Quarterly Skinsider Q+A: November 2025

  Chapters: 00:00 - Welcome to Q&A Session 03:46 - Winter Moisturizer Recommendations 09:19 - Red Light Therapy Insights 14:14 - NAD Supplement Discussion 16:10 - Sydney's Seal of Approval 18:24 - Quarterly Skin Kit Overview 21:14 - Future Plans for Skin Fix     Q: Best winter moisturizer for dry skin. A dermatologist put me on spironolactone, and I feel my skin looks duller, even though I'm trying to inhale water  :) A: I prefer a leave-on hydrating mask, like Epionce Enriched Firming Mask, as needed, either in addition to my moisturizer or as my moisturizer. A similar type product at the drugstore is Naturium Marshmallow Root Barrier Balm (at Target or 15% off from Naturium.com with code sydneyg15) Other recs:  Use 100% mineral sunscreen with zinc oxide, which is a skin protectant. For your body, mix an emollient with water and apply it to your skin within 3 minutes of exiting the shower. Also consider any of these products around shower times to deeply hydrate and moisturize, especially if you do not enjoy using moisturizers.    Q: Using a red light therapy bed -wondering if there are some products that would be beneficial to use before each visit. A: For your face, I recommend a niacinamide serum and also a vitamin C serum for antioxidant protection for those who have a history of melasma. Red light can help reduce past sun damage, such as wrinkles and even brown sun spots, as well as inflammation, making it helpful for those with rosacea or underlying redness. For pigmentary disorders like melasma, the risk of worsening from heat might not be worth it. Good practice / what to do: Cleanse your skin to remove makeup, sunscreen, heavy oils, and other residue. This ensures the light can penetrate and isn’t blocked by a barrier. If using a gentle antioxidant serum or very light non-occlusive product, this may help support the therapy (for example, vitamin C, green tea, peptides), but you’ll want to see what the device/clinic recommends and your goals.  Things to avoid right before the session (especially for the skin): Harsh exfoliants (strong AHAs/BHAs, scrubs) or introducing potent new actives (strong retinoids) immediately before the session: these may sensitize the skin or cause irritation under light/heat. If the skin is sunburnt, already irritated, or has just undergone a procedure (laser, peel), you may want to wait until it heals.   Q: Question about NAD+. I know about the IV part, but I'm also aware it can cause some nausea, and they do offer Zofran (?), but not sure about that bc I would be driving. Sooo, what about the injections you can give yourself? What are your thoughts ??? A: Great question- the plastic surgery office is actually offering NAD injections. I had one and then got the stomach bug, so I missed 2 weeks.  From what I understand, one is that there usually isn't nausea. I do think they start at half the dose, and you can feel like you have that "sea leg" feeling. They sell them in a month's supply, so you could try them out.   Updates: Sydney’s Seal of Approval WhatsApp- Join here to  Quarterly Skin Kit - will be in your mailbox soon!

