Skin aging is not an aesthetic process. It is the visible expression of biological processes that occur in all cells of the body. Understanding them—at least their main mechanisms—completely changes the logic of care: from reacting to what is seen to acting on what produces it.
The 4 main mechanisms of intrinsic skin aging
The biology of aging has identified several fundamental mechanisms that contribute to cellular deterioration over time. In the context of the skin, the four most relevant are: accumulated oxidative stress (free radical damage to lipids, proteins, and DNA), chronic low-grade inflammation (inflammaging), glycation of structural proteins (especially collagen and elastin), and progressive mitochondrial dysfunction.
These mechanisms do not act in isolation: they feed back into each other. Oxidative stress activates inflammatory pathways. Chronic inflammation increases oxidative stress. Mitochondrial dysfunction reduces the cell's ability to manage both. Glycation stiffens collagen fibers and makes them more vulnerable to enzymatic degradation. It is a self-accelerating system over time.
Glycation: why sugar ages your skin
Glycation is the process by which sugar molecules—glucose, fructose—non-enzymatically bind to proteins, forming advanced glycation end-products (AGEs). In the skin, the most affected proteins are collagen and elastin: when glycated, their fibers become rigid, lose elasticity, become more yellowish, and are more difficult for the body's own cellular mechanisms to renew.
Glycation is accelerated by high-glycemic index diets, diabetes, and chronological aging. It is not reversible once AGEs are formed, but its progression is preventable. Some antioxidant active ingredients—resveratrol, curcuminoids—have documented anti-glycation activity, adding another level of protection to dermal structures.
Inflammaging: the silent inflammation nobody sees
The concept of inflammaging—coined by gerontologist Claudio Franceschi in 2000—describes a state of chronic, low-intensity inflammation that gradually sets in with aging. It is not the acute, visible inflammation of a wound or infection: it is a sustained level of immune activation that does not produce obvious symptoms but continuously damages tissues.
In the skin, inflammaging is expressed as sustained activation of metalloproteinases (MMPs)—enzymes that degrade collagen and elastin—an increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines like IL-6 and TNF-α, and a reduction in the reparative capacity of fibroblasts. Antioxidants with anti-inflammatory activity—astaxanthin, resveratrol, HydroCurc®—act on these pathways and help modulate this chronic inflammatory state.
Oxidative stress and mitochondria: what happens inside your cells
Mitochondria—the organelles that produce energy in cells—are also the main endogenous source of free radicals. As we age, mitochondrial function deteriorates, energy efficiency drops, and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) increases. Dermal fibroblasts with dysfunctional mitochondria produce less collagen and are less able to repair damage to the extracellular matrix.
CoQ10—present in LEVIAL at 25 mg/vial—is a central component of the mitochondrial electron transport chain and simultaneously acts as an antioxidant. Its concentration in the skin progressively decreases with age, making it a relevant target for supplementation aimed at cellular longevity.
Which active ingredients have evidence for each mechanism
Against oxidative stress: astaxanthin (AstaReal®), vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium. Against inflammaging: trans-resveratrol, HydroCurc® (curcuminoids), pomegranate (ellagic acid), CoQ10. Against glycation: resveratrol, curcuminoids. Against mitochondrial dysfunction: CoQ10, selenium. This is the logic behind LEVIAL's Resistance Axis and Balance Axis: these active ingredients are not chosen by trend, but by their documented function against specific mechanisms of aging.
External care + internal support: the logic of longevity applied to the skin
Longevity applied to the skin is not a marketing concept: it is the logical consequence of understanding that skin aging has systemic biological causes. A cream, no matter how good, cannot act on inflammaging or mitochondrial oxidative stress. It can hydrate, protect the barrier, stimulate superficial renewal. But the deep work—supporting the structures that the cream cannot reach—requires consistent and sustained internal support over time.
