The melanocytes giving pigment to your skin right now might be older than your car. They have been sitting in your dermis for decades, and unlike the cells on your skin's surface, they do not get replaced. They have to keep themselves clean which happens through autophagy.

In Part 2 of our autophagy deep dive, we get specific about how skin handles autophagy differently from other parts of the body. We unpack why long-lived cells like fibroblasts and melanocytes depend on this cleanup process, what happens when it fails, and how it ties directly to gray hair, hyperpigmentation, sagging skin, and that brownish dullness no serum seems to fix.

We also introduce one of the most overlooked players in this entire conversation, and explain why we believe it is the next NAD. If you want to understand what is actually happening underneath your skin as it ages, and what tools we have to intervene at the cellular level, this episode is for you.

What's Discussed:

• (01:06) Why skin needs autophagy more than almost any other organ
• (03:07) The cells on your face that may be older than your car
• (04:25) The 2013 paper that linked autophagy failure to dermatitis
• (08:44) Zombie mitochondria and why photo-aged skin makes bad collagen
• (12:25) Senescent cells, SASP, and how a few bad cells poison the dermis
• (18:38) The 2019 Drexel rapamycin trial that proved this works in humans
• (23:22) The 2024 spermidine study that changes how we think about autophagy
• (29:51) Why your skin barrier collapses without this one molecule

Resources Mentioned:

Biohacking Beauty Podcast with Dr. Scott Sherr: Stress & Light on Your Skin Are Aging Your Entire Body Podcast/dr-scott-sherr-stress-light-on-your-skin-are-aging/

2024 Study on endogenous spermidine as essential for rapamycin-induced autophagy and longevity: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39212197/

Young Goose Companion Booklet: younggoose.com/pages/autophagy-skin-activate-your-bodys-anti-aging-system

Find more from Young Goose:

• Use code PODCAST10 to get 10% OFF your first purchase, and if you’re a returning customer use the code PODCAST5 to get 5% OFF at younggoose.com
• Instagram: @young_goose_skincare