NAD+ and the Skin: What Cellular Longevity Actually Means
The conversation in skincare is shifting. Away from wrinkles and toward something deeper — the cellular machinery that decides how skin behaves over time.
At the centre of that shift is a molecule called NAD+.
You may have come across it in interviews with longevity researchers, in the protocols of clinics working at the frontier of the field, or increasingly on the back of a serum. What it actually does, and why it matters for skin, is rarely explained in a way that feels grounded.
NAD+ is a coenzyme found in every living cell. It allows cells to make energy, repair themselves when damaged, and continue functioning as a coordinated system. When NAD+ is abundant, cells behave like young cells. When it declines — and it does decline, significantly, with age — they behave like older ones.
What Happens In The Skin
NAD+ does not stay at the same level throughout life. It falls in a pattern that begins in our twenties and accelerates from there. By middle age, cellular NAD+ levels are roughly half what they were in youth. A 2022 review in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery describes the decline as a feature of aging itself.
In skin, three things shift.
Repair slows. The enzymes that fix DNA damage from sun, pollution, and daily stress — PARP1, and the sirtuins SIRT1 and SIRT6 — are NAD+ dependent. Without enough of it, they cannot work efficiently. Damage accumulates.
Cellular energy drops. Mitochondria are the energy producers inside each skin cell, and they rely on NAD+ to function. Less energy means less collagen, less elastin, slower healing.
Inflammation rises. The skin begins to accumulate senescent cells — cells that have stopped doing their job but remain in the tissue, releasing inflammatory signals that affect everything around them. This low-grade chronic inflammation is sometimes called inflammaging. It drives dullness, loss of firmness, and the slow erosion of skin resilience.
The visible version is familiar. Fine lines that linger longer. A jawline that feels softer than it used to. Skin that takes a few days to recover from a late night or a stretch of sun.
The cellular version is what longevity skincare is trying to address.
Working Upstream
For most of skincare history, the focus has been on what aging skin looks like. Wrinkles, pigmentation, laxity — treated at the surface, with real but inherently limited results.
Longevity skincare works upstream. Rather than treating the visible consequences, it supports the cellular processes that determine how skin ages in the first place.
This is where a brand like Young Goose sits. Their formulations are built around NAD+ precursors — molecules that, once delivered into the skin, convert into NAD+ at the cellular level. NAD+ itself is too large and unstable to cross the skin barrier on its own, so Young Goose uses micro-encapsulated, liposomal delivery to carry the precursors into the cell where they can do their work.
The same philosophy runs through the rest of their range. Spermidine to support autophagy, the cell's internal cleaning process. Peptides to stimulate repair. Antioxidants that work in synergy with NAD+-dependent enzymes to reduce inflammation and protect the skin barrier.
This is a young field, and the evidence base for topical NAD+ is still being built. What we know from practice is that the skin responds. It looks more energised. Recovery is quicker. The cumulative effect, over a series of treatments, is real.
The Cellular Ritual
At IRA, the Cellular Ritual is built around this science. Young Goose's professional protocol layered into the broader practice — sculptural massage, lymphatic drainage, fascial release.
Skin does not exist in isolation from the muscle and fascia beneath it. The hands do the structural work. The products do the cellular work. Together, they support the skin's ability to repair, regenerate, and continue functioning well over time.
Not the chase of younger-looking skin. The support of skin that continues to behave well, for as long as possible.
The Cellular Ritual, 60, 75 or 90 minutes. When you're ready.
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A coenzyme found in every cell of the body. It powers cellular energy, supports DNA repair, and regulates the proteins that keep cells functioning well over time. NAD+ levels are highest in youth and decline steadily with age.
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Skin is one of the most metabolically active organs in the body. It constantly repairs UV damage, produces collagen and elastin, and turns over cells. All of this requires NAD+. When levels fall, repair slows, energy drops, and inflammation rises — the cellular reality behind what we see as aging skin.
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NAD+ itself is too large and unstable to cross the skin barrier. Longevity skincare uses NAD+ precursors instead — smaller, stable molecules that convert into NAD+ once inside the cell. Young Goose delivers these through micro-encapsulated, liposomal formulations designed to carry the precursors where they can do their work.
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Anti-ageing skincare treats the surface — wrinkles, pigmentation, laxity. Longevity skincare works upstream, supporting the cellular processes that determine how skin ages in the first place. One addresses the outcome. The other addresses the cause.
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A longevity facial built around Young Goose's professional protocol — adaptogenic cleanse, NAD+-boosting exfoliation, peptide layering, hyperbaric mask, and a final layering can include exosomes and NAD+ serums. It is paired with sculptural massage, lymphatic drainage, and fascial release.
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Anyone wanting to support the long-term health of their skin rather than chase a younger surface. The Cellular Ritual suits skin that is showing early signs of energy loss, slower recovery, or dullness. It is also a strong choice in the lead-up to an event, or as part of an ongoing longevity practice.
Sources: Conlon, N. (2022). The Role of NAD+ in Regenerative Medicine. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. | Gu, Y. et al. Hallmarks of Skin Aging: Update. | Young Goose Science Library.
