Here’s Why You Need To Add Niacinamide To Your Skincare Routine

What’s the deal with niacinamide for skincare?

When it comes to skincare, it feels like there is always a new buzz “skincare ingredient” every other month. Lately, the current buzz ingredient/product seems to be Niacinamide. Niacinamide for skincare seems to be on everyone’s lips right now and the skincare experts and influencers swear by it.

But what really is Niacinamide, what does it do for the skin and is it really as great as people say it is? Let’s find out!

Everything You Need To Know About Niacinamide and It's Benefits For The Skin. Click To Tweet

My Experience With Niacinamide.

I love skincare and trying out new products, but I’m also careful with what I use on my skin. I’d hardly get a product just because people are talking about it, so I didn’t pay attention to all the niacinamide skincare talk.

When I started breaking out sometime last year (I talked about that here), I consulted with a friend who is an aesthetic doctor and one of the products she recommended for me was niacinamide.

I used that for a while (in combination with other products here), and I got sold on niacinamide. I’ve now included Niacinamide in my skincare routine, and currently weaning off Vitamin c serum to use solely Niacinamide.

Related: My current skincare routine using K beauty products

What is Niacinamide?

Niacinamide, also known as Nicotinamide is a form of vitamin B₃. It is a water soluble vitamin that isn’t produced naturally in the body, so has to be consumed either orally in supplements or food.

It is an essential vitamin that plays a role in many cellular activities in the body, and when applied topically (on the skin) has a wide range of benefits for the skin.

Niacinamide for skincare – What are the benefits?

Niacinamide stands out because of its versatility – it literally has a benefit for almost every skincare need.

Minimizes the appearance of enlarged pores, and can help reduce fine lines and wrinkles. It does this by reducing the breakdown of the enzymes NADH and NADPH which help our skin stay elastic as we age. With this breakdown reduced, the skin retains its elasticity and the pores size appear smaller.
It has anti-inflammatory properties, so it can help with acne prone skin.
Niacinamide helps fight cellular damage caused by free radicals and sun damage. As a result, it also has an effect on hyperpigmentation and helps improve uneven skin tone.
Additionally, niacinamide can stimulate ceramide production, which helps our skin stay moisturized, and strengthens the skin barrier
There is also some evidence that it can reduce sebum production – so if you have oily skin, it can help with this.

P.S – Niacinamide can convert to Niacin (Nicotinic acid) which can cause redness but this mostly happens when used in high concentrations.

What I love about Niacinamide.

I love how versatile Niacinamide is – you can tell from the benefits up there, that it can help all skin types and ages. I especially love the fact that it can do all the things Vitamin c does and even more!
Niacinamide is also very low risk, non irritating and unproblematic. Although there is some talk that Niacinamide doesn’t work well with a certain form of Vitamin C, It works well with a lot of other skincare products, especially the AHAs, BHAs and other exfoliating acids.

Move Over Vitamin C Serums, There’s Another Super Vitamin In Town! Click To Tweet

Niacinamide products to try.

I’ve only tried two Niacinamide serums/products – The ordinary Niacinamide and Tiam Vita B3. I’ll do a full review on both in a subsequent post, but they definitely both have my heart.

Have you tried Niacinamide for skincare? What do you think about it? Is it something you’re still looking to add to your routine?

Please share your thoughts, and lets connect!