While there’s no pressure to start afresh in the new year, many use it as an opportunity to shake up their skincare routines. It’s a pretty good time to do it, too. Your skin needs will change after all the festive fun and temperatures dropping (yes, I can see frost on the grass as I write this). And so, the products and ingredients in your regime may need to, too.

However, we know how overwhelming this can feel. So, instead of overloading you with 10,458 rules and pieces of advice to follow, we asked trusted cosmetic dermatologist Dr Sam Bunting for the one thing we should be doing in 2025. Yes, just one step that’s worth following, isn’t difficult and won’t take up all of your time.

While we know certain steps like cleansing and daily SPF application are non-negotiables, Dr Bunting highlighted a new area in skincare that’s worth looking into: NAD+, also known as nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide.

If you haven’t heard of NAD+ before, let us give you a brief rundown (or, if you’re keen to dive deep, read our more detailed guide). It’s a coenzyme that is found in every cell of the human body and works to maintain cellular health.

“Boosting your skin’s NAD+ levels is the new frontier in skin health and well-ageing,” she explains. “The rationale behind increasing available NAD+ levels in the skin makes so much sense. NAD+ is an integral molecule fuelling our cell battery, driving everything from fixing damage in our DNA to repairing our skin barrier. But NAD+ levels decline dramatically as we age, with levels 50% lower over the age of 40. Think of it as the cell’s battery going flat.”

NAD+ is an active ingredient and, as a response to recent interest, more brands are starting to utilise its reparative benefits in skincare formulations. In fact, Dr Bunting herself has included it in her cult Dr Sam’s Flawless Moisturiser Intense.

“Sunflower shoot extract (SSE) is the ingredient I’m incredibly excited about,” she says. “It increases the amount of NAD+ getting recycled inside the cells, resulting in the cell battery getting recharged. This is incredibly effective at helping repair a damaged skin barrier.”

Dr Bunting adds that her brand conducted an independent study and found that SSE outperformed powerhouse ingredient niacinamide by acting very quickly (within just 24 hours) and resulted in 34% less damage to the cell batteries when exposed to damaging UVA.

“That’s not to say niacinamide doesn’t work – it just highlights a different way of working and one I believe that is highly complementary when used together with speedy-onset SSE,” she explains.

The benefits don’t stop there, either. Improving your skin cells’ health with ingredients like NAD+ will have a positive knock-on effect on the rest of your routine.

“Another thing I think that’s exciting is how much better all your actives are going to perform when your skin cells are fully charged,” she says. “NAD+ boosting is the ultimate way to level up your skincare routine in 2024.”

Keen to learn more? Read our comprehensive guide to NAD+ skincare.

Images: Getty