Another new development that has some skin health and longevity benefit potential: Topical Co-application of Hyaluronan with Transdermal Drug Delivery Enhancers Attenuates Inflammatory and Neuropathic Pain
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Just wanted to share something that’s been working well for me in case it helps someone else. I’ve been using diluted Radiesse (both 1:0.5 and 1:1 ratios) over the past 6 mo—not for volume, but more for skin quality and subtle structure. I wasn’t expecting anything dramatic, just wanted to soften some of the signs of aging.
Well, I ran my photo through that Face Age AI tool out of curiosity, and it came back with a facial age of 35. I’m 70. I know those tools aren’t perfect, but still—it was a nice moment.
There are so many approaches to facial rejuvenation these days like mTOR inhibitors and other longevity pathways that may help over time, which I think is fascinating. I’m impatient and want the results now vs tomorrow. If you’re looking for something with more immediate, visible results, I’ve found that diluted Radiesse can be a great option—especially when done conservatively.
Not claiming it’s a miracle, just sharing what’s worked for me. It gave a kind of “soft filter” effect that looked natural and didn’t scream “filler.” I can post or dm my pic if somebody is interested.
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New trial results : Oral sodium hyaluronate improves skin hydration, barrier function and signs of aging. Seems like a convenient way to do skincare: just use a pill. The highest dose of 120mg had better results.
According it AI, many researchers currently recommend a “balanced” weight (300–500 kDa) for the best absorption and skin-plumping results. The higher molecular wight ones come with their own benefits like knee pain and joint stiffness relief.
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I still like rapamycin cream.
I recently changed my rapamycin cream formula. Mainly, I did this to make it easier. The essential part is to dissolve crushed rapamycin in Trancutol, then filter it and add it to a base cream. The base cream I am currently using is SimplyVital Anti-Aging Face Moisturizer with Retinol, Collagen & Hyaluronic Acid. I get it from Amazon.
This was based on a recommendation from ChatCPT 5.2
Example Workflow (Using the products above)
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Rapamycin stock solution: dissolve rapamycin (e.g., 12.5–25 mg) in Transcutol (~2–3 mL) with gentle stirring.
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Prepare base: weigh out 30–50 g of your chosen cosmetic base.
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Mix: slowly add the rapamycin/Transcutol solution into the base while stirring thoroughly.
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Pack & label: into an opaque airless jar or pump.
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Test: small patch on the forearm/neck before face use.
I have been using this for about a month. It really seems to produce a clear skin and, so far, no new actinic keratoses.
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Why is topical rapamycin helpful to someone who already takes it orally?
See these threads:
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Do you have before and after pictures that you feel comfortable sharing here ?
In the topical rapamycin studies it was used daily - so frequency of use is different from typical oral once a week use. I also imagine skin deposition is not large from relative small oral doses - skin is a large organ. With topical you can concentrate the drug on specific areas like the face or neck.
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Wow, you look amazing at 70 !
Both pictures look great, first has you wearing glasses - that’s automatically added 10 years 
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Topically?
Injections - it’s a facial filler.
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How difficult are these facial injections to self-administer?
Should not be self administered.
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Pentagalloyl glucose (PGG), a polyphenolic molecule with high affinity for elastin hydrophobic domains, binds non-covalently to exposed elastin, shielding cleavage-prone motifs, reducing water ingress into hydrophobic repeats, and sterically limiting protease access [147]. In multiple AAA models, PGG has preserved elastic lamellae, reduced inflammatory infiltration, and slowed or prevented sac expansion. [94,148]. Localized periadventitial delivery of non-cytotoxic PGG early after injury inhibits elastin degeneration and attenuates AAA growth, indicating that targeted wall exposure can modify disease trajectory even without systemic drug levels [94]. Extending this concept, PGG-loaded nanoparticles have been engineered to home to the aneurysmal wall, where controlled release restores degraded elastin ultrastructure, reduces MMP activity, and diminishes leukocyte infiltration. Notably, oral administration of PGG nanoparticles has regressed established elastase-induced AAAs in preclinical studies, suggesting that systemic routes can achieve therapeutically meaningful aortic exposure when coupled with appropriate carriers [149]. Mechanistically, PGG effects likely arise from a triad: (i) direct fiber stabilization which reduces elastase susceptibility, (ii) secondary anti-inflammatory actions, i.e., less Damage-Associated Molecular Patterns release from matrix breakdown due to lower cytokine/MMP induction, and (iii) favorable reparative remodeling by providing a protected scaffold onto which new matrix can organize [117,118,119,120]. While PGG is an example, this “elastin-tanning” principle may extend to other elastin-binding polyphenols, tailoring small molecules with improved pharmacokinetics and tissue selectivity.
