Podcast Summary

Title: This is Why Your NAD+ Routine Isn’t Reaching Your Skin + The Fix

Podcast: Biohacking Beauty: The Anti-Aging Skincare Podcast
Host: Amitay Eshel, CEO & Co-founder of Young Goose Skincare
Co-host: Anastasia Hojaeva, Co-founder
Release Date: August 27, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode dives into why most NAD+ boosting routines—such as IVs and oral supplements—often fail to effectively improve skin health and how you can fix this gap in your anti-aging strategy. Amitay and Anastasia break down the science behind NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide), its crucial role in skin vitality and cellular energy, and why topical delivery is the missing puzzle piece for visible skin rejuvenation. The conversation is packed with practical tips, biohacks, supplement strategies, myth-busting, and a peek at innovation in NAD+ skincare.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Core Problem: Cellular Energy Decline & Skin Aging

• When does NAD+ start to drop?
  Around your late 20s to early 30s, NAD+ levels begin dropping, and by midlife, about 50% is lost. This reduction leads to sluggish skin regeneration, increased fine lines, pigmentation, and slower healing—even when using quality products.

  "By midlife, you're likely lost around 50% of those NAD reservoir. So this means your skin's mitochondria can't generate enough ATP to support regeneration and repair." — Anastasia, [04:29]

• Oxidative stress & senescent cells:
  Environmental exposures (UV, pollution, EMF, heavy metals) speed up oxidative stress, leading to DNA damage, collagen breakdown, and "zombie" cells that fuel aging.

  "Things like UV radiation, pollution, heavy metals—even non-native EMFs—they all accelerate oxidative stress." — Amitay, [04:53]

• Mainstream focus on antioxidants is incomplete:
  While antioxidants offer some protection, they can't fix the deeper NAD+ depletion driving aging unless NAD+ itself is addressed.

  "Without addressing the underlying NAD depletion issue, the results of combating oxidative threats are extremely limited." — Amitay, [07:39]

2. Understanding NAD+ and Its Essential Roles for Skin

• NAD+ is like "energy currency" for skin cells:
  It supports over 400 enzymatic reactions, including ATP production, DNA repair, controlling inflammation, maintaining hydration and pigmentation, and activating "longevity enzymes" like PARPs and sirtuins.

  "NAD is the currency for repair or the energy system in your cells. And as far as what we are talking about today is the skin cells." — Amitay, [12:34]

• Symptoms of NAD+ depletion:
  Poor collagen production, dryness, pigmentation, inflammation, less skin elasticity, and slower healing.

• You die without NAD+ in 10 seconds (for dramatic effect):

  "If you don't have NAD plus in your body, you die in 10 seconds." — Anastasia, [12:56]

3. Boosting NAD+—What Works & What Doesn’t (Systemic vs. Skin)

• Natural lifestyle ways:

  • Niacin-rich foods: salmon, poultry, avocado, fermented veggies.
  • Time-restricted eating: fasting windows of 14–16 hours help raise NAD+ naturally.
  • Regular exercise (aerobic & resistance) stimulates NAD+ production.
  • Stress management & sleep are critical—chronic stress can deplete NAD+.

    "Regular physical activity... including both aerobic and resistance training, can increase NAD levels by stimulating NAMPT enzymes crucial for NAD plus production." — Anastasia, [13:41]

• Oral & IV supplementation:

  • NAD+ molecule itself is poorly absorbed and rapidly degraded by the body, whether taken as a pill, applied topically, or through IV.
  • IV infusions reach the bloodstream but little of that NAD+ actually reaches the skin; it's prioritized for more essential organs (brain, liver).

    "They are much more expensive... And they definitely do not target the skin." — Amitay, [19:01]

• Precursors work best:

  • NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide) and NR (nicotinamide riboside) are effective NAD+ precursors—NMN is more direct and has stronger clinical evidence for skin benefits, especially topically.

    "NMN just has stronger clinical evidence." — Amitay, [28:47]

  • Delivery matters: Liposomal and micronized/nano-sized forms enhance absorption.

  • Combination therapy (if you have an unlimited budget): IV, oral, and even direct injections plus creative pathway mixing can offer benefits, but for most people, quality oral supplementation suffices.

  • Topical delivery is the ONLY way to ensure your skin cells get the NAD+ boost needed for visible skin benefits.

    "If you do want to see NAD plus boosting primarily in your skin cells, then you have to do it topically." — Anastasia, [23:26]

4. What to Look For and Avoid in NAD+ Supplementation

• Product quality pitfalls:

  • Many supplements are oxidized by the time you use them; choose brands with protective packaging (liposomal/nano delivery) and clinical validation.
  • Watch out for unstable precursors (like NMNH), which degrade quickly and lose potency.

