300mg Improves Appearance of Wrinkles In 7 Days (Study) : 1516 - The Human Upgrade: Biohacking for Longevity & Performance

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[00:01]
A
Have you ever promised yourself you would do things differently only to end up right back in the same pattern? The same relationship, the same habit, the same reaction, the same result? Predictive Mind helps explain why you complete an assessment and then review the results in a one on one session. Their brain pattern mapping process reveals the hidden drivers behind your behavior and decision making so you can finally see what has been shaping your choices all along. This goes beyond personality tests and self help advice. Predictive Mind maps the patterns that influence how you react, how you make decisions and why certain cycles keep repeating in your life. Once you can see the pattern, you can start changing it. If you've ever felt stuck, frustrated or confused by your own behavior, check this out. Go to PredictiveMind IO Dave and use code DAVE for 10% off your brain pattern mapping session. This message is brought to you by Avocado Mattress.
[01:01]
B
Avocado Mattress is inviting you to come lie down and if healthy, comfortable sleep matters to you, this is one organic brand worth knowing. Avocado Mattresses are crafted with natural organic latex, organic wool and organic cotton designed to be naturally cooling, incredibly supportive and long lasting. They're certified organic by Gotz and meet made safe standards for safety without sacrificing comfort. Avocado mattresses come in five comfort levels from firm to medium and ultra plush A for everybody. Come lie down. Feel what certified organic actually feels like in person. Just visit avocadogreenmattress.com to find an Avocado Experience center or premier retailer near you. Shop the Labor Day sale now and get up to 20% off@avocadogreenmattress.com or select retailers nationwide. That's avocadogreenmattress dot com to get 20% off. Avocadogreenmattress Dot Com There's a clinical study
[01:59]
A
showing one molecule reduces the appearance of wrinkles in seven days. But the molecule is which you might expect from me, retinol or anything you typically see on a skincare label because if you apply 500 milligrams of it every day, it's enough to change what your skin looks like. Problem is, this molecule is fragile. It breaks down in most formulas before it could even touch your skin and that's why most skincare brands never figured out how to use it. But a globally regarded pharmacist spent 20 years solving that exact problem. The result was clinically shown to visibly improve fine lines, wrinkles and skin tone in just one week. Today I'm going to show you exactly how this works. You see, most people think skin Aging is simple. You get older, collagen goes down, skin gets thinner, wrinkles show up. And that's a story every skincare marketing company will sell you. And they've been doing it for decades. So the solution seems obvious. Use a collagen cream. Exfoliate the surface, add some moisture. You're trying to make the face look smoother under bathroom lighting. And again, some of that can help the way your skin looks. But it's temporary, and it misses the most important. Why is collagen breaking down so fast in the first place? As if collagen is constantly being damaged underneath the surface and trying to stimulate more collagen without protecting it. It's like filling a leaking bucket. You keep adding more, but the damage keeps draining it away. And the scientific reality is that your skin is under oxidative stress, under attack. Oxidative stress is what happens when your skin faces more damage from free radicals than your antioxidant defense systems can handle. It's that straightforward. Free radicals are just unstable molecules that steal electrons from healthy cells. You can think of them like sparks flying around inside your skin. If your antioxidant defense system is strong, your skin can neutralize those sparks before they spread. But if that defense system becomes overwhelmed, those sparks start damaging the structures that keep your skin firm and even and hydrated. They damage collagen, which is a protein that keeps your skin firm and smooth in the first place. Then they damage elastin, which is a protein that helps your skin bounce back. And then they damage cell membranes, which are the things that protect the outer layers of your cells. And then they disrupt melanin pathways, which control pigment and skin tone and how tan you are. And then they weaken barrier function, which is your skin's ability to hold moisture in and keep things out. And that's why oxidative stress can make your skin look dull and uneven. It's multiple pathways. Your face gets hit harder because it's one of the most exposed parts of your body. It takes sunlight, pollution, environmental toxins. And covered parts of your body don't face the same constant assault. Which is why your face often looks like it's aging faster. So younger looking skin depends less on forcing your collagen production and more on just protecting your skin from oxidative damage before it gets harmed. That means the real anti aging strategy isn't make more collagen. It's protect the skin cells that make and preserve collagen. But protecting your skin from oxidative damage isn't something your body forgot how to do your body has an elegant built in molecule designed for that exact job. And your body uses that molecule to protect cells from the inside. That molecule is one of my favorites. That molecule is glutathione. People often call it the master antioxidant because it helps to protect the cellular environment, which is where your skin aging actually begins. An antioxidant is just a molecule that helps to neutralize free radicals before they can damage your healthy cells. But glutathione is different because it works inside the cell itself. That matters because oxidative damage doesn't just happen on the surface of your skin. It happens inside the cellular environment, because that's where repair and pigment control and collagen protection, inflammation regulation, all began in the first place. And glutathione's a small molecule. It's just made of three amino acids, cysteine, glycine, and glutamine. Amino acids are the building blocks your body uses just to make proteins and protective compounds. And they're common, but they have to be lined up in the right way. So glutathione is small, but it plays a really important role in protecting your body from that oxidative stress. And your skin depends on that glutathione protection every single day, when UV