Learn more

Should You Be Taking an NAD Supplement? Here's the Lowdown

*sharing my own research with The Skin Fix members as a friend and not for medical advice. My experience with NAD+ is through IV, and it's still my form of choice after researching. Remember if you do want to try an at-home daily NAD supplement you get a 20% discount on fullscript as a Skin Fix member.  Hope it’s helpful for you!  Here's the Lowdown... If you’ve been hanging around the worlds of biohacking, longevity, or even just skincare, chances are you’ve heard whispers (or full-on buzz) about NAD supplements. So, what’s the deal—and are they actually worth adding to your routine? Let’s break it down. What is NAD, Anyway? NAD (short for Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide) is a coenzyme that’s absolutely essential for life. It's found in every single cell of your body, helping to: Turn food into energy Repair damaged DNA Support your body's natural defenses against aging Think of NAD as your cells’ behind-the-scenes power manager. The only catch? NAD levels decline as we age, and that drop is linked to everything from feeling more tired to slower recovery, brain fog, and visible signs of aging. What Are the Benefits of NAD? While research is still evolving, early studies suggest NAD supplementation might help: Boost energy and endurance Improve cognitive function and memory Support skin repair and healthy aging Enhance metabolism and mitochondrial function 🧪 Forms You’ll See Capsules/Tablets: Most common, easiest to find. Sublingual Lozenges: Claimed to offer better absorption by bypassing digestion. Powders: Can be mixed into drinks, sometimes more cost-effective. Injections/IV NAD: Used in clinical or wellness spa settings for high-dose rapid delivery—expensive and not usually needed unless under medical supervision. How NAD Supplements Work Most NAD supplements don't actually contain NAD itself (it’s too unstable to survive digestion). Instead, they use precursors—molecules your body can easily convert into NAD. The two big players: NR and NMN NR (Nicotinamide Riboside): One of the first NAD boosters studied in humans, found in supplements like Tru Niagen.  NR raises blood NAD by up to 2.7× after a single 1,000 mg dose. Form: Capsules, tablets, powder Dosage range: 250–500 mg/day How it works: Converts to NMN, then to NAD Notes: Backed by more human studies than NMN (so far) May be slightly less potent but still effective Brands: Tru Niagen (leading brand), Thorne Niacel NMN (Nicotinamide Mononucleotide): The newer, trendier option, made famous by anti-aging researchers and books like Lifespan by Dr. David Sinclair. Form: Capsules, powder, sublingual tablets Dosage range: 250–1000 mg/day (often split into 1–2 doses) How it works: Direct precursor to NAD; converts easily in the body Notes: Often taken in the morning (to align with natural NAD rhythms) Sublingual forms may be more bioavailable (skip digestion) Brands: Elysium Signal, ProHealth Longevity NMN, Alive by Science Both are designed to gently encourage your body to make more NAD naturally. Bottom line: Of oral options, NR and NMN lead on bioavailability and efficiency. NR has more human data, NMN shows promising rapid tissue uptake. It’s not a magic pill (nothing is), but it’s one of the more exciting areas of longevity research right now. 💉 IV NAD infusions: Maximum impact—but not mainstream IV NAD delivers 100% bioavailability—direct bloodstream injection bypasses digestion. Small pharmacokinetic studies observed high plasma NAD and metabolites after multihour IV infusion. Celebrity and biohacker interest is fueling spa and clinic use—but large controlled clinical trials are still lacking, and it’s costly ($200–$500/session) and might need 2-3 treatments for best results. Takeaways For daily supplementation, go with oral NR or NMN—they offer excellent absorption, tissue delivery, and safety. IV NAD offers the highest and fastest NAD boost, but it’s: Expensive and clinic-dependent Backed mostly by small pilot data (not large trials yet) Might be considered for short-term therapeutic use or intense recovery protocols—but not everyday use. THIS IS MY FORM OF CHOICE! There are already so many supplements to take daily, and I love the extra benefits of other ingredients in the IV. My experience has been a series of 3 is recommended! So, Should You Try It? If you’re interested in aging well, maintaining energy, or just giving your body a little extra support as the years go by, an NAD precursor supplement could be worth exploring. Just be sure to choose a reputable brand, and talk to your healthcare provider if you have any underlying conditions. At the end of the day, NAD supplements won’t replace a healthy lifestyle—but they could be one more tool in your "age gracefully and powerfully" toolkit.  

Learn more

August Member Q+A

Hi skINSIDERS! We're trying out something new this month- in place of answering your questions on google docs let's see how a private blog area on the website works. This way you'll have access to all of them when logged in on the website! You can find them blog tab here (click Members Only), and we'll add to the member page. Let's dive in! Q: Best non-invasive options and treatments for neck wrinkles. A:  Use all products for face on neck. Also get all treatments for face on neck- particularly microneedling. Consider a red light mask and adding a specialized cream for the neck- although I think a thick moisturizer at night suffices. Many of these neck creams have ingredients that you’re already using and sometimes not as strong. I like Epionce Intensive Nourishing Cream because it’s a thick face moisturizer also studied on the neck and decollete– that helps with the price for me!  I would choose a neck serum like the Obagi ELASTIderm Neck and Decollete Concentrate if you want a specialized product for this area. These products have studies that typically last around 8 weeks so you could try and do it on your own! You can consider trying botox in the neck (not much to lose to try at least once in addition to other tweaks).  ___________________________________________ Q: The age spots on my legs have multiplied and have gotten bigger. I try to stay in shape and work out and should be able to wear shorts...BUT I hate these spots on my legs! Glad long skirts are trendy🤪. What are my options? A: Treatments in office will be best! I like a combination of liquid nitrogen (freezing spray) and BBL (broad band light) laser treatments that target the brown pigment in the dermis. These brown spots are like icebergs  Caution: spray tans and self tanners can accentuate them making them even more noticeable! If you need a quick fix to cover them up then try Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs. ___________________________________________ Q: Which NAD supplement do you recommend? A: My answer/research led to another member-only blog: Should You Be Taking an NAD Supplement? Here's the Lowdown ___________________________________________ Q: I am so sad because REN is closing and you recommended their Evercalm barrier serum and I swear by it! They have taken it off their website, do you have a replacement suggestion?  A: I recently tried this Cicalfate serum by Avene, and I think it's a good replacement to try. The texture might be a little different but hopefully the end result is similar.  Here's an option from Cocokind. I have not tried this one personally, but I would consider it! You can use this link to "officially" ask your questions any time- it's your direct line to me to ensure you get an in depth response you can revisit. You'll also find it linked on the members' page and highlighted on the private instagram community.

Learn more