I Tried That Fancy Anti-Inflammaging Serum, and It Truly Lives Up to the Hype

But before we dive into my review, you’re probably wondering, What the heck is inflammaging? Well, as the name suggests, it has quite a bit to do with inflammation and aging. “Chronic inflammation that leads to aging is called inflammaging,” explains Ben Van Handel, Ph.D., a stem cell biologist at the University of Southern California and the co-founder of Heraux. “Inflammation itself—in short, controlled bursts—is actually very positive for the body and drives a regenerative response. However, when inflammation continues past this positive point and becomes chronic, it results in a poor cellular environment that accelerates the biological clock of our cells, leading to early signs of aging on our skin.”

It’s important to understand that the chronic inflammation in inflammaging can result from any number of things, and the exact trigger may not always be obvious, explains board-certified dermatologist Marisa Garshick, MD. “It may be related to daily stressors such as UV, pollution, diet, hormonal changes, and stress,” she says. However, whatever the cause, it can show up on our skin in the form of dark spots, fine lines and wrinkles, skin laxity, dullness, and even dry skin.

If you’re looking to improve or prevent any of the above skin concerns, targeting chronic inflammation can do wonders, no matter your age. Handel explains that getting good sleep, stress-reducing activities like exercise and meditation, a healthy diet with limited alcohol, and avoiding smoking are all great measures to take to help reduce inflammation. But protecting our skin is just as crucial. Sun protection is key, but other topical ingredients aside from SPF also play an important role—that’s where Heraux’s serum comes into play.

“The Molecular Anti-Inflammaging Serum is unique because it is the first anti-inflammaging serum designed to target the protein responsible for the majority of chronic inflammation,” explains Handel. While most other skincare products on the market are designed to treat skin concerns—whether it’s signs of aging or acne and rosacea—he explains that this serum instead gets to the root of the problem by regulating and adjusting the inflammatory pathways found in our skin.