As reported in Antioxidants & Redox Signaling, NAD+ deficiency is a common pathology behind a number of diseases as well as aging. In response, efforts to restore NAD+ have been pursued, with notable benefits relevant to skin rejuvenation and health.

According to the article, in its oxidized form, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) targets multiple pathways, including attenuating mitochondrial alterations, DNA damage and oxidative stress by modulating such enzymes as sirtuins, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and AP endonuclease. These activites suggest the therapeutic and nutritional potential of NAD+ for diseases and senescence.

Indeed, commercializing on the potential of this material, Nadia Skin, a subsidiary of Avior Nutritionals, has launched a product line of NAD+ skin care. According to the company, the molecule is capable of maintaining and restoring cellular health. Since NAD+ levels decline with age, especially after the age of 30, increasing its levels would seem a valid approach to improve cellular functioning.

According to Nadia Skin, after NAD+ was administered to two year old mice, the animals' cellular activities resembled those of three month old mice. In humans, intravenous treatment with NAD+ has been used by some specialists to reverse damage caused by alcohol and narcotics use. And for more 10 years, Avior Nutritionals has sourced NAD+ for many of these physicians; during this time, the company reports having consistently received feedback that treatment with NAD+ coincided with improvements in overall health as well as skin's appearance; i.e., improved tone, texture and a reduction in common skin conditions.

Stephen Camp, Nadia Skin founder, noted “We’ve been playing with this molecule for years and we know that it’s a key cornerstone in every cell in our bodies that basically turns nutrients into energy. We started looking externally at how we can provide this base molecule of life in a way that helps somebody not only feel great, but feel great about themselves, and that led us to working with NAD+ in beauty.”

According to Camp, the anti-aging properties of NAD+ are creating a global buzz within the cosmeceutical industry. One C&T magazine advisor agrees: "NAD+ is important in cellular metabolism, and it is finding its way into the cosmetic industry as a method of increasing skin cell energy. The thought is, if you increase the skin energy of an aging skin cell, it will function more like a young skin cell and produce better skin. This is a simplistic explanation, however."

She adds that NAD+ is being used in cosmetic formulations as an anti-aging ingredient. In fact, its predecessor, nicotinamide, is the basis for P&G's Olay Total Effects and Regenerist products.

"I think many companies now use niacin-based ingredients in their formulations," she writes. "[And] since this is a material natural to the body, it is totally safe."