light and pollution and inflammation and daily stress create free radicals. Glutathione is the compound that helps neutralize the oxidative stress so that it doesn't damage the structures in your cells that are responsible for keeping your skin looking smooth and firm. So you're not fixing the skin, you're fixing the things that fix the skin. And that is only the first reason that glutathione is important. Glutathione also helps to protect the structural proteins in your skin itself. Collagen, as you've probably heard, gives your skin firmness and smoothness. And elastin gives your skin balance and flexibility. But when free radicals attack collagen and elastin at the same time, your skin starts losing the qualities that people think make it look youthful. But glutathione does more than fight those free radicals directly. It helps to recharge the rest of your onboard antioxidant network. And glutathione also plays a role in your skin pigmentation. Melanin is your pigment that gives your skin color. When oxidative stress disrupts your melanin pathways, your skin can look uneven, dull, blotchy and pale. And glutathione helps support a more balanced looking complexion because it helps your body regulate Oxidative stress and pigmentation at the same time. So you have an even complexion. And that's why glutathione is associated with brighter, more even looking skin. So glutathione functions like the skin's internal protection system, defends against the exact mechanisms that are accelerating the aging you can see. And if collagen is what keeps your skin firm, glutathione is what helps keep the environment safe enough for collagen to survive. You can't out collagen and oxidative stress forever, though. At some point, you have to defend your skin. So from this point forward, stop thinking only collagen first and start thinking antioxidant first. And that means something, because I am the guy who probably got you to put collagen in your coffee in the first place if it's in your smoothie. It did that, and I'm telling you it matters. But your antioxidants matter more when you look at skincare. Ask whether it helps reduce oxidative stress, Then support your glutathione internally. Your body makes glutathione from amino acids, so you've got to get enough protein for detox. Means you should prioritize high quality protein so your body has the raw materials it needs. We're talking animal based proteins. You also want to reduce the things that burn through your antioxidant defenses too quickly. That means getting a bad night's sleep, being stressed all the time, or drinking. Even exercise needs to be intelligent. Movement is really good for aging. But extreme stress from overtraining without recovery will absolutely increase oxidative load and make your skin look old. You don't believe me? Just look at someone who's run 20 marathons. Then you can support glutathione topically because your face takes the hit every single day. Your face gets exposed to pollution and stress and environmental particles more than almost any other area of your body. That means that your face needs daily antioxidant defense where the damage is actually happening because the risk is higher. But that's where glutathione gets frustrating. Because even though it may be one of the most important antioxidants for your skin, most companies could never fully use it. And let me explain why. A lot of looking good is about biology. Your hair, your skin, just how you look. It's all a reflection of what's happening inside your body. And you can influence that directly. Red light therapy is one of the most powerful ways to do it. The right wavelength of light reactivates mitochondria in your cells. It wakes up dormant hair follicles and it accelerates your collagen production. And it works at the source. Irestore has been building clinical grade devices for this for over two decades. The iRestore Elite uses 300 lasers and 200 LEDs to stimulate hair regrowth across your entire scalp. People start seeing thicker, healthier hair in about three months. The Illumina face mask has 360 medical grade LEDs and provides red, infrared and blue light simultaneously. Red and infrared for collagen, anti aging and blood flow and blue to control bacteria and acne and pore size 10 minutes a few times a week. And it just works. You can get both the Elite and and the Illumina as a bundle right now at a big discount. And I use both as part of my longevity protocol. Irestore is so confident in their products that they offer a 12 month money back guarantee. That's a huge deal, but I don't think you'll want to give it back after you see the results. Go to irestore.com, use code Dave for major savings. Again, it's irestore.com Dave.
[10:30]
C
Want to know which foods and supplements work best for your body? Viome takes the guesswork out of it. Their full body intelligence test was reads your rna, not your DNA. So you see what's happening in your body right now. While standard labs measure around 100 markers, Viome's AI analyzes over 10,000 active pathways across your gut, oral and cellular health. Then it translates that into personalized food and supplement recommendations built for your unique biology. They'll tell you what foods to eat and which ones to avoid. They even create custom supplements and oral care products based on your results. So what you're getting is what will work for your body, not someone else's. Your results update as your lifestyle changes, so your plan evolves with you. Check it out@viome.com and use code 10Dave for 10% off. It's time to stop guessing and start knowing your body.
[11:29]
A
Glutathione is powerful, but it's really difficult to stabilize it and to formulate with it and deliver exactly where it's needed inside your cells. Now, I say this having built a collagen formula that sold at least $20 million over the last 10 years. I don't make it anymore, but it was really, really hard and expensive to work with it. So I am an expert in the space and I'm not selling anything in the space because now I can just buy It. And this is the problem that most consumers never see. You assume that your skincare is about the ingredients themselves. And when you read a label, it might have impressive words like vitamin C and collagen. But advanced skincare isn't about what's in the bottle. It's about what survives in the bottle and what can get past that barrier on your skin and then what remains biologically useful when it gets there. And the keyword here is bioavailability. Bioavailability means how much of an ingredient can actually become available for your body or for your skin to use after you apply