Nicotinamide Mononucleotide

Nicotinamide Mononucleotide, or NMN, is a nucleotide derived from niacin and a precursor to NAD+.

NAD+ is a coenzyme that is used for cellular energy production, DNA repair, and signaling protein activation. These all slow down as we age and as NAD+ levels decline.

In lab and animal studies, NMN has demonstrated:

• Reduced melanin production in aged melanocytes (but no effect on young ones).
• Reduced wrinkle formation, improved hydration, preserved collagen density, and restored transepidermal water loss to near-normal levels in a mouse photoaging model.
• Topical NMN in a yeast-filtrate enhanced collagen Type I production in fibroblasts.

This ingredient also breaks down into niacinamide even as it degrades.

There are two major caveats to this ingredient:

1) It is not stable and degrades quickly in water-based formulations.
2) Most of the skin data is still prelinical (cell and animal studies) and human clinical trials are still limited.