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Melisse Shaban has spent two decades watching science, biotech and consumer behavior slowly converge, and believes the beauty industry is finally ready for a new question: not how young can skin look tomorrow, but how well can it function for decades?
That question sits at the center of Aramore, the performance skincare brand Shaban leads as CEO. Built around NAD+ precursor science, Aramore is positioned as a topical delivery system designed to support cellular skin health rather than chase the traditional language of anti-aging. For Shaban, that distinction matters.
“It’s a topical delivery system, so it falls under the category of skincare,” Shaban said, “but really, what we’re doing is delivering NAD+ precursors for overall cellular health and longevity, to help consumers live better in their skin every day for the long term.”
Consumers who once thought about wellness in terms of diet, exercise and supplements now increasingly recognize cellular health as part of the conversation. NAD+, or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, is found in living cells and is involved in cellular energy and function. In beauty, the challenge has been turning that science into a story people can understand and daily products they can actually use.
“NAD+ is not new to the medical or research community,” Shaban said. “Every living cell requires it; it’s what powers cellular renewal and maturity and turnover. The fact that these scientists were able to build a pathway to deliver a molecule down to the cellular level and have the body progressively make its own NAD+ was fascinating to me, and represented a real shift in how we think about aging and cellular performance.”
That shift is also a business bet. The skincare market is crowded with brands promising glow, firmness, barrier repair, brightening and smoother texture. Aramore is trying to stand apart by arguing that the more interesting opportunity is not simply treating the surface, but helping the skin behave better over time.
“It’s not an easy story to tell, but we actually age from the inside out, not the outside in,” Shaban said. “If we can keep our cells performing at their peak, those signs of aging decrease. I believe that’s a powerful motivator worth building a brand around.”
Photo credit: Aramore
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