In 2024, the Chinese anti-aging market is experiencing a frenzy.
Recombinant collagen, hyaluronic acid, boswellic acid, peptide ingredients… According to incomplete statistics from CHAILEEDO, since January 2024, over 70 new anti-aging product lines have been launched, incorporating exclusive compound ingredients/technologies on top of basic anti-aging ingredients, becoming a crucial point for promoting new anti-aging products for both domestic and international brands.
The intense competition in ingredients reflects the fierce battle in the Chinese anti-aging efficacy market. CHAILEEDO intelligence data indicates that in 2023, the market size of anti-aging cosmetic products with related efficacies in China exceeded 300 billion RMB.
It is worth mentioning that in recent years, the well-known anti-aging ingredient NAD+ in the pharmaceutical and food industries has also entered the cosmetics arena, riding on the halo of “activating cell energy and delaying skin aging,” thus capturing a new trend in the beauty industry.
CHAILEEDO has noticed that a topical cosmetic product with NAD+ as its core ingredient has recently been launched, priced as high as 3800 RMB. Why has NAD+, this new favorite in anti-aging, entered the high-end realm of technological anti-aging?
What is the “new favorite” anti-aging ingredient NAD+?
In May 2022, a miraculous scene unfolded on the reality show of the Kardashian family, prominent figures in the American fashion industry: a group of affluent individuals leisurely seated on a sofa, publicly receiving injections of a substance called NAD+. This sparked widespread discussions around the “Hollywood Fountain of Youth” NAD+.
As anti-aging research delves deeper, NAD+ is no longer an exclusive elixir for the wealthy elite, as its mysterious veil gradually unveils.
Publicly available information reveals that NAD stands for Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. NAD+ represents the oxidized state of NAD, first discovered in the 1940s. Initially considered a coenzyme, it wasn’t until 2008 that the significant relationship between NAD+ and anti-aging and lifespan extension was uncovered.
In May 2023, an official public account of the “Chinese Food and Drug Administration” under the supervision of the National Medical Products Administration provided detailed popular science information regarding the anti-aging efficacy of NAD+: “As a coenzyme in redox reactions, NAD+ is a vital molecule involved in energy metabolism activities, directly or indirectly regulating many critical cellular functions, including mitochondrial energy synthesis, DNA damage repair, chromatin remodeling, cellular aging, and immune cell function. These fundamental cellular processes and functions are crucial for maintaining tissue, metabolic balance, and healthy aging. Therefore, targeting the NAD+ metabolic pathway to increase NAD+ levels may be a potential means to improve aging-related diseases, extend human lifespan, and healthy lifespan.”
In terms of scientific research, the anti-aging effects of NAD+ are supported by empirical studies. According to foreign media reports, in a paper titled “Why NAD(+) Declines during Aging: It’s Destroyed” published by Harvard University doctor David Sinclair in “Cell Metab” in 2016, injecting NAD+ into experimental mice resulted in the physical condition of two-year-old mice reverting to that of six-month-old mice after just one week, highlighting the exceptional performance of NAD+ in “reversing age.”
With numerous technological achievements endorsing it, the concept of the ingredient NAD+ is rapidly moving towards commercialization. According to data from consulting firm Polaris Market Research, the global NAD+ market size reached $535 million in 2022 and is projected to reach $1.72 billion by 2032, indicating a broad market outlook.
However, how can the efficacy ingredient NAD+, rich in technological content, be translated into products for consumer use?
According to CHAILEEDO, there are three ways for individuals to supplement NAD+ in their daily lives: oral supplements, intravenous injections, or using skincare products. It is worth noting that internal supplementation needs to be converted into NAD+ through other forms, and the absorption efficiency cannot be guaranteed due to individual differences. The process for skincare application is also relatively lengthy. For anti-aging skincare, externally applying skincare products containing NAD+ can directly activate the longevity protein genes in skin cells, making it one of the most effective ways for anti-aging skincare.
Recognizing the vast potential of NAD+ application, numerous skincare brands with strong research capabilities are eager to act, including the renowned medical cosmetic technology brand from France—MEDSPA.
NAD+ Involved in Topical Cosmetics
Public information shows that in the 1970s, MEDSPA was born at a top medical beauty clinic in Paris, under the customized brand of the Paris Plastic Surgery Clinic of the French Plastic Surgery and Anti-Aging Association.
In 1977, MEDSPA customized the first bottle of repair essence for the popular French actress Simone Signoret, officially ushering in the era of technological skincare.
(Credit: One of MEDSPA founder, Dr.Pierre BOUTIGNY)
It is understood that MEDSPA is known for focusing on skincare products prescribed by global medical beauty clinics and dermatologists. Its products are sold in pharmacies and private anti-aging clinics in France, with special channels dedicated to prescription skincare products. In 2014, MEDSPA entered the Chinese market comprehensively. In 2018, MEDSPA opened the MEDSPA international flagship store on Tmall International. Currently, it has 405,000 fans, with high-selling products including chitosan masks, rejuvenating youth oil, and B5 spray.
According to observations by CHAILEEDO, MEDSPA does not seem to face any difficulties in the Chinese market and is experiencing rapid and smooth development. This is due to MEDSPA’s deep involvement in clinical medicine, collaboration with thousands of dermatologists in China, and substantial investments in dermatology each year. This has led to MEDSPA’s products being highly technological and meeting the specific needs of Chinese skin.
