We’ve recently heard many consumer anecdotes claiming extraordinary skin improvements after supplementing with oral vitamin Nicotinamide Riboside “NR” (FAQs) (Reviews). And, since fellow B3 vitamin Niacinamide/Nicotinamide has long been a staple of prominent skin creams, our remarkable Nicotinamide Riboside “NR” consumer anecdotes might not be terribly surprising. We’ll, of course, have to wait for the results of human trials for an answer. In the meantime, a new NR skin cream was recently introduced by a South Korean company. How does that NR skin cream compare to Niacinamide/Nicotinamide creams?

First, let’s review what we know about Niacinamide/Nicotinamide skin creams.

From Wikipedia:

“As a cream, it (Niacinamide/Nicotinamide) is used to treat acne, and has been observed in clinical studies to improve the appearance of aging skin by reducing hyperpigmentation and redness”

From WebMD:

“Research on the benefits of Niacinamide to your skin is still in its early stages, but topical Niacinamide contains properties that help treat some skin conditions like acne and eczema. This is because it works by helping the skin build proteins and lock in moisture to prevent the damaging effects of external factors.

The components of Niacinamide are restorative. They help restore cellular energy of the skin’s cells and repair damaged DNA.

The nutrient also reduces the immunosuppressive effects of the sun’s UV rays, fighting off external and internal stressors that contribute to the degeneration of your skin and are a cause premature aging.”

What skin creams contain Niacinamide/Nicotinamide? Here’s one of many:

How does cosmetics giant Lancome position its Niacinamide/Nicotinamide skin cream?

“If your skin texture is a concern, Niacinamide is an ingredient worth exploring. Niacinamide has been shown to improve the look of skin texture, and products containing Niacinamide have been shown to provide anti-aging benefits. In addition to improving the look and appearance of skin texture, Niacinamide may improve skin barrier function. Niacinamide hydrates the skin by improving the skin’s barrier functions. By improving the skin’s barrier function, Niacinamide helps to increase skin’s resistance against environmental aggressors and topical products”

NEW ENTRANT: A skin cream containing fellow NAD+ boosting B3 vitamin Nicotinamide Riboside (NR)

While we await results of human clinical trials, there’s some evidence suggesting that an NR skin cream could be as effective, if not more effective than Niacinamide/Nicotinamide skin creams.

As mentioned, we’ve received 10 anecdotes claiming extraordinary skin improvements from consumers of oral supplement NR.

And, now there’s this new NR skin cream from South Korea’s Ayucell.

Ayucell’s Chief Scientific Advisor? Dr. Charles Brenner (FAQs).

You’ll remember that Dr. Brenner discovered the vitamin activity of NR back in 2004. He’s also the chief scientific advisor to oral NR supplement seller Chromadex.

What has Dr. Brenner said about this new NR skin product?

Dr. Brenner on a recent pod discussing the NR skin product:

“And, then, I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell you that NR has now been formulated topically.

So, there’s a startup in Seoul, South Korea called Juvenis (parent of Ayucell), and I’m the chief advisor of that company as well.

They buy the Niagen from Chromadex, and figured out how to formulate it into a serum and a moisturizer.

And, now it’s going on topically.

There are clinical investigations of that in 4 and 8 week time points in a Korean population that showed an improvement in skin elasticity.

So, there’s a device that they use in these trials where they pinched the skin and they looked at its elasticity — its ability to come back.

And it had tremendous activity — like 25% improvement

…So, NR looks like it goes into cells.

Nicotinamide has been in a lot of skin care products for a long time.

And so, Nicotinamide Riboside (NR), being the biggest piece of NAD that goes in (to cells), looks like it has added value, topically”

And here’s Dr. Brenner at a Longevity Conference last year in Shanghai (@ 26:50 mark):

“There’s also topical interest in Nicotinamide Riboside in the skin.

In fact, I’m going to Seoul, South Korea tomorrow morning, and we have a product in which NR is actually topically available to skin.

And it works”

According to the Ayucell website:

  • Quite simply, your cells need energy to survive and help us do all the daily actions we strive to complete. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, NAD+,  is a coenzyme that plays a critical role in cellular energy and repair throughout your 37 trillion cells.
  • Unfortunately, NAD+ supply decreases with age. As you may have guessed, less NAD+ means potentially less cellular energy, and your youthfulness  and vitality fades.
  • In 2004 Dr. Charles Brenner discovered a micronutrient called nicotinamide riboside (NR) occurred naturally in milk and could boost NAD+ levels.
  • Nicotinamide Riboside is highly capable of synthesizing collagen while inhibiting protein that degrade collagen. NR activates 72% pro-collage type-1 secretion and inhibits 62% of MMP-1.
  • NR has high anti-oxidant power: Antioxidants help protect cells from damage and aging. Lab experiments have demonstrated nicotinamide riboside’s ability to increase antioxidant capacity by approximately 88%.
  • Imagine witnessing a skin improvement of 27% in firmness and 23.7% in resilience in just 8 weeks of usage – a testament to our commitment to real results.
  • NR is unstable and difficult to manage. Huge sums of money have been spent by major companies trying to incorporate NR into skincare, so that the benefits of NAD+ could extend to the skin, but without success.
  • Brilliant scientists associated with Ayucell have found a way to stabilize NR for topical application. This solution now provides Ayucell with a proprietary means of creating innovative products

From an Ayucell Instagram post last week:

Related:

  • 10 Consumers Explain the Skin Benefits They Experienced from Supplement Nicotinamide Riboside (NR) (Link)
  • Are Claims of Skin Benefits from Taking Nicotinamide Riboside (NR) Evidence-Based?  (Link)
  • NAD+ boosting supplement NR (Consumer Reviews)

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