NAD for Skin: What’s Actually Happening Inside Your Cells

Why NAD for Skin Is Getting So Much Attention

If you’ve spent any time researching skincare ingredients lately, you’ve probably come across NAD+. So, what’s behind the buzz? 

Most skincare products work on the surface of your skin. They hydrate, exfoliate, protect, or deliver active ingredients to the outer layers of the skin. NAD+, on the other hand, is a coenzyme that exists inside every cell of your body, and it plays a role in how those cells produce energy and repair themselves. 

When it comes to your skin, your skin cells are constantly regenerating, building proteins (such as collagen), fighting off environmental damage, and maintaining the barrier that keeps moisture in and irritants out. All of that takes energy.

So when researchers began investigating whether declining NAD+ levels could play a role in skin aging, people took notice. Instead of focusing only on what’s happening on your skin, the conversation shifted to what’s happening inside your skin cells and whether there’s a way to support it.

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How NAD+ Actually Works Inside Your Skin Cells

NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is a coenzyme, and one of its primary jobs is helping your mitochondria, often called the powerhouses of your cells, convert nutrients into usable energy in the form of ATP. Your skin cells rely on this energy to carry out virtually everything they do, including producing new cells and synthesizing structural proteins.

But NAD+ doesn't stop at energy production. It also activates a family of enzymes called sirtuins, particularly SIRT1 and SIRT6, which are involved in DNA repair, regulation of inflammation, and cellular maintenance. When NAD+ levels are sufficient, these enzymes can do their jobs effectively. When levels drop, this maintenance may slow down.

NAD+ also fuels another group of enzymes called PARPs (poly ADP-ribose polymerases), which respond to DNA damage. When your skin is exposed to UV radiation, for example, research shows that PARPs consume NAD+ as they work to repair the damage. This is a necessary process, but it also means that repeated UV exposure may drain your skin cells’ NAD+ reserves over time.

In short, NAD+ sits at the center of several critical processes your skin depends on, including energy production, DNA repair, and cellular maintenance. 

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NAD+ Benefits for Skin: What the Research Says So Far

The science around NAD+ and skin health is still developing, but early findings are encouraging. Here’s what researchers have been exploring.

• Cellular repair and DNA damage response: NAD+ is required for the activity of the enzymes (PARPs and sirtuins) responsible for repairing DNA damage caused by UV exposure and environmental stressors. Research suggests that when NAD+ production is impaired, skin cells may lose their ability to recover from UV damage. Supplementing with NAD+ precursors, such as NMN, has been shown to restore this recovery capacity in cell models, though more human studies are needed.
• Collagen and elastin support: The sirtuins activated by NAD+, particularly SIRT1 and SIRT6, appear to play a role in collagen metabolism. One study found that silencing SIRT6 in human dermal fibroblasts reduced collagen type I expression and increased MMP-1, an enzyme that breaks down collagen. SIRT1 has also been shown to downregulate MMPs in skin fibroblasts. As NAD+ declines with age, changes in fibroblast activity have been observed in laboratory models, though clinical implications in humans remain under investigation.
• Protection against oxidative stress: Oxidative stress happens when your body can't neutralize free radicals fast enough. NAD+-dependent sirtuins have been associated in laboratory studies with cellular responses to UV-induced oxidative stress, including mitochondrial and stress-response pathways.

It’s worth noting that much of this research is still in early stages, with many studies conducted in cell cultures or animal models. Clinical research in humans is growing but remains inconclusive. 

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What Can Impact Your Skin’s NAD+ Levels?

Simply put, your body doesn’t maintain the same NAD+ levels throughout your life. Research suggests that NAD+ concentrations may decrease significantly over the course of adulthood, and several factors can accelerate that decline.

• Age: As you get older, your body produces less NAD+ while also breaking it down faster. One key driver of this is an enzyme called CD38, which becomes more active with age and degrades NAD+ in your tissues.
• UV exposure: When your skin absorbs UV radiation, PARPs kick into gear to repair the resulting DNA damage, using up NAD+ in the process. Repeated or prolonged sun exposure may deplete your skin’s NAD+ reserves.
• Chronic, low-grade inflammation: Inflammatory processes activate CD38 and increase NAD+ consumption. Ongoing inflammation from stress, poor sleep, diet, or environmental pollutants may compound the issue over time.
• Diet and lifestyle: Diets high in processed foods and sugar can create metabolic stress that may reduce your NAD+ levels. However, regular physical activity has been shown to support NAD+ production through the salvage pathway.

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How NAD for Skin Compares to Other Skincare Ingredients

So, how does NAD+ stack up against ingredients you’re already using, such as retinol, vitamin C, or hyaluronic acid? 

The short answer is that NAD+ works on a fundamentally different level. Most skincare ingredients target specific surface-level concerns. For example, retinol promotes cell turnover in the outer layers of your skin. Vitamin C provides antioxidant protection. And hyaluronic acid attracts and holds moisture. These are all effective and well-studied ingredients.

NAD+, on the other hand, is involved in underlying cellular processes that contribute to normal cell function. This is why many researchers and dermatologists view NAD+ as complementary to traditional skincare, not a replacement for it.

Niacinamide (vitamin B3) is also worth mentioning here because it’s both a popular skincare ingredient and an NAD+ precursor. When applied topically, niacinamide is small enough to penetrate the skin and may support your cells’ natural NAD+ production.

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Final Thoughts

Whether you’re exploring topical precursors like niacinamide, considering supplements, or simply curious about what’s happening beneath the surface of your skin, NAD+ is a molecule involved in cellular energy and repair processes that researchers continue to study in the context of skin health.

However, depending on your situation, it may be beneficial to first discuss your specific circumstances with a licensed healthcare provider or dermatologist. Results aren’t guaranteed, and responses may vary from person to person.