And new research shows taking vitamin C works epigenetically—helping activate genes involved in skin renewal and resilience.