NAD Benefits for Skin

NAD or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide is a coenzyme found in all living cells and is used to support a wide range of biological functions, from allowing cells to produce ATP for energy to its maintenance and repair.

As we age, NAD levels naturally decline, but supplementation may help support cellular health and, in turn, support our healthspan.

Oral NAD supplements are popular in the longevity science space as a way to support our building blocks of health (our cells) for a healthy aging process. While the effects of cellular function might seem small, many people have found that consistent use has led to impacts on their energy levels, recovery, and even their appearance.

NAD Benefits for Skin Health

NAD+ itself isn't commonly found in skincare products yet. Why? Because it's a large molecule that likely can't get deep enough into the skin when applied on its own. This is why careful formulation is needed to really help make this compound do its job.

Instead, the most common and well-studied ingredient used in skincare is niacinamide (also called nicotinamide). It’s a form of vitamin B3 and a precursor to NAD+, meaning your body can use it to help make more NAD+ to improve the skin’s barrier, reduce redness, and even out skin tone.

Scientists are learning that NAD+ is important for healthy skin, especially as we age. Here's what we could find on NAD+'s potential for healthy skin, as seen in lab studies. Keep in mind, NAD+ doesn't necessarily have to be applied topically to see the benefits:

• Support DNA repair: Your skin is exposed to sunlight and pollution every day. This can damage your DNA. NAD+ helps power enzymes like PARP1 and SIRT1, which fix this damage [1].

• Reduces old, damaged cells: When NAD+ levels get too low, skin cells can enter a state called senescence, where they stop working properly. These "sleepy" cells don’t make important things like collagen or help repair damage. Raising NAD+ may help reduce the number of "sleepy" cells and support new cell growth [1].

• Support skin barrier function: The skin barrier serves as a protective shield. It helps to lock moisture in and keep bacteria and other contaminants out. Skin cells naturally replace themselves, and NAD+ helps this process occur smoothly, allowing the barrier to remain fresh and intact [1].

NAD Supplements for Skin Care

As we've mentioned earlier, it's really tricky to formulate with NAD topically as the molecule is too large to penetrate the skin barrier, and you don't have to apply NAD directly onto the skin to reap its potential skincare benefits. 

NAD+ IV therapy is popular, but it's not as accessible as oral supplements, as it can get quite expensive and time-intensive. The most convenient way to get a steady source of NAD+ is to take NAD supplements either directly or as precursors.

Here are some of the best NAD supplements in terms of price and quality you can try out for yourself.

1. NAD+ Capsules by Neurogan Health: Pure liposomal NAD+ in precise, premeasured capsules for convenient and consistent dosing to support your NAD+ pool.

   

2. NAD+ Resveratrol Capsules by Neurogan Health: Combines NAD+ with trans-resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant compound that supports skin health for synergistic benefits of healthy aging.

   

3. Liposomal NAD+ Liquid Drops by Neurogan Health: Not a big fan of pills? No problem. Liquid NAD+ drops offer flexibility in dosage, allowing you to take the compound mixed into your favorite drinks or directly under the tongue.

Do NMN or NR Offer Skin Health Benefits?

NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide) and NR (nicotinamide riboside) are like niacinamide — they eventually turn into NAD+ in the body. 

While NMN and NR aren't quite as popular in skincare formulations as niacinamide due to their larger molecule size, they're incredibly popular oral supplements that have been shown to support NAD+ replenishment [2, 3].

Because all these compounds help with NAD+ levels, they have the same benefits for cellular health and are a staple for many anti-aging supplement protocols.

Areas of Ongoing Research on NAD+ and Skin Health Conditions

Researchers believe that NAD+ and its precursors are worth investigating for skin disorders and cancer due to their potential to influence processes related to inflammation, cellular energy, and DNA stability.

That being said, NAD+ boosters are not currently used to treat or cure any health condition at this moment. NAD+ is categorized as a dietary supplement, and as such, we should be cautious about interpreting preclinical studies — just because it has impressive results in Petri dishes and animal studies doesn't mean that the compound will respond the same in humans.

We still wanted to highlight the current scientific findings on conditions, taking a closer look at potential mechanisms and safety considerations.

Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that causes pink, red, or purple dry, flaky patches with white scales. 

A 2024 study found that using NMN to supplement NAD resulted in improvements in imiquimod-induced psoriatic skin lesions in mice. The benefit may be linked to the activation of SIRT1, a protein that helps reduce inflammation [4].

There was a small trial in humans that suggested benefits of topical NAD+ in 37 psoriasis patients. 

The participants used a cream containing oxidized NAD+ (0.3% or 1%) applied twice daily to the affected areas for 4 weeks and found similar improvements in redness, thickness, and scaling to those achieved with the standard 0.1% anthralin treatment [5]. 

The tricky thing about using the NAD+ ointment was its stability. It needed refrigeration to maintain its potency, but the compound itself was found to be safe and well-tolerated.

Cancer

The body needs a healthy supply of NAD+ for cells to perform normal DNA repair and maintain genomic stability. When NAD+ levels get too low, DNA damage can build up, which can lead to harmful changes in cells.