CHAILEEDO data shows that in the first quarter of 2023 and 2024, the sales growth rate of anti-aging cosmetics in the Chinese market exceeded 30%, indicating a strong interest and rapid growth trend in this sector.
As early as 2021, Wang Yuping, the President of MEDSPA Greater China, stated in an interview that “MEDSPA will continue to launch new products in the repair and anti-aging fields, introduce more scientific skincare products to the Chinese market, and provide consumers with excellent experiences.”
With years of experience in the anti-aging field, the MEVIDERM brand under MEDSPA has launched a new product called the “NAD+ Super Bottle.” Public information reveals that MEVIDERM is a brand owned by MEDSPA’s upstream biomedical laboratory, acquired in 2022. As a high-end custom beauty concentrate brand under the MEDSPA group, MEVIDERM has been focusing on the research and development of injectable drugs and blood products in Europe, pioneering the application of injection formulas in minimally invasive facial procedures. The brand has long supplied medical beauty institutions and longevity anti-aging centers with mainly injectable products.
(Credit: the founder of MEVIDERM, Jean-Francois Rossi)
The key feature of the new product “NAD+ Super Bottle” by MEVIDERM is its ability to be directly applied to the face using a nano-microcrystal induction device, addressing the challenges of applying NAD+ in the skincare industry.
Professionals have pointed out that “on one hand, NAD+ molecules are relatively large and have difficulty penetrating the skin’s surface; on the other hand, as a molecule prone to oxidation, NAD+ may lose its activity when exposed to air, light, or other environmental factors. Therefore, directly adding it to cosmetics requires high demands on the breakthrough of the ingredient itself and the formulation design.”
So, how can it be absorbed through application?
According to CHAILEEDO, most skincare products on the market achieve their effects by stimulating the generation of NAD+. However, the MEDSPA “NAD+ Super Bottle” uses MePa’s independently developed nano-liposome targeting technology, which not only enhances the stability and permeability of NAD+ but also ensures precise delivery, increasing the biological utilization of NAD+ and achieving precise anti-aging at the cellular level.
This means that the MEDSPA “NAD+ Super Bottle,” as a topical cosmetic, can truly provide direct supplementation of NAD+ rather than stimulating its generation, achieving effects comparable to injectable formulas. This represents a significant breakthrough in the application of NAD+ in the industry.
It is worth noting that MEDSPA developed the “nano-liposome targeting technology” 20 years ago. According to MEDSPA, France is the birthplace of targeted anti-cancer drug inventions worldwide, making liposome targeting technology very mature. Essentially, MEDSPA has innovatively applied anti-cancer technology to cosmetic formulations.
To test the clinical effects of the “NAD+ Super Bottle” in the Chinese market, MEDSPA conducted multi-center clinical observation experiments specifically on Chinese women, studying the results of several female volunteers over a period of 2-3 months. The results showed that after 4-5 courses of using the MEDSPA “NAD+ Super Bottle,” the skin became smoother and firmer, with improved elasticity, reduced spots, increased radiance, and fading of redness and facial lines, demonstrating significant anti-aging effects on the face and neck area.
Technology Anti-Aging High-End Realm
According to information provided by MEDSPA to CHAILEEDO, the “NAD+ Super Bottle” is officially named “MePa MEVIDERM Renewal Essence,” with a set of 3ml*7 priced at 3800 yuan per set. The main sales channels are currently on Douyin’s “MEDSPA LAB Official Flagship Store,” with live broadcast prices at 2380 yuan per item, 3980 yuan for 2 items, and complimentary gifts such as chitosan masks, saline solution, nano-crystal induction devices, and crystal chip heads.
In the anti-aging market, a sector with technological barriers, substantial investment is required from product ingredients to research technology. However, it is undeniable that the pricing of MEDSPA’s “NAD+ Super Bottle” is on par with international luxury brands. With a set of essence selling for 3800 yuan, where does MEDSPA’s confidence come from?
CHAILEEDO discovered that in 2021, MEDSPA was honored with the “Hurun Top Luxe” Hurun Emerging Medical Technology Skincare Award. This list aims to reveal the lifestyle, consumption habits, and brand awareness of China’s high-net-worth individuals. It is evident that with the rise of self-satisfaction economy, consumer markets not only have a stable demand for products that are high in safety and cost-effective but also have a growing need for more high-end, customized anti-aging products. Consumers are willing to pay for skincare products that possess “innovation” and “effectiveness.”
Against the backdrop of awakening brand awareness and product consciousness among Chinese consumers, MEDSPA, as a pioneer in technology, with a more professional and high-quality product ecosystem, has solidified its brand strength and rightfully garnered the favor of high-net-worth individuals.
On the occasion of entering the Chinese market for the 10th anniversary, MEDSPA chose China as the debut location for the second-generation new product “NAD+ Super Bottle” after upgrading its brand technology. Despite the increasingly fierce competition in the efficacy skincare sector in the Chinese market, with major brands striving to “roll out efficacy” and “roll out research,” as an important participant in the Chinese imported beauty market, medical beauty technology brands represented by MEDSPA are also continuously innovating research directions.
Looking back at the history of MEDSPA, it is easy to see that MEDSPA has always pursued the value concept of high quality and high technology, not following market trends but continuously honing its technological prowess over half a century. This stems from Dr. Butini, the founder of MEDSPA, and a group of scientists’ belief in and exploration of technology. Dr. Butini’s focus and dedication to technological skincare have established MEDSPA’s inherent attribute of technological beauty and are the foundation of its entry into the high-end realm of technology anti-aging.
