Niacinamide for Skin: The Ultimate Guide

Niacinamide is a potent skincare ingredient with numerous benefits for various skin concerns. It is highly effective and offers a wide range of advantages, such as:

• Protecting against moisture loss and promoting hydration
• Reducing the signs of aging, that are, wrinkles and fine lines
• Shrinking down the large pores
• Preventing skin discolourations due to sun damage

Unlike the other skincare ingredients including vitamin C and salicylic acid, niacinamide is known to cover multiple skincare concerns. It also helps in treating acne and eczema.

What is Niacinamide?

Niacinamide, nicotinamide, or vitamin B3 is a staple in the skincare industry and serves as an essential skincare ingredient. It is a vitamin that is water soluble and works effectively for various skin care concerns, including ageing, skin spots, acne, sun damage, dullness, and inflammation.

Dermatologists recommend niacinamide for hyperpigmentation and dark spots, as it reduces melanin in the skin. It also increases the production of ceramides by improving the barrier function of the skin, making it younger-looking. Furthermore, it minimises the pores by regulating sebum production, repairs past damages, and provides strength to the skin.

How Niacinamide Works on Skin?

Ranging for multiple skin concerns and types, niacinamide normally suits all skin types. So, that makes it a functional ingredient to get added to everyone’s routine.

Before it provides major benefits to the skin, niacinamide needs some processing. After its application on the skin, it is broken down into a vitamin B form so the skin cells can use it.

The coenzyme nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide is a vitamin B form that imparts niacinamide’s good effects on the skin.

Let’s explore the major benefits of niacinamide:

Reduces Pores

Large pores are a common skin concern affecting millions of people worldwide, irrespective of gender and age. While they enlarge due to a variety of reasons, genes contribute largely when it comes to your pore size. Niacinamide may help you to reduce the pore size though nothing has been proven to do it accurately yet.

It may affect the pore lining by reducing it when applied consistently followed by a strict routine.

When the skin produces too much oil, it clogs pores making them look larger, affecting the appearance of the skin. Sometimes, the sun also damages the skin to appear like an “orange peel.” Niacinamide works amazingly in controlling this damage thus, reducing pore size.

Hydrates Skin

Loss of moisture can result in some serious skin concerns, including fine lines and itchiness. Using niacinamide can help with restoring lost moisture.

Dehydrated skin looks flaky, rough, and dull. Skin needs lipids or specifically ceramides in order to maintain the moisture barrier of the skin. A strong moisture barrier helps to prevent the evaporation of water from the skin and retains it.

Skin with good moisture looks beautiful and healthy, glowing and hydrated. The other popular moisturiser ingredients such as cholesterols and glycerine combine well with niacinamide to provide effective results.

Fights Inflammation

Niacinamide has excellent anti-inflammatory properties that help to reduce redness and calm irritated or damaged skin, and that’s why it is used as an active ingredient in anti-acne treatment.

Adding to its anti-inflammatory benefits, it also repairs the protective outer layer of the skin, the stratum corneum.

If you are dealing with irritated skin caused by glycolic acid or retinol, which are strong exfoliants, you can take solace in niacinamide.

Helps With Discoloration

Melanin, the pigment that determines our skin color, can sometimes become unevenly distributed, resulting in an uneven skin tone. This can be caused by various factors such as hormonal changes, UV radiation, and the aging process. Niacinamide could be highly effective in combatting skin pigmentation.

Niacinamide controls the activity of an enzyme, tyrosinase which is responsible for the synthesis of melanin in the skin. This overall helps with uneven skin texture and tone, and hyperpigmentation, giving smooth and bright skin.

In addition to niacinamide, there are other ingredients like vitamin C, bakuchiol, and retinol that help with discolouration and can be used with niacinamide to have maximum benefits.

How to Use Niacinamide?

Niacinamide requires a sustained commitment and consistent incorporation into your skincare regimen. Choosing the right niacinamide-containing product is the primary challenge. Incorporating a leave-on niacinamide product, such as moisturisers, toners, or serums, into your skincare routine twice daily is considered an excellent and highly effective approach.

Here’s how one can use niacinamide to avail its advantages for the skin; Choose a niacinamide serum with an optimal range (2-10%) to avail most benefits.

DRSQ’s niacinamide serum provides a 3D radiance to the skin and anti-inflammatory benefits. This serum has 10% of niacinamide with hyaluronic acid. Give it a try to give your skin a rejuvenated and youthful look.

• Begin with cleansing your face with a mild cleanser.
• Follow up with a suitable toner.
• Use an exfoliant for the best results.
• Take a little amount of your niacinamide-based serum, and apply it on your face and neck evenly.
• A gentle massage is recommended until the product gets absorbed.
• Apply your favorite moisturiser.
• End your routine with an SPF.

To avoid any bad reactions, a patch test is highly recommended for any of the niacinamide serums. 

Side Effects

People with sensitive skin might react to high concentrations of Niacinamide. Therefore a patch test is always recommended.

One might face a flushing effect, that is, redness of the skin, especially in sensitive areas, including around the eye, nose, and cheeks. Furthermore, burning and itching can cause irritation. Redness is considered as the most common side effect of niacinamide. The tingling sensation can also be felt.

Another common side effect is dryness. If your skin is sensitive, already, and you feel tightening of the skin followed by the uncomfortness, then use a moisturiser. Try to use products that regulate oil production on your skin.

Acne-prone people may also have to deal with breakouts, and it is advised to stop the niacinamide use immediately if it is causing irritation.

How Long Does Niacinamide Take to Work?

Nothing works overnight. You will have to be patient. Niacinamide is recommended twice a day, and you can expect results in about two to four weeks. The effectiveness of niacinamide also depends upon its concentration, and severity of your skin concerns.

Consistency is the key!

Wrap-up

Offering a versatile bunch of results for the skin, niacinamide may enhance the overall skin condition if used religiously. Being suitable for all skin types, it is a popular choice of a variety of skincare products.

Don’t expect your skin to become poreless, but it may shrink the pore size. Niacinamide can be by your side while fighting acne scars and hyperpigmentation.