With longevity the biggest trend in beauty, one skincare brand is aiming to reframe the conversation by substantiating NAD+’s efficacy through extensive clinical data.

Aramore, a pseudonym for more health, technology, purpose and life in one’s years, began like many beauty and personal care brands do: in the lab.

The brand began with the creation of its parent company, New Frontier Bio, in 2016.

New Frontier Bio, based in Beverly, MA, develops and optimizes in-vitro and ex vivo assays to scientifically assess efficacy and potency including cell culture, protein/enzyme and genomic assays.

Dr. Anna Mandinova had been conducting research on how to treat skin diseases and preserve long-term skin health at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute. Her work led to the identification of compounds that increase production of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), a vital coenzyme in skin stem cells.

NAD+ plays a vital role in cellular energy production and mitochondrial function within skin cells.

Aramore’s co-founders include Dr. Mandinova; Dr. Brad Pentelute, a chemist and peptide expert from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who leads formulation efforts; Dr. Sarina Elmariah, a clinical dermatologist and former Harvard faculty who currently practices at the UCSF Center for Dermatology; and Diana Saville, a Harvard-educated science communications expert who is head of research.

NAD+ Cell Energizing Treatment

For the brand’s hero product, NAD+ Cell Energizing Treatment, the company ran an eight-week independent clinical human trial on 29 women aged 44-61. Findings concluded that 100% of participants saw significant improvement across metrics of skin aging including skin hydration; radiance and brightness; skin texture and smoothness; skin tone; overall healthy appearance of skin; skin homogeneity; dark spot intensity reduction; and hyperpigmentation reduction.

Participants also saw a 53% increase in skin barrier strength over those eight weeks and a 54% in moisturization, according to officials.

Aramore says its delivery method yields efficacious results.

“One of the biggest challenges when it comes to skincare efficacy for any product is its ability to penetrate the skin barrier,” Aramore CEO Melisse Shaban told Happi. “The skin barrier is a fascinating, well-run machine. It works hard to keep things out of the skin and works hard to retain moisture and other nutrients. But that means it’s tricky to get active ingredients through the barrier, and even trickier to get them all the way down to the layer where new skin cells are born. Very few products can do it well. NAD+ is one of those molecules that’s just too big to give to skin directly.”

Proprietary Complex

Aramore’s technology combines raspberry ketones, a pair of fatty acids and an NAD+ precursor (NMN) in its proprietary complex, which works to optimize healthier cell renewal as new skin stem cells regenerate. The brand uses a liposomal encapsulation of those actives that allows them to get to the basal layer of the epidermis where new cells are made.

“Essentially, our product works twofold: it gives skin stem cells what they need to thrive, and it delivers those ingredients to the right layer of skin that most skincare can’t reach,” Shaban noted.

Because the production of NAD+— which the body produces naturally to help fuel its cellular performance and regeneration—slows down over time beginning in one’s 20s and exacerbated by sun damage, Shaban said its beneficial for anyone over 30 to start using the product, as it supplements what the skin naturally loses over time.

“Our bodies use NAD+ to help repair DNA damage and rebuild healthy skin cells,” she explained. “With more NAD+, the skin can recover more quickly and efficiently from damage. This is why we also love Aramore as a post-treatment product if you’ve had a laser or microneedling treatment that works by damaging the skin. Boosting NAD+ helps speed recovery, strengthen the skin barrier, and reinforce your overall cellular health.”

Topical and Ingestible Duo

Aramore’s Cell Energizing Duo is a pair of products that help support NAD+ production both internally (via an ingestible supplement) and topically. While the Cell Energizing Treatment helps boost NAD+ topically, the NAD+ Cell Energizing Supplement works from within and delivers skin-supporting nutrients through the bloodstream. The supplement also contains an NAD+ precursor that can be used by the body to re-energize cells. While they can be used separately, Shaban recommends using them in union for amplified results.

She recommends using the NAD+ Cell Energizing Treatment daily as a serum and Aramore’s NAD+ Cell Restoration Cream as a nighttime moisturizer. The brand’s Retinol Peptide Boosting Serum should be used every other day or as tolerated; the NAD+ Renewing Eye Cream and NAD+ Cell Energizing Supplement can be used daily.

“You can layer our products with any existing actives you use, like vitamin C, acids or peptides,” said Shaban. “Aramore is meant to act as a foundation for healthy skin and cellular performance, since we impact skin on the deepest level.”

The brand as mentioned during the “The Golden Bachelor” with a contestant raving about her “Aramore Glow.”

After using NAD+ Cell Energizing Treatment herself, it wasn’t long before Shaban’s skin became a conversation starter.

“The ‘what are you using on your skin?’ question is always the litmus test for success,” she said. “I’ve been genuinely surprised by how much healthier and resilient my skin feels. It’s become a staple in my routine and one of those few products I use regularly.”