    "NMNH isn't stable above like minus 20 degrees." — Amitay, [36:46]

• Vet your supplements:

  • Look for third-party testing, robust clinical data, and packaging that protects from oxidation.
  • Don’t rely solely on taste, Amazon reviews, or marketing claims.

• Notable product innovation:
  Young Goose’s new NAD Apex™ complex, a topical featuring liposomal NMN and a sunflower extract that stimulates your cells’ own NAD+ recycling pathway (NAMPT).

  • Clinical results: 15% reduction in wrinkle depth and appearing 8 years younger on average in 10 weeks.

    "Users experience a 15% reduction in wrinkle depth and appeared nearly eight years younger on average over the course of 10 weeks." — Anastasia, [32:17]

• Best supplement stack:
  If minimalist, combine NAD+ precursors with spermidine (which supports your body’s own NAD+ production and recycling for a synergistic, “force multiplier” effect).

  "For me, it's NAD and spermidine." — Anastasia, [27:05]

5. Protocol & Practical Takeaways

How to Assess Your NAD+ Health ([08:05])

• Professional lab test (most accurate)
• At-home testing kits (convenient and soon available from Young Goose providers)
• Monitor skin's recovery speed after stress (e.g., sun, chemical peels, microneedling): faster bounce-back usually means higher NAD+.

Sample NAD+ Skin Rejuvenation Routine ([46:35])

1. 16:8 Intermittent fasting (16 hours fast, 8-hour eating window)
2. 2-3 HIIT sessions + sauna per week
3. Topical NMN product daily (e.g., Young Goose products with NAD Apex™)
4. Combine NAD+ boosting with "call to repair" interventions: weekly microneedling, chemical peels, or exfoliation to signal your body to send repair resources to the skin.
5. Oral supplements for systemic benefits: 500mg–1g daily of a high-quality NMN or NR.

6. Common Mistakes & Myth-Busting

• Expecting IV/oral NAD+ to transform skin
• Choosing poor-quality/oxidized supplements
• Skipping topical delivery
• Ignoring the synergistic effect of addressing both internal & external NAD+ (systemic health + skin)
• Underestimating the importance of lifestyle factors (diet, exercise, stress, sleep)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On why skin doesn’t get enough NAD+:

  "Once you're in your perimenopause or menopause... the body's like, okay, let's take care of the important things. How about we take care of your brain and your liver? So when you get NAD IV or oral supplementation, that's where this NAD plus boosting is going to go primarily." — Anastasia, [22:45]

• On supplement hype:

  "Marketing claims a lot of times... there's no like testing or tasting when it's in your house. It traveled with USPS. The guy probably like put it in... sat on it... ran it over a few times." — Amitay, [42:00]

• On visible skin results:

  "With skincare, the cell cycle is 30 days, so you gotta at least wait four weeks for even preliminary results. But then the longer you stick with it, the more profound your results will be." — Anastasia, [33:02]

• On tracking progress:

  "Track results over time, like yourselves—30 to 90 day testing would be what I would recommend." — Amitay, [43:44]

• On Wim Hof and skin:

  "Wim Hof is the king of cold plunging and he doesn't have the youngest looking skin because... it doesn't show up on your skin. He might have the best brain... his liver might be functioning better than ours." — Anastasia, [45:26]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [04:29] – When NAD+ declines and its effects on skin
• [05:21] – The role of oxidative stress & environmental exposures
• [06:32] – NAD+'s cell-level importance for skin health
• [13:41] – How lifestyle affects NAD+ levels
• [15:22] – Bioavailability issues with NAD+ supplements
• [19:01] – IV, oral, and topical NAD+ delivery discussed
• [22:45] – Why topical is critical for skin (esp. for women in menopause)
• [27:05] – Best supplement combo: NAD+ + spermidine
• [28:47] – Clinical evidence for NMN vs. NR
• [32:17] – Clinical results from Young Goose’s NAD Apex™
• [36:46] – Pitfalls with unstable precursors like NMNH
• [46:35] – Sample NAD+ skin rejuvenation protocol

Final Thoughts

If you want younger, more resilient skin, systemic NAD+ boosting (via supplements, diet, lifestyle) is helpful, primarily for overall health—but for skin, topical delivery of NAD+ precursors is essential and more effective. Combine lifestyle improvements, high-quality NMN skincare, and regular “call to repair” signals (like microneedling or gentle peels) for best results.

And, as always: track your progress, be skeptical of marketing, and focus on routines that address both lifestyle and science!

For further questions, episode feedback, or skincare inquiries, leave a review or contact the hosts via Instagram (@young_goose_skincare).