5 Incredible Benefits Of Niacinamide

5 Incredible Benefits Of Niacinamide

 If you want to know about the benefits of niacinamide? Read an article to know about it.

The new buzzwords of the skincare world revolve around active ingredients.Oneof them is Niacinamide. You must have seen it all over the skincare shelves at stores, at the back of product ingredient lists and there is a high chance you already have a niacinamide infused product that you don’t know the benefits of. Fret not, we have a well rounded guide for you to understand niacinamide as an ingredient, its benefits, uses, risks and who can use niacinamide on their skin.

What Is Niacinamide?

Let’s start off with what niacinamide actually is. It sounds like a chemical straight out of a chemistry lab but in reality,  it’s so much simpler than that. Niacinamide, also called nicotinamide, is a form of vitamin B-3, which is an essential nutrient. This essential nutrient is vital in our bodies, often found in supplements, food and skin care products. Vitamin B-3 is an antioxidant that is critical for cell repair and can do wonders for your skin health as well. 

5 Benefits Of Niacinamide For Skin 

Niacinamide is known to be good for your skin in more ways than one. Here are 5 amazing benefits of niacinamide, a popular active ingredient that result in happy, healthy skin. 

1. Treats Acne

Niacinamide helps balance excess oil and sebum production in the skin cells, which reduce the number of acne breakouts (1). Niacinamide can be used topically as a step in your anti acne skincare routine as it also soothes redness and inflammation caused by severe acne and improves skin texture. One of the best benefits of niacinamide for skin. 

2. Minimizes Fine Lines And Wrinkles 

The multipurpose ingredient helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles that are visible over time when the skin is exposed to environmental stressors like UV damage, free radicals and pollution. Niacinamide is a great anti-aging ingredient as it reverses the damage caused to the skin cells and results in wrinkle-free, youthful skin (2). 

3. Tackles Hyperpigmentation

If you have dark patches, age spots or hyperpigmentation, niacinamide might be the answer to your skin woes.It works into the skin and blocks the production of melanin, which is the enzyme responsible for hyperpigmentation, resulting in improved skin tone and clarity (3). This is one of the many benefits of niacinamide that has optimal results.

4. Protects against stressors 

The stressors responsible for dullness, premature ageing of skin and uneven skin tone are plenty. Lack of sleep, UV rays, pollution and stress are what produce free radicals and cause the skin’s radiance to fade over time. Niacinamide has antioxidant properties that rebuild the damaged skin cells, reverse their effect and protect the skin from further damage (4).

5. Keeps skin hydrated and glowing

When applied topically with carrier ingredients like glycerin and hyaluronic acid, niacinamide is highly effective in keeping the skin’s hydration levels in check by boosting the product’s hydrating ability and keeping your skin supple and soft. Niacinamide is also known to promote the production of ceramides in your skin, which are the natural fats that improve the skin’s barrier function and prevent water loss (5). 

6. Improves Immunity

Niacinamide is known to help build keratin, which is a type of protein that helps protect our skin and keep it firm and healthy. Moreover, it also helps in building a lipid barrier that helps in retaining moisture within our skin, to keep our skin naturally moisturised and hydrated. 

7. Minimise Pores

Niacinamide can also help shrink pores that might be clogged and exfoliated during scrubbing to give you an even skin texture. Moreover, it also reduces the size of skin pores over time to make your skin look more healthy. 

How To Use Niacinamide For Skin?

All this science talk must leave you with the question, what does niacinamide do for skin and how do I apply it? The answer is very simple. Niacinamide being a form of vitamin B-3 can be found in certain foods that you can include in your diet to feed your body the necessary nutrients and improve your body and skin health. Foods rich in vitamin B-3 include fish, eggs, beans, cereals, green veggies and milk. 

Other than that, the most common way of including niacinamide for your skin is to apply it topically. You can buy products that contain niacinamide in certain concentrations or in combination with other active ingredients. Not sure what product to start your skincare journey with? Let us guide you through. Introducing Pure Sense, a natural skincare brand that focuses on the ethos of food like skincare. Made with 100% pure ingredients, ayurvedic ingredients and backed by scientific formulas that nourish, replenish and maintain your skin the natural way, give these products a try for optimal results. You can explore Pure Sense skincare products that are niacinamide focused like the vitamin C sleeping mask with hyaluronic acid and niacinamide and the anti aging sleeping mask that has hyaluronic acid, rosehip oil, retinol and niacinamide. The entire sheet mask range from Pure Sense also has niacinamide as one of the core ingredients along with the goodness of ayurvedic and natural ingredients. 

Is Niacinamide Safe For Skin? 

Niacinamide when applied onto your skin in the form of skincare products like sheet masks, serum and moisturizers is generally safe to use. Keep in mind that you use the dermatologist recommended concentration of the active ingredient. The most commonly available concentrations of niacinamide are 2% to 10%. Although there are very low risks of using niacinamide, if you have sensitive skin that is hypoallergenic and may result in irritation, we recommend you do a patch test of the product first or consult a skin professional before application. 

Conclusion

Now that you know what is niacinamide, its benefits for the skin and how it can be used for the betterment of your skin, it’s time to invest in some derm-approved products that improve your skin tone, texture and give you a natural glow from within. 

Frequently Asked Questions On Niacinamide For Skin (FAQs) 

1. Who can use niacinamide?

Niacinamide suits all skin types, even if you have hypersensitive skin. It is recommended to do a patch test on your arm before using a product containing active ingredients like niacinamide. Consult your dermatologist for the ideal concentration of niacinamide to use for your skin type.  

2. Does niacinamide help with acne?

Yes, niacinamide does help reduce acne and breakouts. Its antioxidant properties decrease excess sebum and oil production that cause acne and soothe inflammation. It is really helpful in the treatment of acne and rosacea. 

3. How do you know if niacinamide is working? 

There is no exact timeline that you can expect results in with regular use of niacinamide on your skin. Firstly, you must understand how to use niacinamide correctly for your skin and choose products wisely with dermatologist consultation. The average time for results to appear is 8 weeks wherein you should expect smooth, even toned skin, but it varies from person to person.

4. Does niacinamide cause breakouts?

Regular use of niacinamide should not cause any breakouts. While there have been few examples where use of niacinamide caused irritation and breakouts, it is unlikely to cause purging as it does not affect the skin in such a way.

5. What does niacinamide do for your face?

Niacinamide helps in building skin cells, protecting them from external stressors such as pollutants, toxins and sunlight. It also helps in treating acne, reducing inflammation and improving your skin’s texture. 

6. Does niacinamide really lighten skin?

Niacinamide has shown the ability to reduce hyperpigmentation and improve the skin tone after over a month of use. It is because niacinamide helps to reduce the production of melanin, an enzyme responsible for skin color and simultaneously reduce dark spots. 

7. Can niacinamide remove dark spots?

Niacinamide, a form of vitamin B3, may help to improve the appearance of dark spots on the skin. It can help to even out skin tone and reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation. It may also have anti-inflammatory effects, which can help to improve the overall health and appearance of the skin.