What is niacinamide?
Also known as vitamin B3 and nicotinamide, niacinamide is a water-soluble vitamin that works with the natural substances in your skin to help visibly minimise enlarged pores, improve uneven skin tone, soften fine lines and wrinkles, diminish dullness, and strengthen an impaired barrier.
Niacinamide also plays a role in helping skin to repair signs of past damage. Left unchecked, this type of damage makes skin appear older, dull and less radiant.
What does niacinamide do for your skin?
Improve Hydration
A key cause of dry or dehydrated skin is a weakened skin barrier that does not lock in moisture effectively. Niacinamide can help improve the skins protective barrier by stimulating the synthesis of ceramides within the skin. Ceramides are important components of the skin and help maintain strong bonds between the cells to help strengthen the natural skin barrier. Niacinamides role can therefore lead to an improved ability for the skin to retain moisture. Similarly, oily skin can be a result of moisture loss, leaving the sebaceous glands (oil production) to work extra hard when the skin feels dehydrated. This increased oil level can result in a greasy skin texture, due to the skin responding to moisture loss. To enhance the natural skin barrier, seal in the skins moisture levels with vitamin B3.
Strengthen Your Skin Against Irritants
Niacinamide has the ability to help improve the skins natural protective barrier. A strong stratum corneum (outermost layer of skin) is the first line of defence against exposure to irritants that could be potential triggers for sensitive skin and other skin concerns.
Visibly Reduce Environmental Damage
A strong antioxidant, niacinamide is a powerful force against skin damage from environmental aggressors. Antioxidants have a strong ability to reduce oxidative stress, a harmful reaction that occurs when the skin is exposed to different external or internal elements. The skin produces ‘free radicals’ when exposed to a range of lifestyle choices like UV exposure, smoking, pollution, diet and more. Free radicals are unpaired and chaotic electrons that can harm healthy skin cells. However, antioxidants provide a singular electron to match and neutralise these free radicals. Antioxidants like niacinamide are important for visibly improving the skins health and countering the visible effects of environmental damage.
Minimise Signs of Ageing Skin
Collagen is an important anti-ageing protein that keeps the skin looking firm and youthful, however, when collagen production decreases it can result in sagging skin with volume loss. Niacinamide has the ability to help improve the skins collagen production which results in visibly fuller skin with fewer fine lines and wrinkles.
Manage Hyperpigmentation and Dark Spots
Niacinamide can be used to target dark spots on the skin as it can help to break down excess melanin. Melanin is a pigment found in most humans and animals, giving the skin its unique colour. However, patches of excess melanin can form as a result of environmental factors like UV exposure, which is why skin can change colour under the sun. Niacinamide can target pigmentation and dark spots by visibly reducing these areas.
How to use niacinamide
Niacinamide is compatible with other powerful ingredients like peptides, hyaluronic acid, AHAs (alpha hydroxy acid), BHA (beta hydroxy acid or salicylic acid), and all types of antioxidants, including retinol and vitamin C.
Using niacinamide alongside other bioactive ingredients works to provide advanced results. For example, applying niacinamide will boost the skins barrier, making it more receptive to vitamin a. Niacinamide and vitamin a work well together to help balance oil production, reduce the look of pores, brighten and fight off pro-ageing environmental aggressors.
Vitamin A isn’t the only potent ingredient to pair with niacinamide. Niacinamide and Vitamin C supercharge each other'\s antioxidant benefits, resulting in boosted radiance and a smoother, more even appearance.
Take a closer look at our Clarity - our 4% Niacinamide Cream.
Still feeling unsure about if Niacinamide is right for you? Book a virtual skin consultation with our Skin Specialist (and owner!) Jess.