Skin Biohacking: What It Is And Why It Matters Now

You may never have asked yourself “what is biohacking?”, but you’ve almost certainly seen it on your social feeds. Intermittent fasting, continuous glucose monitors, sleep tracking rings, even stories about people experimenting with edited DNA – all of this belongs to a 21st‑century movement often described as a socio‑medical phenomenon: biohacking.

Biohacking began as a kind of hobby community: people who wanted to understand how the body works and learn to influence its biological mechanisms themselves. The dream was simple and extremely ambitious – not only to live longer, but to stay young for longer. Many biohackers believe that humans could live to 180 years or more, and, importantly, they insist that old age is not an unavoidable part of life. One of the best‑known biohacking advocates, Aubrey de Grey, has even claimed that the first person who will live to 1,000 years has already been born and that ageing is a “bug” in our biological programme that could, in theory, be switched off. 

Within biohacking communities you’ll find both academics with serious scientific backgrounds and self‑taught enthusiasts willing to experiment on their own bodies. Numerous foundations now fund longevity research, and Silicon Valley is famous for its many biohacking supporters in the tech industry. The word “hacking” here comes from programming: the idea is to “hack” the mechanisms responsible for ageing and build something more reliable, more resilient and longer‑lived. In a way, biohackers are trying to “fix” nature’s engineering mistakes that left the human body so fragile. This is why biohacking is often described as Do‑It‑Yourself Biology – a hands‑on approach to your own biology.

Although some biohackers are very interested in pills, supplements and new pharmacological agents, many experts with strong biomedical training see drugs as only a small part of the story. For them, the basis of biohacking is awareness: a deep understanding of how the body works, not just in general, but how your own body works with all its individual features.

This is one of the key differences between biohacking and traditional medicine. Medicine often works with averages – average patient, average dose, average response. Biohacking starts with individuality as the main principle. Biohackers look for ways to activate self‑regulation: the body’s ability to restore and control ageing processes from the inside using its own hidden reserves.

One of the foundations of modern biohacking is meditation. Its importance is now recognised by almost all serious researchers in the field. Meditation and mindfulness practices can help improve concentration and reduce stress, and biohackers believe they also support hormonal balance, especially cortisol, catecholamines and steroid hormones.

Sleep is another central biohacking tool. Good sleep is essential for a long and active life, and the quality of sleep is at least as important as the number of hours. When we sleep well, our internal biological rhythms are better synchronised at the levels of organs, tissues and cells, and regeneration processes work more effectively. This matters for the whole body – and for the skin in particular. 

When biohackers talk about diet, they don’t mean “what to eat to lose weight before summer”. They look at food as a daily tool to stay healthier and younger for longer, and to support the skin from the inside out. The old Hippocratic phrase “food is medicine” sounds very modern here, because we now know that food is not just calories, protein, fat and carbs, but a huge collection of active molecules that influence every system in the body.

This is why many researchers and biohackers compare traditional cuisines in different countries with local health statistics. One of the clearest examples comes from acne research. An international study showed that the highest rates of acne – and the most severe cases – are seen in countries where a Western‑style diet is common among young people: lots of meat, cow’s milk and dairy, plus a high daily intake of refined sugar. In countries where people mostly stick to traditional diets and don’t eat these foods every day, acne is much less common and usually milder.

As families in poorer countries became wealthier and switched from traditional food to a Western pattern, acne rates went up in teenagers from these more affluent groups – while remaining low in poorer families who kept their traditional way of eating. Looking closely at what people actually ate helped explain why. First, there is a change in insulin regulation: more sweets and a higher glucose load push the body towards insulin spikes, which can trigger hormonal changes linked to acne. Second, the Western diet is often rich in the amino acid leucine, which has been shown to affect sebocytes and keratinocytes, encouraging more sebum production and faster keratinisation – exactly the processes that make acne worse. At the same time, this style of eating can upset the balance of the gut microbiome, which then affects the skin microbiome and increases the risk of inflammation.