it. And a product can have a really powerful ingredient. But if that ingredient breaks down or just sits on the surface and washes off over time, or never gets to the right layer of your skin, it was basically useless but expensive. So for an ingredient to work, it's got to survive four different major barriers. First, it just has to remain stable in the bottle. The molecule has to stay intact inside the formula. If it breaks down in the bottle, it loses usefulness before you even open the bottle and it touched your skin. Second, anything you put on your skin has to be able to penetrate the skin. Your skin is designed to keep things from penetrating it. That is literally one of its main jobs. So a topical ingredient needs the right formulation so it can move beyond the surface. And third, it has to remain biologically useful. Even if that ingredient touches your skin, it still needs to stay in a form that can interact with your skin environment itself. And fourth, it has to work consistently. A breakthrough doesn't matter if it only works in theory or some of the time. It's got to deliver the active ingredient reliably enough for your skin to receive support every time you use it. And that's why delivery systems matter at least as much as what's actually in the bottle. It's a delivery system that determines whether that ingredient can actually reach the place where you need it. And that's the breakthrough that Dr. Nayan Patel focused on. After two decades of research, Dr. Patel delivered the multi patented ROGSH antioxidant and peptide delivery system. He designed it to address one of the biggest problems with glutathione. How do you stabilize it and help deliver it effectively? Dr. Patel is the author of the Glutathione Revolution, a major book in the field which explains how essential glutathione is across all of your body's systems. The G antioxidant serum uses the RO GSH antioxidant and peptide delivery system to bring topical Glutathione into skincare. And yes, I used some this morning. And it was clinically shown to improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles in skin tone in one week. That's the key. Glutathione didn't suddenly become useful. It was always important. But delivery finally caught up to the molecule. And here's how to use the glutathione skincare system to actually see results in a week. And I'm not kidding about one week. It sounds insane, but glutathione itself is insanely effective if you can only get it in. And the first product is the hero of the system, the G antioxidant serum. This is Dr. Patel's Glutathione Face Serum. It uses the ROGSH antioxidant and peptide delivery system to deliver topical glutathione into skincare. The purpose is to support your body's antioxidant defense. And that means it'll help to protect you against visible signs of oxidative stress. You know, things like fine lines, wrinkles, and skin tone. Let's improve the appearance of those. And you want to use it on clean skin. So you apply a very thin layer to your face and your neck, let it absorb, and then you can layer anything else you want on top. You need to use it consistently for at least seven days. That's because in the clinical trials, they found visible improvement in the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and skin tone in a week, which is really, really fast for anything you put on your skin. And I want to be honest about something most skincare brands would probably hide. Real glutathione has a natural scent, and it's a little bit tacky, and that's normal. And this is not one of those fake perfume skincare products that feels creamy and luxurious but does nothing. The texture and the scent come from the nature of glutathione itself. Then you use Dr. Patel's high potency copper peptide serum as the collagen support piece of the system. Copper peptides are something I've written whole books about, and they support the appearance of firmness and density and fullness and bounce in your skin. If you remember the amino acids that we talked about earlier. Well, peptides are just short chains of amino acids that act like signals in your skin, and they help to signal repair and firmness and renewal. They literally tell the body what to do. Studies show that this serum improves skin firmness and density in just one week, on top of the previous study. And strategically, it works beautifully with the glutathione concept. Glutathione helps protect the cellular environment and the copper peptides help support firmness and optimal collagen. Because remember, collagen stimulation works better when oxidative stress is under control. You try to support your collagen and stimulate it. When free radicals are damaging your skin environment, you just fill in the leaky bucket. Then you have citrine, which is the vitamin C serum that's part of the package. Citrine uses 25% ascorbic acid, vitamin C with collagen promoting peptides. Ascorbic acid is the active form of vitamin C that you'll commonly see used in skincare. And this serum is there because vitamin C supports brightness and visible renewal of the skin. So your skin doesn't age because it forgot how to be young. You look older because your skin loses the fight against daily damage. Glutathione helps to bring the defense system back, especially if you can get it onto your face.
[17:42]
D
A Human Upgrade Formerly Bulletproof Radio was created and is hosted by Dave Asprey. The information contained in this podcast is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended for the purposes of diagnosing, treating, curing, or preventing any disease. Before using any products referenced on the podcast, consult with your healthcare provider carefully read all labels and heed all directions and cautions that accompany the products. Information found or received through the podcast should not be used in place of a consultation or advice from a healthcare provider. If you suspect you have a medical problem or should you have any healthcare questions, please promptly call or see your healthcare provider. This podcast, including Dave Asprey and the producers, disclaim responsibility for any possible adverse effects from the use of information contained herein. Opinions of guests are their own and this podcast does not endorse or accept responsibility for statements made by guests. This podcast does not make any representations or warranties about guest qualifications or credibility. This podcast may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on this podcast may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to herein. This podcast is owned by Bulletproof Media.

