Skincare - Benefits of Niacinamide

What is Niacinamide?

Niacinamide is a water-soluble form of vitamin B3 and is an essential nutrient for your skin. It helps make your skin look healthier and brighter by improving uneven skin tone and strengthening the top layer of skin. It will also make large pores smaller, tightens loose or stretched pores and reduces fine lines and wrinkles.

Niacinamide has the ability to strengthen the skin's barrier and help the skin to repair from previous damage. It can also help reduce the effects of environmental damage. This kind of damage gives skin a more aged, dull, and lifeless appearance if ignored.

Your body does not naturally produce niacinamide. To get the benefits for your skin, it's important to use skin care products that have it in them.

What are the niacinamide benefits in skincare?

1. Minimises large pores
   

   The most well-known use of niacinamide is to lessen the appearance of enlarged pores. It can restore normalcy to the pore lining. This contributes to preventing excess oil and debris build-up, which causes blockages and rough, bumpy skin.

   The pores enlarge as they expand in order to make up for the clog's growing severity. Niacinamide application on a regular basis aid in the natural resizing of pores. Higher concentrations of it can greatly improve how the skin feels by making the skin's supporting structures stronger. This can make pores appear noticeably tighter.

2. Additional moisture
   

   Niacinamide also protects the surface of the skin from drying and losing moisture, which is one of its other benefits. When the essential fatty acids in the skin's protective barrier called ceramides decrease, the skin becomes more prone to various problems. These problems can include dry skin and flaky patches of skin as well as increased sensitivity.

   Topical niacinamide helps moisturisers work better by helping the skin hold on to more moisture. This helps the skin's surface to better withstand moisture loss that causes chronic dryness and flaky texture.

3. Brightens skin
   

   Niacinamide treats uneven skin tones and dark spots. Both of these issues occur when additional skin pigment is visible on the skin's surface. It prevents the development of new dark spots when present at concentrations of 5% and higher. Additionally, it aids in minimising the appearance of pre-existing dark spots and blemishes, making your skin tone appear more even.

Top tips for using niacinamide in your skin care routine:

• Use lukewarm water and a mild cleanser to clean your skin.
• Use a gentle chemical exfoliant on your skin, such as glycolic acid.
• Apply a niacinamide serum or moisturiser once or two times per day.

Formulas that contain niacinamide are considered very versatile because they can be used together with other skincare products. However, avoid using niacinamide and vitamin C products at the same time because they could make it less effective. Additionally, it is usually well tolerated for daily use, even by those with sensitive skin.