Searches for NAD+ are rising rapidly as more becomes known about this longevity-boosting molecule. Editor-in-Chief Katy Sunnassee talks to the experts to find out how NAD+ can rejuvenate cells from the inside, and how exciting skincare developments are boosting NAD+ production from the outside.
Words: Katy Sunnassee. Images: shutterstock.
Women in midlife are reinventing what the term “midlife” even means, proving there are multiple ways to step into our future selves – we want the energised, idea-generating, more empowered parts of it thanks very much!
But just as many of us reach this place of greater acceptance with increased confidence and want to reinvent, we’re often met with declining health on the inside and rapidly wrinkling skin on the outside, which can reduce some of that new-found vitality and zest for seizing the day.
Over time, our body’s cells lose their ability to function as well as they have done when we’re younger, leading to an accumulation of damage and, ultimately, ageing.
‘There are lots of biological processes that contribute to ageing and age-related diseases, all of which are interconnected and influence each other,’ says molecular biologist and cellular ageing expert Dr Nichola Conlon.
Right inside your cells are the mitochondria, also known as the powerhouses of each cell. These become less efficient with age, resulting in increased production of “reactive oxygen species” (ROS), which is oxidative stress.
If you compared it to a car, it would be like the bodywork going rusty through oxidisation. Stem cells, which create new tissues and organs, can also become exhausted over time, which diminishes their ability to regenerate and repair.
DNA damage can contribute to this exhaustion. ‘How your cells communicate with each other is also crucial, and this can be disrupted with age, leading to impaired tissue repair, increased inflammation, and changes in the immune system,’ says Dr Conlon, who adds that extracellular vesicles (tiny particles for cell communication) from stem cells are now being studied for their potential in rejuvenating aged skin and healing damaged hearts.
Cosmetic procedures or less-invasive “tweakments” are one such route for maintaining our looks, but what else can be done naturally that doesn’t involve going under the knife?
Enter NAD+, which is a longevity-boosting molecule that’s the latest buzzword in the worlds of biohacking and beauty. NAD+, or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide to give it its full name, is a co-enzyme found in all living cells. It plays a crucial role in cellular metabolism, energy production, and various other biological processes, supporting almost 500 enzymatic reactions that are especially related to energy metabolism.
It also plays an important role in the skin’s natural repair cycle. Cells need high levels of NAD+ but as you get older, levels drop by around 50 per cent every 20 years. Reduced levels lead to reduction in physical and mental energy and slower recovery. Replenishing NAD+ is therefore vital for healthy cells both inside and out.
‘Evidence suggests that restoring NAD+ in perimenopausal and menopausal women may be of particular importance for protecting cellular health during this life transition, helping relieve physical symptoms of poor cellular energy production, such as tiredness and fatigue,’ says Dr Conlon, who believes so much in the power of NAD+ that she created her own supplement designed to boost your body’s own levels.
‘Nuchido TIME+ is an NAD+ activator that switches your body’s natural NAD+ production back on. The formulation contains the highest quality ingredients in a format your cells can utilise, and has been proven in human clinical trials to boost NAD+ and reverse clinical ageing,’ says Dr Conlon.
The patented formula is based on the latest NAD+ research and contains a special sprout extract to boost skin’s own NAD+. ‘Supplements containing only NAD+ precursor ingredients, i.e. nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), don’t address the root cause of NAD+ decline, whereas this supplement uses a unique whole-systems approach that does,’ she adds.
Another doctor hot on the heels of the NAD+ trend is Dr Shahzadi Harper, founder of The Harper Clinic in London (theharperclinic.com) where they offer NAD+ in the form of auto-inject pens.
These pens can be used as standalone treatments or as part of a comprehensive hormone replacement therapy (HRT) regimen. ‘Both NAD+ and NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide) are interrelated compounds essential for cellular metabolism; their levels naturally decline with age and can significantly impact menopause symptoms and skin ageing.
As NAD+ plays a pivotal role in energy production and cellular repair, its supplementation increasingly supports women in midlife and beyond,’ says Dr Harper.
Beauty boosters
But while NAD+ and its precursor NMN are available in supplement or injectable formats, so far, there has not been a way to make them bioavailable in a topical product.
