Niacinamide supports the skin barrier (the outer surface of skin), increases its resiliency, and improves texture by making pores look smaller. It also helps balance oil production, and—bonus! —it's good for all skin types.
The bottom line. 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.
Who should use niacinamide? Niacinamide suits all skin types, including those with sensitive skin and recommended for people with rosacea. 'It's well tolerated and causes minimal skin irritation,' says Dr. Mahto.
Niacinamide, on the other hand, is for everyone. It's almost universally well-tolerated—the odds are very low it will irritate your skin. It also plays well with other ingredients. In fact, since it reduces redness, it's a no-brainer to combine it with retinol.
If you struggle with dry skin, topical application of niacinamide has been shown to boost the hydrating ability of moisturisers so the skin's surface can better resist the moisture loss that leads to recurrent dry, tight, flaky skin.
Retinol has similar benefits, but it's stronger than niacinamide. It's also known to cause irritation, redness, and dry skin. Pairing the two ingredients is safe and can make retinol easier to use. Niacinamide helps hydrate the skin, which reduces the risk of irritation caused by retinol.
Though some people do report experiencing irritation and breakouts after using the ingredient, niacinamide is unlikely to cause purging.
It's an ingredient found in a number of moisturizing skin-care products, as well as certain foods and supplements like multivitamins. Can you use niacinamide every day? Yes. In fact, you can use niacinamide-containing topical products in the morning and night because it's generally a gentle ingredient.
Niacinamide can stabilize the melanosome activity within the cells, which can improve residual hyperpigmentation from acne scars as well as those who suffer from melasma.
Niacinamide Serum – As most niacinamide serums are water-based, it's best to apply them after cleansing and toning and before oil-based serums or moisturizers. This way, you ensure the highest possible absorption and effectiveness.
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.
Niacinamide is one of the most versatile skincare ingredients and is super easy to incorporate into your routine. Suitable for all skin types and all ages (from teens to mature skin) it can be used both morning and evening but remember consistency is key if you want to see results.
Both vitamin C and niacinamide increase the natural production of ceramides in your skin which helps to strengthen your skin barrier, keep your skin hydrated, and reduce irritation. However, niacinamide is probably the better option for sensitive skin as it's usually gentler than vitamin C.
You can absolutely use vitamin C and niacinamide together, Singh goes on to emphasize. That said, if you ever have any doubts as to whether it's safe to mix two skin care ingredients, a dermatologist can always offer advice.
Children should avoid taking niacinamide doses above the daily upper limits, which are 10 mg for children 1-3 years of age, 15 mg for children 4-8 years of age, 20 mg for children 9-13 years of age, and 30 mg for children 14-18 years of age. Diabetes: Niacinamide might increase blood sugar.
Using a product with, say, 10% niacinamide won't cause any major issues, but you may experience some irritation and redness, especially because niacinamide is quite easily absorbed into skin.
Does niacinamide help with blackheads? Yes, niacinamide helps with blackheads, but it would not be able to get rid of blackheads single handily. It can do this by preventing blackheads from developing thanks to its ability to reduce inflammation, regulate sebum production and minimise the appearance of pores.
Niacinamide and salicylic acid are both great ingredients for treating acne and have a variety of other benefits as well. Salicylic acid is the better option for treating acne, while niacinamide is great for fading scarring and hyperpigmentation.
The Ordinary niacinamide products are an excellent choice to help reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation, blemishes, and acne. These niacinamide skin care products are especially helpful for aging, oily, and acne-prone skin.
Niacinamide is a type of water-soluble vitamin that works by aligning itself with the natural skin elements and helping to enhance complexion and skin texture by minimizing enlarged pores, tightening the skin, reducing wrinkles and fine lines and brightening the skin.
While some niacinamide-containing products start to show initial benefits in two weeks, most results will show in four weeks or more. "You have to remember that it doesn't take two days for spots to form so you can't expect them to be removed in two days either," explains Engelman.
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.
These “can cause an increase in skin cell turnover which can lead to purging—a breakout of spots in areas where you would normally get acne. However, hyaluronic acid does not increase skin cell turnover; it's purely a hydrating skincare ingredient.” In short, hyaluronic acid isn't to blame for any breakouts.
Hyaluronic acid and niacinamide:
When used together, always go with applying hyaluronic acid first, followed by Niacinamide. By following this, you would be able to attract plenty of hydration first. After that, apply Niacinamide to help regulate the sebum production and help with the minimization of pores.