Niacinamide is a super versatile ingredient that helps reduce redness, fade dark spots and smooth skin texture. It’s also an acne-fighting powerhouse and helps regulate oil to prevent clogged pores and excess shine.
You can find it in a variety of products, including face washes, moisturizers and serums. To maximize its benefits, look for it in products that leave it on the skin (like night creams and serums). Niacinamide works well with other active ingredients like salicylic acid.
Strengthens the Skin’s Barrier Function
Benefits of Niacinamide for Skin natural barrier function, reducing water loss and helping keep irritants out. It also promotes the production of ceramides and other fatty acids, resulting in healthy, radiant skin.
As an antioxidant, niacinamide reduces oxidative stress that can cause visible signs of aging like wrinkles and fine lines. It works by matching a free radical’s unpaired electron, neutralizing its damaging effects.
Lastly, niacinamide is an effective anti-inflammatory and helps fade red blemishes quicker. “This is why it’s great to use in combination with AHAs,” explains Nazarian, adding that niacinamide is also often paired with hyaluronic acid, another effective hydration-boosting ingredient.
Niacinamide’s ability to improve the appearance of uneven skin tone and fade dark spots makes it a must-have for most skin care routines. Luckily, this ingredient can be found in many of the products we already use daily: cleansers, moisturizers and serums. Just be sure to pair your niacinamide regimen with daily sunscreen for optimal results.
Reduces Moisture Loss
Niacinamide works to prevent water loss by increasing the production of lipids in the skin, which strengthens your barrier. This keeps your complexion hydrated, plump, and smooth, while also protecting against external irritants.
Niacinamide is a great ingredient for those with oily skin because it helps to regulate sebum production and prevent clogged pores (a cause of both comedonal and inflammatory acne, which are pustules and papules, respectively). By inhibiting the enzyme sebaceous lipase, it controls the amount of oil your skin produces, preventing excess shine and minimizing breakouts.
It also has anti-inflammatory properties, reducing redness and irritation. It also helps reduce the formation of oxidative stress on the skin, which can exacerbate hyperpigmentation and other imperfections.
Niacinamide is a safe and effective skincare ingredient for most skin types, including sensitive. It’s important to incorporate it into your routine regularly, and consistent use will help you see substantial results over time. Just be sure to apply it separately from acidic skincare products, as they can form complexes with niacinamide and reduce its effectiveness. Niacinamide can also work well in conjunction with other skincare ingredients like retinol, vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid to enhance their effects.
Evens Out Skin Tone
Niacinamide has a wide array of benefits, and it works well with most skin types. It’s non-drying and anti-inflammatory, making it a great pick for sensitive complexions. It also helps prevent sallowness and brightens the appearance of red blemishes without irritating skin.
It’s also been shown to boost collagen synthesis, smoothing fine lines and wrinkles. Plus, it reduces pore size and regulates sebum production. It can be found in a variety of skin care products, from serums to moisturizers.
To maximize its efficacy, niacinamide should be applied to the skin twice a day. “Add a product that contains niacinamide after your toner and before applying a thicker moisturizer,” says Nazarian.
Look for a formula with 2% to 5% of the vitamin B3 in a lotion or cream. Niacinamide also pairs well with other skin-repair ingredients such as tranexamic acid, all forms of vitamin C, licorice extract and retinol, which can be found in La Roche Posay’s Double Repair Face Moisturizer. A patch test should be conducted before using any skincare product with niacinamide, to ensure it doesn’t cause irritation.
Reduces Acne
Niacinamide (also known as vitamin B3) works to prevent and treat mild acne. It does this by improving the skin barrier, reducing inflammation, and lightening dark spots or hyperpigmentation. It also controls sebum production, preventing overproduction of oil that can lead to breakouts.
Niacinamide has also been shown to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by stimulating the skin’s natural production of ceramide, which helps to strengthen the skin’s barrier. It also helps to hydrate the skin, minimizing dryness and irritation.
It’s important to note that niacinamide is generally well tolerated by most skin types and can be used in combination with other blemish-fighting treatments, such as retinoids or salicylic acid. However, it’s always a good idea to spot test any new product on your skin for sensitivity before adding it to your routine.
If large pores are your biggest concern, try this dedicated 10% niacinamide serum with a lightweight feel. It’s paired with marine plankton extract to support the skin barrier and panthenol, a soothing vitamin that reduces redness and inflammation.
Prevents Sun Damage
Niacinamide isn’t a spot treatment like salicylic acid, which zaps active breakouts, but it’s great for preventing future ones by keeping skin balanced. “Niacinamide has been shown to strengthen the skin barrier,” says Dr Mahto, adding that it reduces water loss and increases lipids—which helps keep irritants out and hydration in.
It’s also been shown to lighten dark spots from sun damage and prevent the formation of new precancerous spots, called actinic keratoses. Research shows that when applied topically, it helps restore the DNA of damaged cells and reduce the immunosuppressive effects of UV rays, which weaken skin’s ability to resist Health precancerous changes that can lead to melanoma.
Conclusion
You’ll find niacinamide in a wide variety of products, from moisturizers to exfoliants and serums. It’s well-tolerated and unlikely to cause irritation, though those with sensitive skin should always patch test any product before use and consult a dermatologist about the right concentration for them. For best results, choose a formula with a low percentage of niacinamide—less than 5 percent—and apply it twice a day, morning and night.
