THE biological clock doesn’t always have to be ticking, according to one man who is determined to turn back time.
As a biohacker, he said his aging process is 31% slower than the average person, but he doesn’t owe his success to skincare.
Simon Sakhai, founder Jung Longevity and previous chairman of the Oxford Society of Aging and Longevity.
He explained how his biological age is 28 while his chronological age is 37.
“Biological age is a measure that aims to capture how old my body is in terms of deterioration, and how far it actually is from ‘dying’ — i.e., mortality risk,” he told The U.S. Sun.
“So a biological age of 28 suggests that my body is in a much more youthful state than my chronological age.”
Sakhai explained how his aging process works with a rate of .68, compared to the average speed of aging.
“Rate of aging is a measure of how quickly my body is aging/deteriorating in relation to time,” he said.
Sakhai’s body is aging 31% slower than the average person.
“In other words, for every year I live, my body ‘ages’ only about 8.23 months,” he said.
Sakhai said that when it comes to skincare use today, he’s not its biggest fan.
“There’s a revolution happening in the skincare industry. Topical skincare is a dated approach,” he said.
“The introduction of longevity science and a more integrated approach to health is revealing the fact that skin health starts on the inside.
“And that most of what we put on our faces does not always improve skin health, and often hurts it.”
He added that major brands that once pushed topical skincare are looking into internal options, meaning supplements.
Sakhai also explained why applying serums, creams, and the like just doesn’t cut it.
“The skin organ evolved over millions of years as a literal barrier to protect your inner organs from the outside world. It did not evolve to ‘absorb’ nutrients, this is what your stomach is for,” he said.
“Applying creams to skin in the hopes that your body will absorb it is like playing music to your toes and expecting to be able to hear it.”
He added that the molecules in most skincare products, including popular ones like hyaluronic acid, are much too large to enter the body through the skin and make a significant difference.
“For something to pass through the skin, it needs to be less than 500 daltons in size,” he said.
“Meanwhile, popular topical skincare ingredients like Hyaluronic Acid can range in size from 5,000 to 20,000,000 daltons.”
Many who use skincare products boast that they feel an immediate difference in their skin.
Sakhai warned that this could be due to the compound getting stuck in the pores, creating the smooth feel.
“Most skincare is obsessed with ‘moisture’, partly because it’s something people can readily ‘see and feel,’” he said.
“So the strategy of most topical skincare products involve clogging your external pores with molecules so that moisture cannot escape.”
“The obvious problem being here that skin needs a level of breathability — or to breath ‘on its terms.'”
“Unfortunately, we know more about the surface of the moon than we do about this skin microbiome.”
Simon Sakhai
He added that while moisture may feel good on the skin, it’s not indicative of anti-aging results.
“Skincare companies would rather sell you something that you ‘feel’ is working rather than something that is actually good for you, which you may not be able to feel on your face,” he said.
Sakhai mentioned how the effects of the microscopic organisms that live on the skin are essential to a youthful complexion.
“We are beginning to find that we actually have more ‘foreign’ cells in our bodies, than we do human cells. And that these foreign cells are crucial to our functioning and health,” he said.
“The skin is no exception, there is a remarkable ecosystem of bacteria that live on the skin that we co-evolved with, and that we have a symbiotic, beneficial relationship with.
“Unfortunately, we know more about the surface of the moon than we do about this skin microbiome.”
Sakhai said that skincare products can potentially damage the barrier.
“When we apply topical products, serums, washes, or acids we are radically altering the natural environments for this microbiome, which may inadvertently lead to deterioration and rapid aging of the skin.”
Sakhai added that looking internally instead of topically for skincare is not only important, it’s essential for overall health.
“Ultimately, skin is not just a ‘nice to have’. It’s the foundation of your immune system,” he said.
“Your body is bombarded with trillions of toxins and bacteria that are trying to get into your body and cause damage. When your skin is healthy, it can stop them from coming in.”
Sakhai said that weakening the skin with the misuse of skincare products could lead to an array of health issues in the longrun.
“When your skin is less healthy, it loses its ability to act as a barrier,” he added.
“This means your body is set up to constantly fight these toxins, causing your body excess damage, chronic inflammation, and a cascade of health effects that will accelerate aging throughout every organ in your whole body.”