In a career that has spanned 30 years, Dr. Vyavahare’s research has been focused on elastin, a rubber band-like protein dominant in the the tissues of our lungs, arteries and skin that allows these organs to expand and retract. The body’s ability to repair elastin diminishes with age and the loss of elastin is accelerated by oxidation, inflammation and pollutants that cause tissues to lose elasticity. Through his research, Dr. Vyavahare discovered that a specific antioxidant called PGG would bind to elastin and support its maintenence. Taking it a step further, he paired the PGG with a novel micro-hyaluronic delivery system which would allow cells to support new elastic fiber and strengthen the tissue. The discovery has been patented and is now being used to repair lung tissue in patients with COPD, restore damaged arteries and repair damaged skin.
Have any of you had a chance to try it?
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I find the concept of this type of product interesting, though I’m sure this specific line of products will be horribly over-priced. There seems to be reasonably scientific backing on the efficacy of Urolithin A (though the cost/effectiveness is the primary issue for me).
Perhaps an opportunity for biohacking; create a simple topical formulation with low cost Urolithin A powder from China (its topical use so I’m less concerned about contaminants than if I was orally using it)… ?
Lancôme to launch longevity skin care range powered by mitochondria-rejuvenating Mitopure
Lancôme, the L’Oréal-owned luxury brand, is aiming to further secure its position as a leader in the longevity beauty game through the launch of a new skin care range.
The yet-to-be-named collection is centred on Swiss biotech firm Timeline’s Mitopure technology, a proprietary molecule backed by more than US$50m in R&D and 15 years of research.
The ingredient is a highly pure form of Urolithin A, a postbiotic that is said to be clinically proven to re-energise mitochondria – the powerhouses of the cell – through a cellular renewal process known as mitophagy – the removal of damaged mitochondria.
It marks L’Oréal Groupe’s first consumer launch with Timeline, following the French beauty giant’s investment in the firm in 2024 through a CHF56 million Series D funding round.
The range will be revealed and launched at the annual American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) convention in Denver, Colorado, from 27 - 29 March 2026.
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My Google Gemini Prompt:
Role: Cosmetic Chemist or Formulation Chemist,
Task: Evaluate the chemical and pharmacologic characteristics of Urolithin-A powder, and identify a reasonable formulation for a topical skin care product that a biohacker could reasonably create from purchased reagents and supplies
Gemini Response:
I received an email from Timeline yesterday talking about their new UA serum… it exists now.
Fwiw, 100g of UA powder at Aeternum Is $144.
In addition to that one, yesterday, Sephora sent me an email about Tatcha’s longevity serums… *insert world’s biggest eyeroll (Unlike timeline, this is just any ol’ serum with a longevity label).
Do please come up with a formula I can copy for this idea with the addition of rapa powder. 
Maybe we can add both to minoxidil for scalps too ?
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Of all the skin-care and cosmetics products I recently bought online that turned out to be counterfeit, expired, used, or otherwise problematic, the one that still makes me squirm is a curiously distended tube of lip gloss.
I’d purchased it from a third-party seller on Amazon because I wanted to find out how, or if, someone could really know that the popular beauty product they bought on the internet was the real thing.
I’d also ordered a second tube of the same product — Rhode Peptide Lip Treatment, one of Wirecutter’s lip gloss picks — from the brand’s official website, Rhode Skin. This latter purchase was my control group, my straight-from-the-source version, my real thing.
From the jump, I found inconsistencies between the two.
The tube that arrived from Amazon was about a quarter-inch longer and a slightly different shade than the one I bought from Rhode. In several places, the labeling wasn’t a word-for-word match; plus, that text had been printed with two different-colored inks. The Amazon version also felt lighter, even though it was the bigger tube, making me wonder if I’d actually received the full 10 milliliters indicated on the label.
And then there was the bloating.
The tube from Amazon appeared slightly puffy and inflated next to the one from Rhode. That discrepancy wasn’t as obvious as the others; in fact, I’m not sure I would have noticed the bloating on my own. But I was working with a cosmetic chemist — Rachel Johnson, founder and chief chemist at The Charismatic Chemist, a cosmetic research and development lab in New Jersey — to compare and analyze my makeup and skin-care purchases, and once she pointed it out, I couldn’t not see it.
“That could suggest microbial growth,” Johnson told me, “or that the formula might be reacting to the packaging.”
Ew.
A few minutes later, Johnson confirmed that the chemical compositions of the two lip treatments were off by a significant amount: a 20% difference between them, according to a spectrometer analysis.
You buried the lead
“ Over the past two decades, fake personal-care products have been found to contain ingredients like antifreeze (in counterfeit toothpaste as a sweetener, I’m sorry to tell you) and urine (to give a fake fragrance a golden hue, I’m even more sorry to say).”
I believe this because I still have PTSD from a 60 minutes segment decades ago that showed how many of the pharmaceuticals, even ones in mainstream drugstores, are fake… yellow road paint used as coloring, etc.
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