In one mouse study, giving nicotinamide riboside to support NAD+ levels helped to prevent DNA damage and reduced the risk of liver cancer [6]. The study suggested that NAD+ repletion might suppress the early formation of tumors by supporting cell metabolic processes.

On the other hand, it was observed that once the cancer is established, tumor cells can become "addicted" to NAD to fuel their rapid growth and to cope with stress [7]. In theory, boosting NAD+ could speed up cancer progression — it's still an area of research that requires much more investigation.

Skin Cancer

Non-melanoma skin cancers like basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma are commonly caused by too much sun exposure over time. UV rays damage DNA in skin cells, and NAD+ could play an important role in helping to fix that damage.

When the skin tries to repair itself, it uses a lot of NAD+ and energy. Nicotinamide (B3) has been used in lab studies to boost NAD+ and was found to enhance DNA repair in UV-irradiated cells [8]. It likely works by keeping cells energized, thereby maintaining the immune system's activity, and by reducing inflammation that can weaken the body's defenses.

One of the biggest breakthroughs in skin cancer prevention came from the 2015 ONTRAC trial. It tested 500 mg of oral nicotinamide twice daily in people at high risk for skin cancer. After 12 months, those taking nicotinamide had 23% fewer non-melanoma skin cancers compared to those taking the placebo [9].

Even still, nicotinamide isn't considered a treatment for an established skin cancer, and the study only demonstrated that it helped to prevent additional lesions. It's not considered a treatment, and people should not self-treat cancer or use it as a substitute for proper sun protection.

Acne

Acne, also known as acne vulgaris, is an inflammatory disorder of the pilosebaceous units, characterized by excess oil production, clogged pores, and bacterial colonization, leading to inflammation.

Nicotinamide is the most commonly studied form of B3 for acne management. It's been found to have anti-inflammatory, sebostatic, and antimicrobial properties. As a precursor to NAD+, nicotinamide may influence several cellular processes in the skin. When nicotinamide is applied topically, it has been shown to reduce sebum production [10].

The advantages of nicotinamide for skincare are that it's fairly well-tolerated and inexpensive. While it’s been studied for a variety of skin concerns — including redness, pigmentation, and skin barrier support— we couldn’t find any studies specifically on NAD+ for acne.

Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD) in Skin Care

NAD is a crucial coenzyme needed for virtually all cellular processes, including energy production, repair, and cellular function. As we get older, it's natural for our NAD+ pools to decline, which can affect everything from how we feel to how our skin and body age.

NAD is still being studied for various health applications, and supplements that support our NAD reserves, such as nicotinamide, NMN, and NR, show considerable potential in supporting healthy aging from the inside and out.

NAD formulations aren't quite there yet for anti-aging skin care, because it's quite difficult to work with. It's not very stable and has difficulty crossing through the skin barrier. However, as technology advances and more research is developed, we'd love to see NAD products emerge for skin aging.

Resources:

1. Conlon, N. J. (2022). The role of NAD+ in regenerative medicine. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 150, 41S-48S.

2. Nadeeshani, H., Li, J., Ying, T., Zhang, B., & Lu, J. (2022). Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) as an anti-aging health product–promises and safety concerns. Journal of advanced research, 37, 267-278.

3. Mehmel, M., Jovanović, N., & Spitz, U. (2020). Nicotinamide riboside—the current state of research and therapeutic uses. Nutrients, 12(6), 1616.

4. Zhang, Z., Cheng, B., Du, W., Zeng, M., He, K., Yin, T., ... & Zheng, Y. (2024). The Role of Nicotinamide Mononucleotide Supplementation in Psoriasis Treatment. Antioxidants, 13(2), 186.

5. Wozniacka, A., Szajerski, P., Adamus, J., Gebicki, J., & Sysa-Jedrzejowska, A. (2006). In search for new antipsoriatic agents: NAD+ topical composition. Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 20(1), 37-42.

6. Pang, N., Hu, Q., Zhou, Y., Xiao, Y., Li, W., Ding, Y., ... & Yang, L. (2023). Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide precursor suppresses hepatocellular cancer progression in mice. Nutrients, 15(6), 1447.

7. Chowdhry, S., Zanca, C., Rajkumar, U., Koga, T., Diao, Y., Raviram, R., ... & Mischel, P. S. (2019). NAD metabolic dependency in cancer is shaped by gene amplification and enhancer remodelling. Nature, 569(7757), 570-575.

8. Surjana, D., Halliday, G. M., & Damian, D. L. (2010). Role of nicotinamide in DNA damage, mutagenesis, and DNA repair. Journal of nucleic acids, 2010(1), 157591.

9. Starr, P. (2015). Oral nicotinamide prevents common skin cancers in high-risk patients, reduces costs. American Health & Drug Benefits, 8(Spec Issue), 13.

10. Draelos, Z. D., Matsubara, A., & Smiles, K. (2006). The effect of 2% niacinamide on facial sebum production. Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 8(2), 96-101.