Summary5 min read

The Human Upgrade with Dave Asprey — Episode Summary

Episode Title: 300mg Improves Appearance of Wrinkles In 7 Days (Study)
Host: Dave Asprey
Date: August 9, 2026
Episode #: 1516

Episode Overview

In this episode, Dave Asprey, “the Father of Biohacking,” explores a groundbreaking approach to skin aging, revealing how a 300mg dose of a specific molecule can visibly reduce wrinkles in just seven days, according to a clinical study. Asprey charts a new biohacking path for skincare, focusing less on traditional collagen creams and more on oxidative stress and antioxidant defense at the cellular level. He introduces glutathione—a molecule he dubs "the master antioxidant"—and discusses both the challenges and advances in actually delivering it into the skin, spotlighting a recent patented delivery system developed by Dr. Nayan Patel.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Rethinking Skin Aging: Not Just Collagen (01:58–06:00)

Asprey debunks the idea that surface solutions (collagen creams, exfoliants, moisturizers) tackle the core of skin aging.
“You’re trying to make the face look smoother under bathroom lighting... But it’s temporary, and it misses the most important: Why is collagen breaking down so fast in the first place?” (03:00)
He explains that persistent collagen loss is like “filling a leaking bucket. You keep adding more, but the damage keeps draining it away." (03:30)
Central culprit: Oxidative stress, created when damage from free radicals outpaces the body’s natural antioxidant defenses.
Explanation of how oxidative stress damages collagen, elastin, and cell membranes, leading to visible aging.

The Science of Glutathione: The Master Antioxidant (06:01–10:10)

Glutathione is highlighted as the molecule responsible for defending cells—including skin cells—against oxidative stress.
“Glutathione functions like the skin’s internal protection system, defends against the exact mechanisms that are accelerating the aging you can see.” (09:00)
Details of glutathione’s structure (made of cysteine, glycine, and glutamine) and its ability to:
- Neutralize free radicals inside the cell.
- Recharge other antioxidants.
- Regulate melanin and even out skin tone, leading to a “brighter, more even looking complexion.”
Real anti-aging, Asprey argues, comes from “protect[ing] the skin cells that make and preserve collagen” instead of just “make[ing] more collagen.” (06:45)

Systemic Biohacking for Better Skin (08:30–10:00)

Tips to support glutathione production:
- Eat enough high-quality protein (amino acids are the raw materials).
- Avoid lifestyle factors that increase oxidative stress (poor sleep, high stress, alcohol, overtraining).
“Your antioxidants matter more when you look at skincare... support your glutathione internally.” (08:45)
“Movement is really good for aging. But extreme stress from overtraining... will absolutely increase oxidative load and make your skin look old. You don’t believe me? Just look at someone who’s run 20 marathons.” (09:15)

The Bioavailability Challenge in Skincare (11:28–13:40)

Why most topical glutathione products fail:
- Instability in the bottle/formula.
- Difficulty in penetrating the skin barrier.
- Need for the ingredient to remain biologically active once inside the skin.
“Advanced skincare isn’t about what’s in the bottle. It’s about what survives in the bottle and what can get past that barrier on your skin and then what remains biologically useful when it gets there.” (12:10)
Introduction of Dr. Nayan Patel’s patented RO GSH antioxidant and peptide delivery system, finally overcoming these challenges after two decades of research.