Similar studies are being carried out not only in dermatology but in many other fields, and all of them point in the same direction: what, how and when we eat can either support our natural repair mechanisms or make them work against us. Biohacking tries to turn this knowledge into practical “longevity diet” rules – not a single strict menu for everyone, but flexible principles that help you choose foods and eating patterns which keep your metabolism steady, your microbiome balanced and your skin clearer and calmer for longer. Intermittent fasting, for example, is seen not only as a way to manage weight, but as one of the tools to fine‑tune internal rhythms and give the body time to reset and repair.

Most dermatology and cosmetic texts begin with the statement that “the skin is the largest organ of the human body”. This is not just a cliché. The skin protects us from the outside world, but it also plays an active role in our health: hormones can be activated or transformed in the skin, and skin cells themselves are capable of producing hormones and hormone‑like substances. The skin is closely linked with the nervous system and can even be considered part of it, helping to process signals from the outside and influencing how the body responds.

The skin is also a powerful immune organ that learns and adapts from the first to the last day of life. On its surface lives an entire ecosystem – the skin microbiome – made up of billions of microorganisms. Recent research shows a strong connection between the gut and skin microbiomes, a two‑way “axis” affecting both organs. Some data even suggest this axis reaches the brain, potentially influencing mood and behaviour. 

If the skin interacts with so many systems, then working with the skin is not just about appearance. By improving skin health, we may positively influence the body as a whole – and by damaging the skin, we may do the opposite. This is where skin biohacking comes in: using biohacking ideas to support skin function from the inside and outside.

For everyday life and skincare, biohacking doesn’t have to be extreme or complicated. Some basic principles make a real difference:

Biohacking is more than a wellness trend; it is a change in how we think about health, beauty and ageing. The focus shifts from “one product for everyone” towards tailored routines and lifestyle changes that respect each person’s biology.

In aesthetic medicine and professional skincare, this means moving away from standard protocols and towards carefully personalised strategies that consider hormones, nervous system, immune status, microbiome and lifestyle. As more skin professionals adopt this individual and biohacking‑inspired mindset, patients and clients will benefit from healthier skin, better results and a more realistic – and kinder – approach to ageing.

The best way to biohack your skin is consistent use of a Meder skincare routine, but you can start simple with one or two products of your choice. These are multi‑award‑winning solutions loved by professional skin biohacking enthusiasts all over the world: 

As one of the pioneers of skin biohacking, Dr Tiina Meder launched her first biohacking skincare solution back in 2018 – long before it became a trend. Many Meder Beauty products are created around biohacking principles: working with your skin’s own mechanisms instead of trying to "override” them. 

Here are three easy ways to start skin biohacking at home with Meder.

Circa‑Night won’t make you sleep better – but it will definitely help you look better after sleepless nights. This lightweight night cream is often called “sleep in a bottle” by our customers because it mimics some of the effects of deep sleep in the skin, supporting essential repair and healing processes overnight. Apply Circa‑Night before midnight, even if you are not planning to go to bed yet, and let it help your skin recover while you get on with your evening. You’ll wake up looking fresher, with a more rested, restored complexion. 

Red‑Apax is designed to “re‑educate” reactive skin to stay calm during the day. Sudden facial redness can be socially uncomfortable – no one wants to flush bright red when public speaking or after a small glass of wine. If you experience occasional, situational redness, use a Red‑Apax mask before an event or party to help your skin stay under control. For chronic or long‑term redness, we recommend using Red‑Apax active serum for at least 5–10 weeks to restore a more even, calm appearance. The secret? A Norwegian mushroom extract that can bind to redness receptors in skin cells and help reduce visible flushing. 

Hydra‑Fill is your everyday biohacking solution for dryness and flaking. If your skin feels dry, tight or starts flaking easily in response to stress or weather changes, this silky moisturising gel is a great place to start. Rich in prebiotics and probiotics, Hydra‑Fill helps suppress the growth of a specific microorganism (Malassezia fungi) involved in excessive shedding of dead cells on the skin’s surface. Once Malassezia is under control, skin becomes smoother, softer and more comfortable again. Use Hydra‑Fill daily for 5–10 weeks for the best, long‑lasting results.