Niacinamide and glycolic acid are both common ingredients in exfoliating products. Glycolic acid helps to break down the top layer of dead skin cells to encourage a smoother complexion. Niacinamide increases the skin's elasticity to help improve the appearance of fine wrinkles and lines.
Also, take a look at which other active ingredients a niacinamide product contains. Chen explains that you can often find niacinamide paired with alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs). “AHAs exfoliate dead skin cells that make it easier for niacinamide to effectively penetrate,” she says.
This combined 29% AHA/BHA solution offers deeper exfoliation to help fight visible blemishes and for improved skin radiance. The formula also improves the appearance of skin texture and reduces the look of fine lines with continued use.
This workhorse gel serum targets wrinkles by hydrating skin and encouraging cell turnover via gentle exfoliation. The anti-pollution product is recommended for anyone who experiences environmental skin stressors, since Niacinamide helps to calm the skin down after being exposed to external triggers.
Don't Mix: Niacinamide and vitamin C. Although they're both antioxidants, vitamin C is one ingredient that's not compatible with niacinamide. "Both are very common antioxidants used in a variety of skincare products, but they should not be used one right after the other," says Dr. Marchbein.
When used topically every day, niacinamide may have a positive impact on your overall skin health. The ingredient can help reduce inflammation and hyperpigmentation, smooth your overall skin texture, and brighten your skin.
Niacinamide skincare products can sometimes cause breakouts in people who are acne-prone. If you start to experience more breakouts while using niacinamide products, discontinue use immediately.
One of the reasons why you might have experienced breakouts while using niacinamide is that the ingredient is non-comedogenic, which means it won't clog your skin's pores.
It seems that niacinamide has a normalising ability on the pore lining, and this influence plays a role in keeping debris from getting backed up, which leads to clogs and rough, bumpy skin. As the clog forms and worsens, the pores stretch to compensate, and what you'll see is enlarged pores.
The Benefits of Niacinamide for Skin
It can also be useful for its anti-inflammatory effects on acne and reducing sebum”, Dr. Chacon says. Basically, niacinamide can be used to treat nearly every skin concern in the book: pimples, clogged pores, oily skin, uneven tone, redness, loss of firmness, fine lines, wrinkles…
Niacinamide should be used after your BHA exfoliant. From there, you can apply the rest of your products in order of thinnest to thickest texture. For daytime, always finish with sunscreen as your last step.
The Ordinary niacinamide can actually be used daily both day and/or night after cleansing the skin. Niacinamide is an ingredient that is great for overall skin health, so it can easily slot into any skincare routine.
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 minimize enlarged pores, tighten lax or stretched out pores, improve uneven skin tone, soften fine lines and wrinkles, diminish dullness, and strengthen a weakened ...
"When used in high concentrations, it can cause skin irritation and redness," Talakoub says. "Especially in sensitive areas such as around the eyes." Exactly how much niacinamide is too much depends on your genes and the sensitivity of your skin, explains cosmetic chemist Perry Romanowski.
Because salicylic acid is oil-soluble, it penetrates deeper into the skin layers, although it also dehydrates and irritates it. Meanwhile, niacinamide boosts the skin's natural moisture and reduces inflammation.
The reaction is likely due to another ingredient in the product. However, a high concentration of niacinamide can cause irritation. Try using a product with lower potency if this is happening. If you have a severe reaction to niacinamide or any skin care ingredient, discuss your symptoms with a dermatologist.
by soothing yet powerful ingredients. Niacinamide, tea tree oil, and salicylic acid perform damage control by cleaning up and calming down the site of the eruption. Niacinamide helps quell redness and uneven skin tone caused by zits, then tea tree oil sinks in and unclogs the most stubborn of pores.
Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3 that helps build proteins in the skin and retain moisture. Signs it's not working: You're not seeing results and notice that the product is pilling on your skin. Also, if you experience redness, itching, or burning, you might want to skip this ingredient.
A typical purge lasts about as long as one skin cycle, which is four to six weeks, depending on your skin. Once that first skin cycle is over, your purge pimples should ease up, and you should start to notice the clarifying and brightening benefits of your new product.
Moisturizing ingredients: damp skin
If your facial routine is simple and you're just applying a moisturizer after you cleanse, you'll want to do this ASAP, while your skin is still wet. The same goes for any moisturizing serums you may layer into your routine, like hyaluronic acid, squalene, or niacinamide.
You can combine niacinamide with all other serums and creams. You can use it with retinol, Hyaluronic acid, Vitamin C, BHAs, or AHAs. Niacinamide and retinol work well together.
Niacinamide is possibly safe when taken in doses up to 900-1500 mg daily. It might cause side effects such as stomach upset, gas, dizziness, headache, and rash. When applied to the skin: Niacinamide is possibly safe. Niacinamide cream might cause mild burning, itching, or redness.
Niacinamide is a great ingredient for its tolerability, preventing skin aging and treating inflammation and pigmentation. Most results take 8–12 weeks.
Rub on any oil-based serums in your skincare routine.
Make sure you use the oil-based products after the Niacinamide 10% Zinc 1% to avoid clogging your pores. Oil-based serums penetrate deep into your skin, keeping it moisturized and hydrated.
As a general rule of thumb, yes, which is why it's found in many skincare products and why it's pretty easy to incorporate into your existing routine. Per those acne-fighting benefits, niacinamide is often paired with salicylic acid, a beta-hydroxy acid that's a mainstay in acne products, says Dr. Frieling.