New Clinical Study: Fast Visible Results (13:41–15:30)

Asprey showcases “The G Antioxidant Serum” using Dr. Patel’s technology, which was clinically shown to:
- Improve the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and skin tone in just one week.
- "You need to use it consistently for at least seven days. That’s because in the clinical trials, they found visible improvement ... in a week, which is really, really fast for anything you put on your skin." (15:00)
Honest endorsement:
- Real glutathione has a natural scent and “it’s a little bit tacky, and that’s normal… not one of those fake perfume skincare products that feels creamy and luxurious but does nothing.” (15:20)

Supporting Actives: Copper Peptides & Vitamin C (15:31–17:30)

The G Skincare system also features:
1. High Potency Copper Peptide Serum:
  - Supports firmness, density, fullness, and skin “bounce.”
  - “Peptides ... act like signals in your skin, and they help to signal repair and firmness and renewal. They literally tell the body what to do.” (16:10)
  - Clinical trial: improves firmness and density in one week.
2. Citrine Vitamin C Serum:
  - Contains 25% ascorbic acid for brightness and visible renewal.
  - “Vitamin C supports brightness and visible renewal of the skin.” (17:10)

Skincare—A Reflection of Inner Health (17:20)

Asprey reiterates the core biohacker belief:
- "A lot of looking good is about biology. Your hair, your skin, just how you look. It's all a reflection of what's happening inside your body. And you can influence that directly." (17:22)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

“If collagen is what keeps your skin firm, glutathione is what helps keep the environment safe enough for collagen to survive.” — Dave Asprey (08:50)
“Stop thinking only collagen first and start thinking antioxidant first. And that means something, because I am the guy who probably got you to put collagen in your coffee ... but your antioxidants matter more.” — Dave Asprey (08:43)
“For an ingredient to work, it’s got to survive four different major barriers... That’s why delivery systems matter at least as much as what’s actually in the bottle.” — Dave Asprey (12:40)
“Glutathione didn’t suddenly become useful. It was always important. But delivery finally caught up to the molecule.” — Dave Asprey (14:35)
“You look older because your skin loses the fight against daily damage. Glutathione helps to bring the defense system back, especially if you can get it onto your face.” — Dave Asprey (17:18)

Timeline / Timestamps of Key Segments

01:58 – 06:00 — Collagen is not the whole story: Why most products miss the mark.
06:01 – 10:10 — Understanding oxidative stress and the pivotal role of glutathione.
11:28 – 13:40 — The real science behind effective skincare: bioavailability and delivery.
13:41 – 15:30 — Clinical breakthrough: Topical glutathione that works in under a week.
15:31 – 17:30 — Supporting actives: Copper peptides and Vitamin C synergy.
17:20 — Final thoughts on inner biology and skin health.

Final Takeaways

This episode moves beyond skincare marketing myths and introduces the audience to the advanced science of skin aging and rejuvenation. Asprey makes a compelling case for prioritizing antioxidant defense—specifically glutathione—over simply boosting collagen. Thanks to new delivery system breakthroughs, applying glutathione topically can now result in dramatic improvements in skin appearance within just seven days. For optimal results, synergize topical antioxidants with systemic health and lifestyle changes, leveraging the power of peptides and vitamin C for superior skin resilience and renewal.

For listeners:
If you’re seeking rapid, evidence-based skin improvements, look beyond the label claims. Ask how antioxidants—especially glutathione—are delivered and absorbed, and build your skincare protocol from the inside out.

