NAD+: The Liposomal Powerhouse Behind Recharge Concentrate
What It Is, How It's Delivered, and Why the Formulation Matters as Much as the Ingredient
What Is NAD+?
Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide — NAD+ for short — is a coenzyme found in every cell in your body. It’s essential to how your cells produce energy, repair DNA, and regulate the enzymes responsible for slowing down cellular aging.
Like GHK-Cu, NAD+ is something your body makes on its own — but production declines steadily with age. As NAD+ levels drop, so does your cells’ ability to repair themselves and stay resilient against everyday stressors like UV exposure and environmental damage.
That decline shows up in the skin as reduced firmness, slower repair, and a duller, more fatigued appearance over time.
Why Delivery Matters: The Liposomal Difference
Here’s the challenge with NAD+ in skincare: on its own, it struggles to penetrate skin effectively and breaks down quickly once applied. This is one of the most well-documented limitations of NAD+ as a topical ingredient.
That’s why Recharge Concentrate doesn’t use plain NAD+. It’s formulated using a liposomal delivery system — meaning the NAD+ is encapsulated in a lipid layer (built from phosphatidylcholine, hydrogenated lecithin, and cholesterol) that protects it and helps it move deeper into skin.
This isn’t a marketing detail. It’s the difference between an ingredient that mostly sits on the surface and one that actually reaches the cells that need it..
What Does the Research Show?
A 2025 study published in Current Issues in Molecular Biology directly compared a liposomal NAD+ formulation (LF-NAD+) to plain NAD+ in human skin cells and human skin tissue.
Skin penetration: Using infrared spectroscopy on human skin explants, researchers found that liposomal NAD+ penetrated skin 30% more effectively than NAD+ applied alone.
Liposomal Delivery Makes the Difference
Figure 1: Liposomal NAD+ penetrated skin 30% more effectively than NAD+ alone, based on infrared spectroscopy testing on human skin explants.
Cell survival: In endothelial cells — the cells that support skin’s microcirculation and nutrient supply — liposomal NAD+ improved cell survival by 19.3% compared to untreated cells, and 4.3% compared to plain NAD+.
Cellular aging markers: Liposomal NAD+ reduced the number of senescent (aged, non-functioning) cells by 28.7% in endothelial cells and 15.4% in skin cells, compared to plain NAD+ alone.
Protecting Cells From Aging
Figure 2: Liposomal NAD+ reduced senescent (aged, non-functioning) cells by 28.7% in endothelial cells and 15.4% in skin cells compared to NAD+ alone, based on lab testing in human cell cultures.
Researchers also found that liposomal NAD+ reduced expression of p16 and p21 — two proteins associated with cell aging and senescence — providing a possible explanation for these effects.
It’s worth noting this research was conducted in laboratory cell cultures and human donor skin tissue (ex vivo), not in a clinical trial on living participants. The findings are early but meaningful — they help explain the mechanism behind what liposomal NAD+ formulations may offer, and further human studies are still needed to confirm real-world skin outcomes.
Why We Paired NAD+ with Niacinamide and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Recharge Concentrate doesn’t rely on NAD+ alone. It’s paired with:
Niacinamide — a precursor your body can convert into NAD+, plus its own independently well-documented benefits for skin tone, texture, and barrier support.
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 — a peptide that supports the skin’s structural proteins, working alongside NAD+ to support firmness and resilience.
Together with supporting ingredients like squalane, panthenol, and sodium hyaluronate, the formula is built to support both cellular energy and visible skin barrier health.
What to Expect
Recharge Concentrate is designed for consistent, gentle daily use. As with any peptide or coenzyme-based skincare, meaningful changes take time — expect to give it 8 to 12 weeks of regular use before evaluating results.
The Takeaway
NAD+ is one of the most fundamental molecules to how your cells function — but its effectiveness in skincare depends heavily on how it’s delivered. Recharge Concentrate uses a liposomal delivery system backed by published research showing improved penetration and cellular benefit over standard NAD+ alone.
Next in the series: Matrixyl + Argireline, the duo behind Restore Concentrate.
References
- Ministrini, S., Liberale, L., Erle, H.-E., et al. (2025). A Liposomal Formulation Enhances the Anti-Senescence Properties of Nicotinamide Adenine-Dinucleotide (NAD+) in Endothelial Cells and Keratinocytes. Current Issues in Molecular Biology, 47, 722. DOI: 10.3390/cimb47090722
