How to Reduce Chronic Inflammation for Better Skin

There is a concept in aging research called inflammaging, a portmanteau of inflammation and aging, and it describes one of the most significant biological processes working beneath the surface of your skin. It is not acute inflammation, the kind that resolves after an injury. It is a low-level, chronic, systemic inflammatory state that builds quietly over years and decades, accelerating cellular aging throughout the body, including in the skin.

At Cult Aesthetics, we believe that understanding inflammaging changes the way you think about skin health. It shifts the conversation from reactive spot treatments to proactive, systemic support. The good news is that this type of inflammation is meaningfully modifiable through targeted supplementation, dietary strategy, and, for those who want to address it at the cellular level, IV therapy protocols designed to reduce the oxidative and inflammatory burden on skin cells.

What Inflammaging Does to Skin

Inflammaging was formally described in the scientific literature in 2000, and over the past two decades a substantial body of research has clarified how it manifests in skin specifically. As senescent cells accumulate with age, they release a cocktail of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a), and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1B), in a pattern researchers call the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). These signals degrade the extracellular matrix, stimulate matrix metalloproteinases that break down collagen and elastin, impair skin barrier function, and promote the kind of persistent low-grade redness and reactivity that many people experience as their skin ages.

A 2021 review published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences documented how senescent fibroblasts, keratinocytes, and melanocytes each contribute to this inflammatory skin environment, and how their accumulation disrupts collagen synthesis, pigmentation, and immune regulation in aging skin. UV radiation accelerates this process by creating additional senescent cells in the epidermis, which is why photoaging and inflammaging are deeply intertwined.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids: The Anti-Inflammatory Foundation

The most extensively researched dietary intervention for reducing chronic systemic inflammation is consistent intake of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, specifically eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These fatty acids compete with the pro-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids for the same metabolic enzymes, producing anti-inflammatory and inflammation-resolving mediators called resolvins, protectins, and maresins, in place of pro-inflammatory prostaglandins and leukotrienes.

For skin specifically, a review published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences found that EPA and DHA modulate inflammatory pathways in skin, reduce UV-induced immune suppression, and improve barrier function in inflammatory skin conditions including atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. Clinical studies have consistently shown reductions in inflammatory biomarkers with regular omega-3 supplementation, with effects most pronounced in individuals with higher baseline inflammation. A practical target for most people is 2 to 3 grams of combined EPA and DHA daily from fish oil or algae-based sources.

Antioxidants: Reducing the Oxidative Load

Oxidative stress and inflammation are not separate processes; they amplify each other. Reactive oxygen species generated by UV exposure, pollution, and normal metabolic activity activate inflammatory signaling pathways including NF-kB, which in turn drives the cytokine production associated with inflammaging. Breaking that cycle requires maintaining robust antioxidant capacity.

Vitamin C is essential. As a water-soluble antioxidant, it neutralizes free radicals in the aqueous phase of cells and the skin's extracellular environment. It also regenerates vitamin E, the principal fat-soluble antioxidant in cell membranes, meaning these two nutrients operate synergistically. Vitamin C's role as a cofactor for collagen-synthesizing enzymes adds a structural dimension: it simultaneously reduces the inflammatory degradation of existing collagen and supports the synthesis of new collagen.

Beyond vitamins C and E, dietary polyphenols from green tea, resveratrol, quercetin, and other plant sources have demonstrated anti-inflammatory activity in human skin research. Polyphenols inhibit NF-kB signaling, reduce UV-induced lipid peroxidation, and modulate the inflammatory cytokine response in keratinocytes and fibroblasts. Including these compounds through both diet and targeted supplementation provides a broader anti-inflammatory signal that no single antioxidant can cover alone.

NAD+ and Cellular Inflammation Control

One of the less-discussed but mechanistically important connections between inflammaging and skin health involves NAD+. As cellular NAD+ levels decline with age, the activity of sirtuins, particularly SIRT1, which normally suppresses NF-kB-mediated inflammatory signaling, decreases. The result is that the inflammatory brake becomes less effective over time, allowing pro-inflammatory gene expression to increase.

Research published in Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology has documented that the age-related decline in NAD+ is directly linked to increased cellular senescence and the propagation of inflammatory signals that drive age-related tissue dysfunction. Restoring NAD+ through precursors such as NMN or NR, or through IV delivery, represents an increasingly researched strategy for maintaining the cellular anti-inflammatory machinery that keeps inflammaging in check.

Lifestyle Inputs That Drive or Reduce Inflammation

Supplementation is most effective when it is paired with the dietary and lifestyle inputs that either fuel or reduce chronic inflammation. The most pro-inflammatory patterns are high intake of refined carbohydrates and seed oils rich in omega-6 fatty acids, poor sleep (which raises inflammatory cytokines), chronic psychological stress (which activates the same HPA-inflammation axis described above), and UV exposure without adequate protection.

The most anti-inflammatory patterns are a diet rich in colorful plant foods, fatty fish, olive oil, and whole grains (consistent with a Mediterranean dietary pattern), consistent aerobic movement, adequate sleep, and deliberate stress management. These are not add-ons to a supplement protocol; they are the conditions that determine how well that protocol can work.

Resources

• Lee, Y.I., Choi, S., Roh, W.S., Lee, J.H., & Kim, T.G. (2021). Cellular senescence and inflammaging in the skin microenvironment. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(8), 3849.
• Balic, A., Vlasic, D., Zuzul, K., Marinovic, B., & Bukvic Mokos, Z. (2020). Omega-3 versus omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids in the prevention and treatment of inflammatory skin diseases. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 21(3), 741.
• Pullar, J.M., Carr, A.C., & Vissers, M.C.M. (2017). The roles of vitamin C in skin health. Nutrients, 9(8), 866.
• Boo, Y.C. (2021). Mechanistic basis and clinical evidence for the applications of nicotinamide (niacinamide) to control skin aging and pigmentation. Antioxidants, 10(8), 1315.
• Covarrubias, A.J., Perrone, R., Grozio, A., & Verdin, E. (2021). NAD+ metabolism and its roles in cellular processes during ageing. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, 22(2), 119-141.