Loading summary

Transcript6 lines

[00:01]
A
Have you ever promised yourself you would do things differently only to end up right back in the same pattern? The same relationship, the same habit, the same reaction, the same result? Predictive Mind helps explain why you complete an assessment and then review the results in a one on one session. Their brain pattern mapping process reveals the hidden drivers behind your behavior and decision making so you can finally see what has been shaping your choices all along. This goes beyond personality tests and self help advice. Predictive Mind maps the patterns that influence how you react, how you make decisions and why certain cycles keep repeating in your life. Once you can see the pattern, you can start changing it. If you've ever felt stuck, frustrated or confused by your own behavior, check this out. Go to PredictiveMind IO Dave and use code DAVE for 10% off your brain pattern mapping session. This message is brought to you by Avocado Mattress.
[01:01]
B
Avocado Mattress is inviting you to come lie down and if healthy, comfortable sleep matters to you, this is one organic brand worth knowing. Avocado Mattresses are crafted with natural organic latex, organic wool and organic cotton designed to be naturally cooling, incredibly supportive and long lasting. They're certified organic by Gotz and meet made safe standards for safety without sacrificing comfort. Avocado mattresses come in five comfort levels from firm to medium and ultra plush A for everybody. Come lie down. Feel what certified organic actually feels like in person. Just visit avocadogreenmattress.com to find an Avocado Experience center or premier retailer near you. Shop the Labor Day sale now and get up to 20% off@avocadogreenmattress.com or select retailers nationwide. That's avocadogreenmattress dot com to get 20% off. Avocadogreenmattress Dot Com There's a clinical study
[01:59]
A
showing one molecule reduces the appearance of wrinkles in seven days. But the molecule is which you might expect from me, retinol or anything you typically see on a skincare label because if you apply 500 milligrams of it every day, it's enough to change what your skin looks like. Problem is, this molecule is fragile. It breaks down in most formulas before it could even touch your skin and that's why most skincare brands never figured out how to use it. But a globally regarded pharmacist spent 20 years solving that exact problem. The result was clinically shown to visibly improve fine lines, wrinkles and skin tone in just one week. Today I'm going to show you exactly how this works. You see, most people think skin Aging is simple. You get older, collagen goes down, skin gets thinner, wrinkles show up. And that's a story every skincare marketing company will sell you. And they've been doing it for decades. So the solution seems obvious. Use a collagen cream. Exfoliate the surface, add some moisture. You're trying to make the face look smoother under bathroom lighting. And again, some of that can help the way your skin looks. But it's temporary, and it misses the most important. Why is collagen breaking down so fast in the first place? As if collagen is constantly being damaged underneath the surface and trying to stimulate more collagen without protecting it. It's like filling a leaking bucket. You keep adding more, but the damage keeps draining it away. And the scientific reality is that your skin is under oxidative stress, under attack. Oxidative stress is what happens when your skin faces more damage from free radicals than your antioxidant defense systems can handle. It's that straightforward. Free radicals are just unstable molecules that steal electrons from healthy cells. You can think of them like sparks flying around inside your skin. If your antioxidant defense system is strong, your skin can neutralize those sparks before they spread. But if that defense system becomes overwhelmed, those sparks start damaging the structures that keep your skin firm and even and hydrated. They damage collagen, which is a protein that keeps your skin firm and smooth in the first place. Then they damage elastin, which is a protein that helps your skin bounce back. And then they damage cell membranes, which are the things that protect the outer layers of your cells. And then they disrupt melanin pathways, which control pigment and skin tone and how tan you are. And then they weaken barrier function, which is your skin's ability to hold moisture in and keep things out. And that's why oxidative stress can make your skin look dull and uneven. It's multiple pathways. Your face gets hit harder because it's one of the most exposed parts of your body. It takes sunlight, pollution, environmental toxins. And covered parts of your body don't face the same constant assault. Which is why your face often looks like it's aging faster. So younger looking skin depends less on forcing your collagen production and more on just protecting your skin from oxidative damage before it gets harmed. That means the real anti aging strategy isn't make more collagen. It's protect the skin cells that make and preserve collagen. But protecting your skin from oxidative damage isn't something your body forgot how to do your body has an elegant built in molecule designed for that exact job. And your body uses that molecule to protect cells from the inside. That molecule is one of my favorites. That molecule is glutathione. People often call it the master antioxidant because it helps to protect the cellular environment, which is where your skin aging actually begins. An antioxidant is just a molecule that helps to neutralize free radicals before they can damage your healthy cells. But glutathione is different because it works inside the cell itself. That matters because oxidative damage doesn't just happen on the surface of your skin. It happens inside the cellular environment, because that's where repair and pigment control and collagen protection, inflammation regulation, all began in the first place. And glutathione's a small molecule. It's just made of three amino acids, cysteine, glycine, and glutamine. Amino acids are the building blocks your body uses just to make proteins and protective compounds. And they're common, but they have to be lined up in the right way. So glutathione is small, but it plays a really important role in protecting your body from that oxidative stress. And your skin depends on that glutathione protection every single day, when UV light and pollution and inflammation and daily stress create free radicals. Glutathione is the compound that helps