Raechele Cochran Gathers, MD Niacinamide is an ultra-useful skin care ingredient that you may not have heard of yet. Unlike vitamin C serums and retinols, niacinamide has been flying under the radar. Now, niacinamide is finally having its moment. And it should. A real workhorse, niacinamide can have some tremendous benefits for the way your skin looks. Read on to find out what niacinamide can do for your skin.
What’s Niacinamide?
Niacinamide, also called nicotinamide, is a form of vitamin B3. Vitamin B3 occurs naturally in some foods, like fish, chicken and green vegetables. While eating foods rich in niacinamide are helpful, to gain maximum benefits on your skin, applying a topical niacinamide is the way to go.
Niacinamide can do plenty for your skin. It helps calm inflammation in your skin. Niacinamide is also an antioxidant, which means that it counteracts oxidative stress on your skin from things like pollution, toxins and the sun. 
Niacinamide Skin Benefits
- Is an antioxidant
- Reduces inflammation
- Brightens dull skin
- Helps protect the skin barrier
- Improves skin texture
- Reduces mild acne
- Improves moisture balance—especially helpful for mature skin
- Increases natural lipids (ceramides) in the skin
- Reduces oil production
- Reduces appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
- Decreases redness and blotchiness
- Improves appearance of pores
- Reduces appearance of dark spots and melasma.
Products with Niacinamide
Niacinamide can be used with a variety of other skin care ingredients. Because of this, it’s found in many topical skin care products. Two favorites are Cerave PM and Elta MD PM Therapy.
CeraVe Facial Moisturizing Lotion PM
This fragrance-free nighttime treatment goes on light as a feather. It contains ceramides to restore your skin’s barrier, and niacinamide, which acts to reduce inflammation and improve your skin texture.
EltaMD PM Therapy Face Moisturizer
This non-comedogenic moisturizer is lightweight and oil free. In addition to niacinamide, it also contains hyaluronic acid, which brings moisture to the surface of your skin.
Using Niacinamide
The concentration of niacinamide varies across different products and formulations. Many contain between 2% – 5% niacinamide, though some contain more. If your skin is sensitive, you should start with a lower percentage product. You can always go up. Like most products, it can take 4-6 weeks, or more, before you begin to see results.
Conclusion
Niacinamide can do a lot for your skin. Its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties help it improve the look for dark spots, hyperpigmentation, redness, and fine lines. It can improve the texture of your skin, refine the appearance of your pores and brighten your complexion. It’s not a miracle ingredient, but it’s definitely a great addition to a well-rounded skin care regimen.
