This is the story of how a dinner party conversation turned into our most advanced serum yet. It's a story about a founder who couldn't let an idea go, seventeen failed formulas, and why sometimes you have to create what doesn't exist.
"There are times in a business when a product opportunity and need just presents itself so emphatically, that it becomes impossible to ignore," says our founder, Sarah, of our latest launch, the Age Confidence™ NAD+ and TriPeptide Renewal Serum.
It's one of our core values as a sustainable brand: only create a product when it's truly bringing something new to the table. That's why we've never had a serum for mature, ageing skin in our collection. Until now.
"Our Age Confidence™ capsule has had a serum-shaped hole in it for so many years. We always wanted to fill this need for our customers, but it had to justify its existence," says Sarah.
"We don't ever believe in making a product for the sake of it. It has to be bringing something to the skin party that is unique or better than anything else out there, or what's the point? The world does not need another serum."
A leap forward for skin longevity
So why now? There's one word that's been pushing its way to the forefront of the wellness space: longevity. A fresh name for an age-old concept, longevity science is essentially about prevention rather than cure. The focus is on increasing healthspan (years lived in good health) alongside lifespan (total years lived).
Instead of tackling age-related issues as they come, experts are working on how to optimise health in the first place to age well and improve quality of life.
It's no wonder skin quickly entered the longevity chat. After all, what better way to read how well your body is functioning than its biggest, most visible organ? Your skin tells tales, making skin health an essential part of the picture. And it soon became clear that the same principles of promoting long-term health could apply to skincare. A whole new approach to ageing.
"I was sitting in a friend's kitchen having dinner with her and a visiting friend from New York. That friend happened to be the Global Head Of Consumer Trends at EY, and she was telling us about a landmark new supplement that promised to turn the dial on ageing and deterioration in cell health," recalls Sarah.
"By the time I reached the end of my glass of wine I was already thinking about how this could be applied to skin. The next morning we went to work."
NAD+: the next generation of skincare
The ingredient in question? NAD+ (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide), a coenzyme believed to be the key to slowing down ageing. In a nutshell, NAD+ is necessary to energise every cell in your skin and body so they can function properly.
Your body produces it naturally, but as you age those levels decline. Which is a little like your cells' batteries going flat, leading to all the changes in your skin that you'd expect with age.
As we thought about our next formula through the lens of longevity, the question was: how do we boost NAD+ to keep skin cells healthier for longer?
Along came Sunflower Sprout Extract. A new biotech ingredient that was presented to our cosmetic chemists. They knew you couldn't apply NAD+ itself to the skin, but this COSMOS-approved active was proven to stimulate NAD+ production. Recharging the skin at a cellular level to slow the signs of ageing.
"Every function in your cells requires energy, and NAD+ is critical to create ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate), which helps boost that energy," explains John, our lead cosmetic chemist and Head of R&D.
"What's exciting is that this isn't about targeting one sign of ageing, such as fine lines. This is about optimising the health of skin cells, so they're fully functioning like they do when you're younger. Delaying the ageing process in a way we've never seen before."
And this was the reason we needed to make the serum our range had been missing. "It is my belief that this is the ingredient that is going to change the face of skincare and be the next Hyaluronic Acid, Retinoid or Peptide, in terms of its ubiquitousness and provable benefits," says Sarah.
"In fact I believe it beats all of these ingredients hands down."
Making it our own
Groundbreaking ingredient found, it was time to formulate our first ever serum for ageing skin. And thanks to biotechnology our chemists had plenty to play with. Seventeen formulations later, they landed on a combination of Sunflower Sprout Extract, a TriPeptide Complex, Centella Asiatica (Cica), broad spectrum Hyaluronic Acid and prebiotic Inulin. A rich variety of actives that support the skin's health and structure at every level.
With such a unique ingredient profile, we wanted the serum to feel different too. To reflect the serious step up in science that got us here. And this posed its problems.
"For a natural cosmetic, creating a soft, transparent, lightweight gel is a significant challenge. While this is easily achieved with synthetic ingredients (acrylates), natural gelling agents, primarily gums, don't provide the desired aesthetic," says John.
"We found that most natural gums either offer good clarity but lack the right viscosity, or they create a tacky, jelly-like feel instead of a smooth flow. Some give good viscosity but become translucent. We had to extensively test various combinations of natural gums to overcome these limitations."
The result? Our most lightweight serum yet, with a clear, gel-like texture that sinks into the skin fast without leaving a tacky residue. The kind of texture you'd expect from a lab that takes natural formulation seriously.
Redefining ageing
The excitement for this launch has been building. But while the innovation was about slowing down ageing, we stand by our ethos that age is not something to be fought. Which, in a competitive industry, is a tricky stance to take.
We needed the name to be true to our values, and already had an Age Confidence™ collection. But we questioned whether it was still the right message.
"We thought long and hard about renaming it to 'bring it up to date', but then realised we were tinkering where we just didn't need to. Age Confidence does what it says on the tin," explains Sarah.
"We want to help people feel bloody great in their skin, and boost their inner confidence as a result. Arming them to feel that they can show up feeling their most formidable. And only the positive sense of that big word and its big meaning. Being impressively bold, large, powerful and capable.
"Because so many of us don't, so much of the time. Often because self consciousness about how we look is robbing our attention away from the things that matter, and that will bring us true joy and a sense of personal fulfilment."
Shop our Age Confidence™ NAD+ and TriPeptide Renewal Serum here
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Pai create the Age Confidence NAD+ and TriPeptide Renewal Serum?
Pai had a long-standing gap in their Age Confidence collection for a serum targeting ageing skin, but the team refused to launch one until they found an ingredient that genuinely advanced what skincare could do. The arrival of sunflower sprout extract, a biotech active proven to stimulate the skin's own NAD+ production, provided the breakthrough they'd been waiting for. It was the first ingredient that could target the root cause of skin ageing (cellular energy decline) rather than just individual symptoms like fine lines.
What is NAD+ and why does it matter for ageing skin?
NAD+ (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide) is a co-enzyme that energises every cell in your skin and body so they can function properly. Your body produces it naturally, but levels decline significantly with age, which is a bit like your cells' batteries going flat. This energy loss drives all the visible changes associated with ageing, from reduced firmness to slower cell turnover.
How does the serum boost NAD+ if you can't apply it directly to skin?
NAD+ itself can't penetrate the skin barrier, so Pai uses sunflower sprout extract, a COSMOS-approved biotech ingredient that stimulates the skin's own NAD+ production internally. It works by boosting the NAMPT enzyme, which is the rate-limiting step in the skin's NAD+ recycling pathway. This means it works with your skin's existing biology rather than trying to force an external molecule through the barrier.
What other active ingredients are in the serum besides sunflower sprout extract?
After 17 formulations, Pai's chemists landed on a combination of a biofermented TriPeptide Complex (targeting expression lines, skin tone, and puffiness), exosome-rich Centella Asiatica for cellular repair, broad spectrum hyaluronic acid for multi-depth hydration, and prebiotic inulin for microbiome support. All of these actives are COSMOS Natural certified, which is unusual for a peptide serum since most rely on synthetic ingredients incompatible with natural certification.
Does the Age Confidence NAD+ Renewal Serum have clinical evidence behind it?
Yes. A clinical study of 21 subjects showed statistically significant improvements in wrinkle depth (9.45% reduction), firmness (11% improvement), and elasticity (9.92% improvement) over 56 days, with 100% of subjects showing improved hydration. A separate 100-person consumer trial found 80% reported increased hydration and 75% reported improved plumpness after 8 weeks, with only 2 mild adverse events across the entire study.