‘While it may seem logical to simply add NAD+ to skincare, the reality is that NAD+ is a large molecule, so it would not penetrate the skin effectively and get to where it needs to work. The solution is to use precursors in formulations that can provide the raw materials needed to make NAD+ in the skin,’ says Tracey Cairns, director of education for the world’s first clinical skincare brand, Murad.
‘Topical application of these precursors can help improve skin elasticity, enhance barrier function, reduce pigmentation and inflammation, and accelerate wound healing, so we can give the skin what it needs to increase its own NAD+ to support cellular health. One such precursor is niacinamide,’ adds Tracey.
Other cutting-edge beauty companies are also bringing out game-changing formulas that help skin produce more of its own NAD+. One such new product is Cell Shock 360° Collagen Night Concentrate from science-based beauty brand Swissline.
The lightweight serum contains the trademarked RejuveNAD, made from a lab-cultured sunflower sprout extract that has been shown to boost NAD+ levels, energise mitochondria and promote DNA repair. It was only developed late in 2023 and, so far, has only been incorporated into a few skincare products worldwide.
‘Since neither NAD+ nor its precursor NMN can be made bioavailable topically, we’ve added the active RejuveNAD to our latest product, which has been shown to increase NAD+ produced by the skin and has also demonstrated a lifting effect and progressive fading of age spots,’ says Custódio d’Avó, global brand director for Swissline.
Another brand at the forefront of what’s being called “epigenetic skincare” is Skin Diligent, the French skincare experts whose strapline is: “The skin you’ll have tomorrow begins with the choices you make today.” Their super-clean formulas are rooted in science and epigenetics, all designed to help your skin defend itself better, slow down ageing and preserve its youthfulness over the long term.
What’s more, the brand is the first in the world to test all its formulas for any oestrogenic endocrine disruptors, i.e. any ingredients that may disrupt hormones, setting a new standard for efficacy and safety.
Your NAD+ boosters
Discover the latest skincare and supplements designed to rejuvenate your cells and keep them healthy for longer.
Nuchido TIME+ (£65 per tub, nuchido.com)
This scientifically proven supplement helps your body ramp up its own production of NAD+, which, says its founder Dr Conlon, is more effective than taking actual NAD+ supplements, or having IV infusions.
‘Supplements containing only NAD+ precursor ingredients do not address the root cause of NAD+ decline, whereas Nuchido TIME+ uses a unique whole-systems approach that does,’ says Dr Conlon. The supplement contains green tea leaf and parsley extracts, nicotinamide, Sophora japonica, and alpha lipoic acid.
New Murad Retinal Resculpt Overnight Cream (£98, murad.co.uk)
This contains encapsulated retinal and two NAD+ precursors – sunflower sprout extract and niacinamide – to help tighten loose skin, smooth marionette lines and revolumise facial contours.
Next-gen encapsulated retinal delivers vitamin A two-and-a-half times more effectively than free retinal, while alfafa and olive extracts kick-start nighttime hydration.
Swissline Cell Shock 360° Collagen Night Concentrate (£249, swissline-cosmetics.com)
Containing an award-winning ingredient that harnesses the NAD+ pathway, this helps repair DNA and supports skin longevity. It’s also enriched with mimetic growth factors, lipids, cholesterol, natural moisturising factors (NMF), and marine collagen to nourish dry, mature skin while lifting, plumping, reducing dark spots and more.
Find Swissline facials, including the signature collagen-boosting Le Grand Soin Au Collagène Pur (£305), at Talise Spa in the Jumeirah Carlton Tower Hotel, London.
2 more to try…
While not NAD+ boosters, we love these epigenetic skincare heroes that work on a cellular level to slow ageing…
Skin Diligent Cel Retinal Serum (£70, skindiligent.com)
New from clean beauty brand Skin Diligent, this serum contains slow-release encapsulated retinal and a new patented Cellular Epigenetic Longevity complex to target 10 fundamental mechanisms of ageing.
It supercharges collagen by inhibiting collagenase (the enzymes that damage the collagen), boosts production of types I and III collagen, and boosts production of pro-collagen.
The Skin Diary Age Defence Moisturising Day Cream (£92, theskindiary.com)
This new SPF50 day cream helps prevent cellular senescence (when cells can no longer divide) and slows the breakdown of collagen and fibrillin.
It contains two DNA repair enzymes: UV endonuclease, which scans DNA for errors caused by UV damage and then fixes them; plus photolyase, a light-activated DNA repair enzyme that finds abnormalities in DNA shapes and repairs them.
