What is nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide: Key takeaways
- NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is a coenzyme found in every cell, essential for cellular energy, DNA repair, and regeneration.
- It plays a central role in skin longevity, helping cells renew, repair damage, and maintain function.
- NAD+ molecule levels decline with age (notably from around age 40 onwards), contributing to reduced firmness, elasticity, and resilience.
- Supporting NAD+ helps optimise cellular performance, improving skin vitality over time rather than just surface appearance.
- Longevity ABSOLUE NAD+ skincare targets these deeper biological processes, helping reinforce the skin’s natural regeneration mechanisms.
What is NAD+?
NAD+ stands for Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide. Behind this scientific name lies a molecule better known as NAD+. It is found in every cell in our body and thus is naturally present in our skin.
Although still relatively unknown to the public, NAD+ plays a key role in cell regeneration. It is an essential element in our metabolism, our cellular regeneration and DNA repair, making it particularly attractive for use in cosmetics.
However, NAD+ levels naturally decline with age. Indeed, from the age of 40, the amount of NAD+ in our cells starts declining, explaining the loss of firmness, suppleness, and volume in the skin. The cells' capacity to renew themselves, fight daily stressors and repair damage declines.
So, while NAD+ molecule levels naturally decline with age, cellular performance and energy efficiency can still be supported through targeted biological care.
What does NAD+ do?
NAD+ is involved in:
- Energy production
- Cellular regeneration
- DNA repair
It supports enzymes that help maintain genomic stability and protect cells from accumulated damage caused by oxidative stress and environmental factors.
These processes are essential for healthy-looking skin. Efficient cellular regeneration helps preserve firmness, suppleness, and skin density, while effective DNA repair contributes to the skin’s resilience over time.
The benefits of NAD+ skincare
Even the best skincare cannot replace natural biological processes, but it can help support them. By targeting key mechanisms involved in cellular longevity, skincare formulas can optimise the skin’s environment and reinforce its ability to regenerate. This is where NAD+ becomes particularly relevant in high-performance longevity skincare.
The top NAD+ benefits include:
- Supporting the skin’s energy systems at the cellular level
- Boosting cell renewal and repair
- Maintaining skin vitality over time
Rather than focusing solely on surface-level signs, this approach addresses longevity at its source: within the cells.
How to increase NAD+ naturally
NAD+ can already be found in supplements, IV drips, and other wellness treatments. Today, it is increasingly found in cosmetics—a logical progression, since this molecule is already present in our skin. What if nature and science joined forces to create products that boost NAD+ naturally?
Discover ABSOLUE, Lancôme’s most luxurious cosmetics collection to date, dedicated to longevity NAD+ skincare. Lancôme Laboratories has developed an innovative ingredient, Absolue Blackbiosis™, capable of significantly boosting the NAD+ molecule by +83%.
From skincare moisturisers to eye creams, including our iconic concentrated elixir serum extract, our NAD+ enriched range helps boost cell renewal and repair while supporting skin longevity over time.
Lancôme’s ABSOLUE Longevity NAD+ skincare
Discover ABSOLUE, Lancome's high-performance longevity line combining science, nature, and skincare, harnessing the powers of the NAD+ molecule to combat the signs of ageing.
Discover Lancome's ABSOLUE range
NAD+ benefits FAQs
What is NAD+?
NAD+ means Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide, a molecule naturally present in every cell of the body, including skin cells. It plays a key role in cellular energy production, regeneration, and DNA repair, which are essential processes for maintaining healthy skin over time.
What is nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide used for?
What is NAD+ used for? It is used by the body to power essential cellular processes, including energy production, DNA repair, and maintaining cellular health. In skincare, it is used to support skin renewal and longevity by enhancing these underlying biological functions.
What does NAD+ do for the body?
NAD+ supports metabolic processes across the body by enabling cells to produce energy efficiently, repair DNA damage, and regulate oxidative stress. These functions are critical for maintaining overall cellular health and slowing functional decline associated with ageing.
How can you increase NAD+ levels naturally?
NAD+ levels can be supported through a healthy lifestyle (balanced diet, exercise, sleep), as well as through supplements, treatments, and increasingly, topical NAD+ skincare like Longevity ABSOLUE, which is formulated to boost NAD+ activity within the skin.
Why is NAD+ important for the skin?
To renew themselves and repair daily damage, skin cells need energy. NAD+ helps cells by fueling their metabolism, repairing DNA and regulating oxidative stress. With normal levels of NAD+, skin looks firmer, more resilient, and more radiant. With age, our NAD+ levels naturally decline, which affects the ability of skin cells to produce energy and repair themselves effectively.
Can skincare really act on cellular regeneration?
It is essential to remember that no skincare can replace natural biological processes. What it can do is help support them. Advanced formulas are designed to optimise the skin's environment and reinforce key mechanisms involved in cellular longevity. By supporting pathways linked to NAD+, skincare can help improve the skin's ability to regenerate: that is the "longevity" effect.
Is NAD+ enriched skincare suitable for all types of skin?
Yes. The NAD+ molecule is naturally present in the skin. Most products containing NAD+ are generally suitable for all skin types, including mature or sensitive skin. Longevity-focused skincare aims to support the skin's fundamental biological functions rather than target a specific concern.
Can skincare really help skin age better?
Yes, absolutely. Skincare cannot reverse ageing. But scientific research has shown that targeted formulas can help preserve skin health over time and boost its vitality. If they are designed to support the skin's biological functions and contain the right ingredients, skincare products can definitely help you age better.
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
On the same topic
Cellular Regeneration: How Long Does it Take for Skin to Regenerate?
What is NAD+ and What Does NAD+ Do?
