UBIQUINONE

📋 Quick facts

Description: UBIQUINONE — antioxidant, anti-aging, supports cellular energy (CoQ10).

All Functions: antioxidant, anti-aging, supports cellular energy (CoQ10)

Quick Facts:

• Category: active

Proven Benefits At A Glance:

• Ubiquinone is the oxidized form of CoQ10, a molecule found throughout your body’s cells
• It plays a role in energy production within mitochondria (your cells’ power plants)
• Research links CoQ10 deficiency to signs of skin aging in lab studies
• Ubiquinol (the reduced form of CoQ10) showed better absorption than ubiquinone in one study
• CoQ10 levels naturally decrease with age

⚗️ Chemical Overview

CoQ10;Ubiquinone-10 has been reported in Hevea brasiliensis with data available. See also: Coenzyme Q10 (annotation moved to).

Source(s): PubChem, LOTUS – the natural products occurrence database, via PubChem

📊 Comedogenicity

🛡️ Safety rating

Safety tier is a starting heuristic from regulatory status and comedogenic rating, not a dermatological verdict — see our Terms for the full disclaimer. Research confidence reflects how many real cited studies back this ingredient, not the strength of their findings.

🌍 Regulatory Status

💧 Skin Type Compatibility

⚠️ Don’t Combine With

📚 Research & Evidence

🔬 The Science

Ubiquinone is one form of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), an endogenous lipophilic quinone that exists in equilibrium between its oxidized form (ubiquinone) and reduced form (ubiquinol) in your body’s biological membranes (Free Radic Biol Med, 2021). The molecule is deeply involved in cellular energy production: ubiquinone participates in complex I (NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase), the first and largest complex of the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation system—essentially the electron transport chain that powers your cells (Am J Physiol Cell Physiol, 2007; Cell Calcium, 2008). When complex I doesn’t function properly, several downstream effects occur. #1: Mitochondrial dysfunction can lead to impaired calcium handling and reduced ATP production in cells, which compromises the cell’s ability to respond to stimuli (Cell Calcium, 2008).

#2: Complex I deficiency is associated with increased reactive oxygen species (ROS)—unstable molecules that can damage cells—and alterations in mitochondrial structure (Am J Physiol Cell Physiol, 2007; Int J Biochem Cell Biol, 2009). In skin specifically, CoQ10 biosynthesis decreases with age across different tissues including skin (Free Radic Biol Med, 2021). One study examined what happens when skin cells (human dermal fibroblasts) become depleted of CoQ10—a scenario researchers created using statin drugs. #3: CoQ10 deprivation triggered multiple aging markers including increased p21 and IL-8, reduced collagen type 1 and elastin, and increased senescence-associated secretory phenotype markers (Free Radic Biol Med, 2021).

When CoQ10 was added back to these depleted cells, #4: both ubiquinone and ubiquinol forms were able to counteract aging markers; however, ubiquinol demonstrated superior bioavailability and greater efficiency at reversing senescent phenotypes compared to ubiquinone at the same concentration (Free Radic Biol Med, 2021). The sources are limited regarding ubiquinone’s direct anti-aging effects in healthy skin—the strongest evidence comes from a deprivation-rescue model rather than normal aging prevention.

📄 Related Research

Matched by search — not necessarily verified support for every statement above.

• Smeitink J et al. (2001). Human NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase. J Bioenerg Biomembr.
• Willems PH et al. (2009). Mitochondrial dynamics in human NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase deficiency. Int J Biochem Cell Biol.
• Koopman WJ et al. (2007). Human NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase deficiency: radical changes in mitochondrial morphology?. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol.
• Willems PH et al. (2008). Mitochondrial Ca2+ homeostasis in human NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase deficiency. Cell Calcium.
• Marcheggiani F et al. (2021). Anti-ageing effects of ubiquinone and ubiquinol in a senescence model of human dermal fibroblasts. Free Radic Biol Med.

🧴 Products Containing UBIQUINONE

• Nivea Nivea crema para manos antiarrugas Q10
• Nivea Nivea q10 plus anti rides
• Nivea Q10 Plus Soin de jour FPS 15
• Nivea Perles de Q10 sérum concentré
• BRYNILD GRUPPEN AS Nivea Day Care Q10 Plus C 50ml
• Nivea sun Crème Visage Solaire Anti-Rides UV Q10 FPS 50
• nivea hand cream 3 in 1 repaircare
• Cien VitalBeauty Dia
• Nivea sun Protection Solaire Visage UV FPS30 Hydratante
• Elkos for Men Gesichtscreme
• RETINOL RETINOL SKIN CREAM
• Natura es tonica
• nivea
• BRYNILD GRUPPEN AS Nivea Q10 Day & Night Cream Gavepakke
• Nature’s Answer PerioBrite Mouthwash
• Gengimed system Dentifricio sensitive con Coenzima Q₁₀ e Allantoina
• NIVEA Q10 Anti-Falten POWER
• Nivea Men NIVEA Men Active Energy Hydraterende Dagcrème
• Cosmia Q10 – recharge creme jour anti-rides
• Cosmia Q10 – recharge creme nuit anti-rides
• Cosmia Creme jour anti-rides au q10
• handcrème
• Schmidt’s Schmidt’s Dentifrice Wondermint 133g
• Schmidt’s Schmidt’s Dentifrice Noix de Coco + Citron Vert 133g
• Ultimate Mouth Wash
• mouthwash
• Trader Joe’s Nourish Oil-Free Antioxidant Facial Moisturizer
• footlogix DD Cream
• Schmidts ToothPaste
• Cien Time control – Crème pour la peau
• Cien Crème de jour anti-rides Q10
• Cien Anti rides creme de nuit Q10
• Cien, Cien nature Crema de dia Rosa Mosqueta
• Biocura, Biocura Beauty Anti-âge Soin de jour Q10 Active
• Cosmia Cosmia – crème de nuit – 40 + anti rides au collageneer® – tous types de peaux – 50ml
• Cosmia Crème mains anti-âge 2 en 1
• Cosmia Q10 – creme nuit anti-rides
• Maxbrands Peel-off gold mask for normal skin
• Nivea, Nivea Men Réveil Express Gel Visage Ultra Frais
• Nivea face mask