With skin being complex and temperamental (acne, bigger-looking pores, hyperpigmentation, and facial aging), it is natural to feel stressed and defeated with your skin care routine. The good news is you can take the help of niacinamide to solve your multiple skin problems and restore your skin's appearance.
Antioxidants may just be the next thing to keep your skin healthy and glowing. You have likely heard of the benefits of vitamin C for your skin. Like Vitamin C, Niacinamide (aka Vitamin B3) is another powerful antioxidant that has a slew of advantages for your healthy skin. Another reason to love this new magical ingredient is that it is extremely versatile and is well tolerated by sensitive and acne-prone skin types.
If you are thinking about adding niacinamide to your skin care routine, using it in serum form is the best way to achieve desired results. Serums are skincare formulations with the highest concentration of active ingredients and should be applied in small quantities. Before adding niacinamide serums to your existing routine, it is important to know what is the correct way to use them. Here, we get the full rundown on everything you need to know about Niacinamide.
Is niacinamide naturally occurring?
Niacinamide or vitamin B3 is a water-soluble vitamin naturally found in your body. It plays an important role to maintain healthy skin and overall well-being.
Being water-soluble in properties, niacinamide can not be stored in the body.
You can include it in your diet and use it topically as well.
You can consume it from various foods such as milk, fish, meat, eggs, cereal grains, and yeast.
For topical use, you can use niacinamide-based skin care products such as serums and creams.
Top 3 benefits of niacinamide for skin that actually brings a noticeable difference
- Acts on spots and improves radiance
- Works on pores and diminishes them
- Hydrates and soothes Skin
1. Acts on spots and improves radiance
If you are dealing with hyperpigmentation, acne spots, and uneven skin tone, then topical niacinamide is the single best answer to your problem. It helps to treat hyperpigmentation by inhibiting the functions of melanin-producing enzymes.
The most remarkable benefit of topical Niacinamide is that it helps to boost the natural skin radiance and maintain its natural glow.
A research study published in British Journal of Dermatology has mentioned that 5% niacinamide concentrations were helpful in treating facial hyperpigmentation.
2. Works on pores and diminishes them
Niacinamide works brilliantly in shrinking the enlarged pores and bringing them back to their natural state.
Enlarged pores are the most persistent skin concern and sometimes seem impossible to manage. Pores are generally enlarged when there is high sebum production, decreased skin elasticity, unprotected sun exposure, and aging.
Niacinamide has the ability to control excess sebum production, which in turn prevents the risk of clogged and enlarged pores size.
Several researches have shown that niacinamide boosts collagen production and restores skin elasticity to tighten the large pores. Its regular use also gives anti-aging benefits for your skin.
3. Hydrates and soothes Skin
Niacinamide helps to soothe and calm the redness, inflammation, and irritated skin caused by inflammatory conditions like acne or rosacea. Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of niacinamide are capable of hydrating and soothing your skin.
Niacinamide helps to reinforce your skin barrier by encouraging ceramide synthesis in the stratum corneum layer (outermost layer of skin).
Ceramides are fatty acids that make up to 50% of the uppermost layer of your skin. They maintain healthy skin barrier functions and prevent Transepidermal Water Loss (TEWL) to keep your skin hydrated, healthy, and youthful-looking. Hence, niacinamide plays a crucial role to strengthen your skin barrier by producing ceramides.
Not all niacinamides serums are equally created, however, it is easy to choose the BEST ONE for your skin
The most crucial factors that determine the effectiveness of niacinamide serum for your skin are ideal concentrations of niacinamide, ingredients compatibility, and the right way of layering. When any of these factors are not aligned with your skin needs, it may lead to skin irritations and unwanted results.
How to Choose the Right one
- Don't overdo Niacinamide: 3 to 5% is what your skin needs
- Niacinamide is a hard-working ingredient: Not a Magic Wand
- Be careful with the combinations: Avoid mixing other serums containing acidic ingredients along with Niacinamide
1. Don't overdo Niacinamide: 3 to 5% is what your skin needs
Niacinamide is only your skin's friend when used in the right concentration. When concentrations of niacinamide are too high, your skin is more likely to have a bad reaction in the form of redness and irritation.
You can choose the serums that have a good concentration of niacinamide. Numerous research trials have suggested that 5% concentration of niacinamide is well suited by all skin types, even sensitive, dry, or acne-prone skin types.
2. Niacinamide is a hard-working ingredient: Not a magic wand
Niacinamide is great by itself but when combined with other ingredients it brings multiple benefits to improve your skin's overall appearance.
Neurobiox™, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vitamin C derivative), and Esculenta Fruit Extract are a few best ingredients that work perfectly with niacinamide. This combination of ingredients instantly smooths skin's texture, diminishes fine lines, and improves acne-prone skin.
3. Be careful with the combinations: Avoid mixing other serums containing acid ingredients along with Niacinamide
When you are using Niacinamide serum, you should be careful about layering other acidic ingredients like AHAs, BHAs, Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Azelaic Acid on your skin.
Using too many acid ingredients at one time can result in over-exfoliated skin. This increases your skin's sensitivity to sun rays, which ultimately runs the risk of skin irritations and redness.
If you want to use other acid ingredients while using niacinamide serums, consider using them on alternate days rather than at the same time.
Niacinamide is definitely a potent and multitasking ingredient for your skin. Niacinamide is among those ingredients which have been studied extensively for years and have been acknowledged to be very beneficial for all skin types. From its use, you can benefit your skin in numerous ways. It soothes the skin inflammations, tames acne-prone skin, reinforces the skin barrier, shrinks large pores, fades hyperpigmentation, fine line, and wrinkles.
Without any further delay, add this powerful ingredient into your routine and get radiant, resilient, and super smooth skin.
P.S.
Recent research studies have unveiled the photoprotective properties of Niacinamide. Its application during the daytime is found to provide protection to your skin against sun damage. Interestingly, when niacinamide and broad-spectrum sunscreen are teamed together, they will help to repair and protect your skin throughout the day. After applying the niacinamide serum, don't forget to slather on sunscreen.