neutralize the oxidative stress so that it doesn't damage the structures in your cells that are responsible for keeping your skin looking smooth and firm. So you're not fixing the skin, you're fixing the things that fix the skin. And that is only the first reason that glutathione is important. Glutathione also helps to protect the structural proteins in your skin itself. Collagen, as you've probably heard, gives your skin firmness and smoothness. And elastin gives your skin balance and flexibility. But when free radicals attack collagen and elastin at the same time, your skin starts losing the qualities that people think make it look youthful. But glutathione does more than fight those free radicals directly. It helps to recharge the rest of your onboard antioxidant network. And glutathione also plays a role in your skin pigmentation. Melanin is your pigment that gives your skin color. When oxidative stress disrupts your melanin pathways, your skin can look uneven, dull, blotchy and pale. And glutathione helps support a more balanced looking complexion because it helps your body regulate Oxidative stress and pigmentation at the same time. So you have an even complexion. And that's why glutathione is associated with brighter, more even looking skin. So glutathione functions like the skin's internal protection system, defends against the exact mechanisms that are accelerating the aging you can see. And if collagen is what keeps your skin firm, glutathione is what helps keep the environment safe enough for collagen to survive. You can't out collagen and oxidative stress forever, though. At some point, you have to defend your skin. So from this point forward, stop thinking only collagen first and start thinking antioxidant first. And that means something, because I am the guy who probably got you to put collagen in your coffee in the first place if it's in your smoothie. It did that, and I'm telling you it matters. But your antioxidants matter more when you look at skincare. Ask whether it helps reduce oxidative stress, Then support your glutathione internally. Your body makes glutathione from amino acids, so you've got to get enough protein for detox. Means you should prioritize high quality protein so your body has the raw materials it needs. We're talking animal based proteins. You also want to reduce the things that burn through your antioxidant defenses too quickly. That means getting a bad night's sleep, being stressed all the time, or drinking. Even exercise needs to be intelligent. Movement is really good for aging. But extreme stress from overtraining without recovery will absolutely increase oxidative load and make your skin look old. You don't believe me? Just look at someone who's run 20 marathons. Then you can support glutathione topically because your face takes the hit every single day. Your face gets exposed to pollution and stress and environmental particles more than almost any other area of your body. That means that your face needs daily antioxidant defense where the damage is actually happening because the risk is higher. But that's where glutathione gets frustrating. Because even though it may be one of the most important antioxidants for your skin, most companies could never fully use it. And let me explain why. A lot of looking good is about biology. Your hair, your skin, just how you look. It's all a reflection of what's happening inside your body. And you can influence that directly. Red light therapy is one of the most powerful ways to do it. The right wavelength of light reactivates mitochondria in your cells. It wakes up dormant hair follicles and it accelerates your collagen production. And it works at the source. Irestore has been building clinical grade devices for this for over two decades. The iRestore Elite uses 300 lasers and 200 LEDs to stimulate hair regrowth across your entire scalp. People start seeing thicker, healthier hair in about three months. The Illumina face mask has 360 medical grade LEDs and provides red, infrared and blue light simultaneously. Red and infrared for collagen, anti aging and blood flow and blue to control bacteria and acne and pore size 10 minutes a few times a week. And it just works. You can get both the Elite and and the Illumina as a bundle right now at a big discount. And I use both as part of my longevity protocol. Irestore is so confident in their products that they offer a 12 month money back guarantee. That's a huge deal, but I don't think you'll want to give it back after you see the results. Go to irestore.com, use code Dave for major savings. Again, it's irestore.com Dave.
[10:30]
C
Want to know which foods and supplements work best for your body? Viome takes the guesswork out of it. Their full body intelligence test was reads your rna, not your DNA. So you see what's happening in your body right now. While standard labs measure around 100 markers, Viome's AI analyzes over 10,000 active pathways across your gut, oral and cellular health. Then it translates that into personalized food and supplement recommendations built for your unique biology. They'll tell you what foods to eat and which ones to avoid. They even create custom supplements and oral care products based on your results. So what you're getting is what will work for your body, not someone else's. Your results update as your lifestyle changes, so your plan evolves with you. Check it out@viome.com and use code 10Dave for 10% off. It's time to stop guessing and start knowing your body.
[11:29]
A
Glutathione is powerful, but it's really difficult to stabilize it and to formulate with it and deliver exactly where it's needed inside your cells. Now, I say this having built a collagen formula that sold at least $20 million over the last 10 years. I don't make it anymore, but it was really, really hard and expensive to work with it. So I am an expert in the space and I'm not selling anything in the space because now I can just buy It. And this is the problem that most consumers never see. You assume that your skincare is about the ingredients themselves. And when you read a label, it might have impressive words like vitamin C and collagen. But advanced skincare isn't about what's in the bottle. It's about what survives in the bottle and what can get past that barrier on your skin and then what remains biologically useful when it gets there. And the keyword here is bioavailability. Bioavailability means how much of an ingredient can actually become available for your body or for your skin to use after you apply it. And a product can have a really powerful ingredient. But if that ingredient