Nitric oxide (NO) is a compound created in your body that increases circulation, which has a significant impact on your bodily functions. Whether you take it as a supplement or get it naturally from food, nitric oxide acts as a stimulant by improving oxygen flow in your body.

While commonly used by athletes to increase physical performance, nitric oxide is also helpful as an anti-aging serum. That’s because nitric oxide regulates a wide range of body systems.

Why Your Body Needs Nitric Oxide

Although nitric oxide is actually a free radical, which typically damages your cells, you need this stimulant to keep your body healthy. To create NO, you need vitamin C and nitrates, but you can also take nitric oxide supplements directly if you don’t make enough yourself.

Without nitric oxide, your body wouldn’t be able to:

Heal Quickly: Nitric oxide brings blood flow to areas that need healing. That’s because nitric oxide dilates and constricts your blood vessels, which improves your blood pressure and heart health. A healthy circulatory system helps you heal quickly.
Strengthen the Immune System: Our immune systems are made up of a large system of cells. Nitric oxide helps these cells communicate with each other and act more quickly to invaders. In fact, a high nitric oxide count can help your body fight off certain cancers.
Improves Memory: Since nitric oxide opens up your veins, it creates a wider path for your blood to move through. Increased blood flow to the brain can improve cognitive functions and may prevent certain brain disorders, like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
Improves Erectile Dysfunction: Erectile dysfunction (ED) isn’t a regular symptom of aging. Most men who suffer from ED have clogged arteries, preventing blood from reaching the penis. Nitric oxide can help improve ED symptoms temporarily.
Exercise and Muscle Performance: While you don’t need nitric oxide to increase exercise or muscle performance, it can give you the energy you need to get through your workouts. But, you still have to exercise for nitric oxide to be effective.

Eating foods high in nitric oxide, like spinach and bok choy, will increase its production, but you still need to pair them with vitamin C foods, like kale and oranges, to keep your NO stores up.

But what do all these functions have to do with skincare?

Nitric Oxide and its Anti-Aging Affects

Nitric oxide is produced in your body when it’s in a healthier state. That’s because NO can only be created by stealing from other vitamins and minerals. If you don't receive enough vitamin C or nitrates through supplementation or foods, your body won’t produce enough nitric oxide.

How Nitric Oxide Encourages Overall Skin Health

Eating a healthy diet filled with fruits and vegetables is essential for overall health but integral to skin health. Without vitamin C, your body can’t create collagen either, an anti-aging protein that provides structural support in your skin, tendon, cartilage, connective tissue, and bone.

Exercise can also help increase nitric oxide production because your body needs it to pump more blood throughout your circulatory system. Exercising can help deliver oxygen and nutrients to your skin, promoting collagen, NO, and new skin cell production.

Nitric Oxide’s Connection to Premature Aging

Since nitric oxide allows cells to heal, blood vessels to expand, and blood to flow more freely, your body can defend your cells against diseases and signs of premature aging.

By the time we’re 50-60, our bodies produce 75% less NO than they did in our 20s. Without NO, muscles deteriorate, our skin starts to sag, and we feel weaker, which reduces our urge to exercise. Keeping your NO stores high throughout your life will reduce issues as you age.