How to Keep Your Skin Young

Many skin creams don't work.

Bryan has experimented with dozens. In his experience, the companies making these products overpromise. Few are based upon evidence. Fewer do anything.

We reviewed the scientific evidence and found the actives we wanted. But the perfect anti-aging stack didn't exist. So we built it.

In this blog post:

• what causes skin aging
• how to slow visible signs of it
• skincare ingredients to look for

What causes skin aging?

Skin begins to age in your 20s:

• collagen and elastin decline: starting in our mid 20s, collagen content decreases by about 1% annually, reducing skin firmness and suppleness. Elastin, which provides stretchability and prevents wrinkling, also deteriorates over time.
• loss of hydration: aging skin loses moisture due to changes in collagen, reduced hyaluronic acid content, and declines in skin lipid content. This leads to dryness, reduced thickness, and diminished suppleness.
• environmental damage: chronic exposure to environmental factors, especially UV radiation and air pollutants, accelerates skin aging by breaking down collagen and inducing oxidative stress.
• cellular aging: fibroblasts, responsible for collagen and hyaluronic acid production, become less efficient, impairing skin repair and water retention.

How to slow visible signs of skin aging

First, get the basics right: cleanse, hydrate, and keep inflammation and cellular damage at bay.

Here is the basic protocol to maintain healthy skin:

• exercise
• prioritize sleep
• eat healthy
• avoid junk, fried, or highly processed foods, cigarettes, and vaping

Most importantly, limit UV exposure. Up to 90% of visible skin aging is from day-to-day sun exposure… not sunburn.

How to protect your skin from the sun

• limit sun exposure to early mornings and later afternoons when the UV index is low.
• when the UV index is high (10 am - 4 pm), protect your skin (SPF, a UV umbrella, hat, or clothing).

Once you've mastered the basics, you can layer on a skincare routine. Whether you're getting your skincare stack from Blueprint or elsewhere, pay close attention to the ingredients.

3 skincare actives to look for

1. SFC (Disodium Succinoyl Farnesylcysteine) is a novel compound that supports healthy inflammatory balance, showing improvements compared to niacinamide, the leading active in most creams. In a clinical trial, 1% SFC statistically outperformed 5% niacinamide at reducing visible wrinkles, improving texture, hydration, radiance, luminosity, and brightness, as well as improving the overall healthy appearance of the skin.
2. NMN (Nicotinamide Mononucleotide) is an NAD+ precursor. It has been studied for its role in cellular energy and healthy aging pathways. In skincare formulations, it may help support the skin barrier and antioxidant defenses.
3. hyaluronic acid retains moisture, granting the skin extra firmness and an improved texture.

The Blueprint skincare stack

We based our 3-step skincare stack on these three ingredients plus additional longevity supermolecules.

The science-backed benefits include:

• longevity: helps defend against daily stressors that accelerate visible aging
• firmness: helps maintain visibly firmer, smoother-looking skin
• resilience: supports the skin barrier with humectants and emollients to protect and replenish
• hydration: nourishes dry skin with sodium hyaluronate and amino acids for a deep, lasting moisture-rich appearance
• protection: advanced antioxidants help defend against environmental stressors, improving the appearance of texture and redness

Here's how Bryan and Kate, Blueprint co-founders, use the stack:

1. step 1: massage the Gentle Facial Cleanser into damp skin, rinse with lukewarm water to remove dirt, oil, makeup, and sunscreen without stripping the skin barrier.
2. step 2: apply SFC Facial Serum to dry skin and let it absorb to help reduce the appearance of redness and irritation, and support the appearance of visible collagen production.
3. step 3: massage the SFC Facial Moisturizer into clean, dry skin to help hydrate, firm, and replenish.