breaks down or just sits on the surface and washes off over time, or never gets to the right layer of your skin, it was basically useless but expensive. So for an ingredient to work, it's got to survive four different major barriers. First, it just has to remain stable in the bottle. The molecule has to stay intact inside the formula. If it breaks down in the bottle, it loses usefulness before you even open the bottle and it touched your skin. Second, anything you put on your skin has to be able to penetrate the skin. Your skin is designed to keep things from penetrating it. That is literally one of its main jobs. So a topical ingredient needs the right formulation so it can move beyond the surface. And third, it has to remain biologically useful. Even if that ingredient touches your skin, it still needs to stay in a form that can interact with your skin environment itself. And fourth, it has to work consistently. A breakthrough doesn't matter if it only works in theory or some of the time. It's got to deliver the active ingredient reliably enough for your skin to receive support every time you use it. And that's why delivery systems matter at least as much as what's actually in the bottle. It's a delivery system that determines whether that ingredient can actually reach the place where you need it. And that's the breakthrough that Dr. Nayan Patel focused on. After two decades of research, Dr. Patel delivered the multi patented ROGSH antioxidant and peptide delivery system. He designed it to address one of the biggest problems with glutathione. How do you stabilize it and help deliver it effectively? Dr. Patel is the author of the Glutathione Revolution, a major book in the field which explains how essential glutathione is across all of your body's systems. The G antioxidant serum uses the RO GSH antioxidant and peptide delivery system to bring topical Glutathione into skincare. And yes, I used some this morning. And it was clinically shown to improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles in skin tone in one week. That's the key. Glutathione didn't suddenly become useful. It was always important. But delivery finally caught up to the molecule. And here's how to use the glutathione skincare system to actually see results in a week. And I'm not kidding about one week. It sounds insane, but glutathione itself is insanely effective if you can only get it in. And the first product is the hero of the system, the G antioxidant serum. This is Dr. Patel's Glutathione Face Serum. It uses the ROGSH antioxidant and peptide delivery system to deliver topical glutathione into skincare. The purpose is to support your body's antioxidant defense. And that means it'll help to protect you against visible signs of oxidative stress. You know, things like fine lines, wrinkles, and skin tone. Let's improve the appearance of those. And you want to use it on clean skin. So you apply a very thin layer to your face and your neck, let it absorb, and then you can layer anything else you want on top. You need to use it consistently for at least seven days. That's because in the clinical trials, they found visible improvement in the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and skin tone in a week, which is really, really fast for anything you put on your skin. And I want to be honest about something most skincare brands would probably hide. Real glutathione has a natural scent, and it's a little bit tacky, and that's normal. And this is not one of those fake perfume skincare products that feels creamy and luxurious but does nothing. The texture and the scent come from the nature of glutathione itself. Then you use Dr. Patel's high potency copper peptide serum as the collagen support piece of the system. Copper peptides are something I've written whole books about, and they support the appearance of firmness and density and fullness and bounce in your skin. If you remember the amino acids that we talked about earlier. Well, peptides are just short chains of amino acids that act like signals in your skin, and they help to signal repair and firmness and renewal. They literally tell the body what to do. Studies show that this serum improves skin firmness and density in just one week, on top of the previous study. And strategically, it works beautifully with the glutathione concept. Glutathione helps protect the cellular environment and the copper peptides help support firmness and optimal collagen. Because remember, collagen stimulation works better when oxidative stress is under control. You try to support your collagen and stimulate it. When free radicals are damaging your skin environment, you just fill in the leaky bucket. Then you have citrine, which is the vitamin C serum that's part of the package. Citrine uses 25% ascorbic acid, vitamin C with collagen promoting peptides. Ascorbic acid is the active form of vitamin C that you'll commonly see used in skincare. And this serum is there because vitamin C supports brightness and visible renewal of the skin. So your skin doesn't age because it forgot how to be young. You look older because your skin loses the fight against daily damage. Glutathione helps to bring the defense system back, especially if you can get it onto your face.
[17:42]
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A Human Upgrade Formerly Bulletproof Radio was created and is hosted by Dave Asprey. The information contained in this podcast is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended for the purposes of diagnosing, treating, curing, or preventing any disease. Before using any products referenced on the podcast, consult with your healthcare provider carefully read all labels and heed all directions and cautions that accompany the products. Information found or received through the podcast should not be used in place of a consultation or advice from a healthcare provider. If you suspect you have a medical problem or should you have any healthcare questions, please promptly call or see your healthcare provider. This podcast, including Dave Asprey and the producers, disclaim responsibility for any possible adverse effects from the use of information contained herein. Opinions of guests are their own and this podcast does not endorse or accept responsibility for statements made by guests. This podcast does not make any representations or warranties about guest qualifications or credibility. This podcast may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on this podcast may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to herein. This podcast is owned by Bulletproof Media.