Steve Aoki has made a career out of going all in: DJ sets, packed festival schedules, nonstop travel and, of course, throwing cakes into the faces of his fans.
But when it comes to skincare, the Grammy-nominated DJ and producer takes a disciplined approach. Aoki didn’t really start thinking about skincare until his 30s, when he began looking at his health and wellness more holistically.
"The thing is skin is part of your health and wellness, the biggest organ in your entire body is your skin," Aoki said during an exclusive interview with USA TODAY Shopping.
That perspective turned skincare into another part of Aoki’s performance-focused lifestyle, alongside fitness, nutrition and recovery.
"I just looked at my life as an athlete more than anything
else," Aoki says. "When you start doing that, you start thinking 'What are the things that will maximize, optimize, and, you know, keep me going at the pace I've been going?'"
For Aoki, that approach has made skincare less of a chore and more of a daily ritual.
"Since then, it’s a discipline, it’s a structure, it’s focus, it’s passion, and I gameify it... It’s part of my routine, it’s something that I do every single day. I make it fun and it’s not chore," he added.
That focus on performance and innovation eventually led Aoki to NIOD (Non-Invasive Options in Dermal Science), which recently expanded into retail at Sephora. The science and technology-driven brand has spent more than a decade developing biomimetic skincare, including its copper peptide technology.
For Aoki, Copper Amino Isolate Serum (CAIS3 1:1) has become a go-to, fitting seamlessly into his fast-paced, always on-the-go routine.
"I literally have NIOD in my pocket at all times," he added. "It's just small, it's easy and that's like perfect for me."
Shop Aoki’s go-to serum and more from the NIOD collection below.
Shop Steve Aoki's go-to Copper Amino Isolate Serum
Get Steve Aoki's go-to skincare serum
Aoki uses NIOD's Copper Amino Isolate Serum (CAIS3 1:1) daily, keeping the serum close whether he’s jet-setting to a show or traveling between gigs. He even calls NIOD a “game-changer” for men’s and women’s skincare."Skincare for me has to be something where it’s easy, fast and literally plug it on the plane because it’s so dry on the plane," Aoki added.
NIOD Copper Amino Isolate Serum (CAIS3 1:1)
A high-performance copper peptide serum designed to support skin’s natural collagen production while improving the look of firmness, smoothness, radiance and visible signs of aging.
Get now at Sephora
More features of serum:
- Visible Wrinkle Support: Helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles for a smoother, more youthful-looking complexion.
- Firmness & Elasticity Support: Tripeptide-29 helps improve the look of skin firmness and elasticity.
- Collagen Support: Copper peptide helps support skin’s natural collagen for healthier-looking, resilient skin.
- Radiance-Boosting: Helps improve the appearance of dull, tired-looking skin for a more radiant complexion.
- Skin-Smoothing: Helps improve the overall look of skin texture for a smoother, more refined appearance.
- Age-Supporting Formula: Helps maintain the look of healthy skin and address visible signs of aging over time.
- High-Strength Copper Peptide: Contains 1% GHK-Cu, a concentrated copper peptide designed to support the appearance of youthful skin.
- Multi-Skin-Type Formula: Suitable for normal, dry, combination, and oily skin types.
- Blue-Tinted Formula: Its distinctive vivid blue color reflects the high concentration of copper peptide in the formula.
Try Steve Aoki's skincare serum today
More from the NIOD collection at Sephora:
Pro-skincare tip: Use Aoki's go-to:NIOD Copper Amino Isolate Serum (CAIS3 1:1) during the day and Copper Amino Isolate Lipid 1% (CAIL) at night.
- Copper Amino Isolate Lipid 1% (CAIL): A potent nighttime copper peptide gel designed to visibly restore skin volume while boosting hydration, elasticity, and repair. - Get now at Sephora
- Fractionated Eye-Contour Concentrate (FECC): A firming eye serum that targets eight visible signs of aging, including dark circles, wrinkles, and puffiness. - Get now at Sephora
- Superoxide Dismutase 3 Enzyme (SDEM3): A hydrating antioxidant mist that helps defend skin against visible environmental damage while supporting lasting hydration. - Get now at Sephora
- Hydro-Ester Cleaning System (HECS): A nourishing cleansing oil that effortlessly removes makeup and SPF while leaving skin hydrated and comfortable. - Get now at Sephora
- Modulating Glucosides (MG): A soothing serum that quickly reduces visible redness and irritation while strengthening the skin barrier for calmer, more resilient skin. - Get now at Sephora
How to buy Steve Aoki concert tickets
Want to see Steve Aoki live? His touring schedule takes him around the world, so fans can check his upcoming shows and grab tickets to see the DJ and producer in action.
With hundreds of shows each year, Aoki has made touring a long-term part of his career — but he says sustaining that pace comes down to knowing what to prioritize.
“One of the biggest takeaways I think that people can learn from somebody who tours 200-250 shows around the world every year for the last 20 years is you have to subtract the things that are taking away from your physical performance and your mental performance," Aoki says.
Steve Aoki 2026 tour dates
See all available tickets to watch Steve Aoki perform this year.
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For Aoki, that means making his mental and physical health a priority. "Your mental state of mind is one of the most important things you need to stabilize and enrich."
Aoki frequently turns to cold plunges as part of that routine, saying they help reduce inflammation, manage anxiety and improve mental agility."I leave the cold plunge with this kind of like ‘I can tackle anything, anything is possible,'" he says.
That focus on wellness, Aoki says, is ultimately what allows him to keep performing at the pace he does.
"Health has to be the No. 1 thing because if your health isn’t working, you can’t do all that stuff. So I always put health and wellness above all and I think that’s how I’ve been able to sustain this," he added.
Get Steve Aoki concert tickets
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Legendary DJ Steve Aoki says this skincare serum has been a 'game-changer'
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