Niacinamide, also called nicotinamide or Vitamin B3, is unique because it has many benefits that other skin care ingredients do not have. It has so many skin benefits that it is one of the best ingredients to look for in skincare products for sensitive skin, hyperpigmentation and skin aging.

I am a dermatologist who does research on skincare ingredients and skin types and niacinamide is one of the best skincare ingredients because it play an important role in so many cellular functions.  It is similar to NAD. This blog will explain why niacinamide is one of the best cosmeceutical ingredients. It is used to slow aging, soothe skin and decrease skin pigment.

Niacinamide is a water-soluble form of vitamin B3 that is involved in many metabolic pathways, such as the synthesis of fatty acids, cholesterol, and steroids, and in energy production in the NAD pathway. Niacinamide acts as a precursor to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) and its phosphorylated form (NADP+), which are essential coenzymes in cellular redox reactions and play a crucial role in mitochondrial function and ATP synthesis. It is a very important molecule that the body needs to be healthy.

My patients often ask me what Vit B3 is good for and how it can benefit their skin. Sometimes it just sounds too good to be true that they are skeptical. But there is a lot of evidence based data to support the use of niacinamide. I will talk about these studies later in this blog. But first- lets look at all the things niacinamide can do for your skin.

Put simply, Vit B3 improves many skin issues such as:

• Dark spots
• Inflammation
• Skin Aging 

It is one of my top recommendations for relieving inflammation and irritation in sensitive skin. It calms redness from conditions like rosacea, and other types of sensitive skin.  It acts as a PAR-2 inhibitor which gives it these unique anti-inflammatory abilities and helps prevent hyperpigmentation by blocking the transfer of melanin.

Niacinamide has 3 main functions in a skin care routine:

1. Blocks transfer of melanin into skin cells
2. Gives cells energy to help repair damage and make important components like collagen
3. Decreases inflammation

Niacinamide is used in serums, sunscreens, and creams to treat dark spots, melasma, skin aging and rosacea. It may also be found in acne treatments but niacinamide is not the best treatment for acne.

Here are the primary pathways through which niacinamide benefits skin:

• Pigmentation:
  •   Niacinamide inhibits the transfer of melanosomes from melanocytes to keratinocytes, reducing the appearance of hyperpigmentation and promoting a more even skin tone. 
  •  It suppresses the activity of tyrosinase, a key enzyme involved in melanin synthesis, thereby decreasing melanin production. 
  •  Niacinamide helps to prevent UV-induced pigmentation by reducing the damaging effects of UV radiation on the skin.
•  Inflammation: 
  •  Niacinamide exhibits anti-inflammatory properties by inhibiting the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). 
  •  It modulates the activity of inflammatory cells, such as neutrophils and monocytes, reducing their infiltration into the skin and preventing excessive inflammation. 
  •  Niacinamide enhances the skin's barrier function, which helps to prevent the entry of irritants and allergens that can trigger inflammatory responses.
•  Free Radicals: 
  •  Niacinamide acts as an antioxidant, neutralizing free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that can cause oxidative stress and damage to skin cells. 
  •  It helps to boost the skin's natural antioxidant defenses by increasing the production of glutathione, a potent antioxidant enzyme. 
  • Niacinamide protects against UV-induced oxidative stress by reducing the formation of ROS and enhancing the skin's repair mechanisms.
•  Mitochondrial Activity: 
  •  Niacinamide is a precursor to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), a coenzyme essential for cellular energy production in the mitochondria.
  •  It helps to maintain optimal mitochondrial function by supporting the electron transport chain and ATP synthesis. 
  •  Niacinamide has been shown to improve mitochondrial biogenesis, promoting the formation of new, healthy mitochondria in skin cells. 
  •  By enhancing mitochondrial activity, niacinamide supports cellular energy production, which is crucial for various skin functions, including cell turnover, collagen synthesis, and wound healing.

As you can see, niacinamide plays a multifaceted role in skin health by modulating pigmentation, reducing inflammation, combating free radicals, and supporting mitochondrial activity. These diverse mechanisms contribute to its beneficial effects on skin appearance, texture, and overall health.

Vit B3 helps gives skin cells the energy they need to restore collagen. It also soothes inflammation that is known to cause skin aging. It is found in many antiwrinkle serums. Here are some of our favorite antiaging serums with Vit B3.

Vit B3 is a PAR-2 blocker that helps lighten skin and prevent the recurrence of dark spots and an uneven skin tone. Niacinamide will help lighten skin but should be paired in the skin care routine with a retinoid and a tyrosinase inhibitor for best results.

Learn more about skin lightening skincare routines here.

These are our dermatologist recommended products with Vit B3 to use in a skin lightening routine.

• Biopelle Brightening KNR Serum -This serum combines skin lighteners form 3 skin lightening ingredient categories: Vit B3, retinol and kojic acid

  
  

• SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense- This serum has 3% tranexamic acid, 1% kojic acid and 5% Vit B3

  
  

• Medature Hydrobright- Combines hexylresorcinol, hyaluronic acid and Vit B3.

  
  
• Zerafite Brightening Barrier Cream- Combines unsaturated fatty acids, Vit B3, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Artemisia Capillaris Extract, Bilberry extract, and Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract

Vit B3 is a good anti-inflammatory ingredient to treat rosacea or a red face.

In fact, it is one of the best ingredients for a redness on the face- unless you are allergic to it.

1. Medature PSL Repair Moisturizer
2. Zerafite Soothing and Calming Barrier Repair Moisturizer
3. Zerafite Wrinkle Defense Barrier Repair Moisturizer

Vit B3 gives cells energy to repair themselves after sun damage.

This is why niacinamide is a good ingredient in sunscreen.

Here are the best sunscreens that have niacinamide:

• SkinCeuticals Daily Brightening UV Defense SPF
• EltaMD UV Clear Tinted Broad-Spectrum SPF 46
• EltaMD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46 Untinted

Niacinamide decreases inflammation which helps treat the symptoms of acne but not the cause. It should be combined with other ingredients to effectively treat acne such as benzoyl peroxide and retinoids.

Which acne ingredients are best to combine with niacinamide to treat acne depends upon your Baumann Skin Type.

Niacinamide does not help true acne scars.

However, when my patients say they have acne scars, they often are referring to the red marks left after a pimple heals. These pink or red marks are not scars- they are skin inflammation. It can speed up how fast the red spots from acne heal and disappear. It can be used on acne scabs to help them heal without a scar.

Niacinamide can help soothe upset skin within a few days but it can take 12- 16  weeks to see an improvement in dark spots. Niacinamide works faster when combined in the correct step order with other products in the skincare routine that help it work better . Which products to combine it with to speed results depends upon many things such as your Baumann Skin Type.

Niacinamide is not irritating to the skin unless you have an allergy to it. It can be used once or twice a day in your skin care routine.

Trying to decide if Vit B3 is the best ingredient for you- or maybe vitamin c, retinoids, or HA serums are better. 

 Take the quiz and we will tell you exactly what skin care products to use for your skin type. Below I compare niacinamide to other skincare ingredients.

These are very different types of skin care ingredients. Hyaluronic acid hydrates, plumps and makes other ingredients absorb better.

Niacinamide is anti-inflammatory, antiaging, increases cellular energy, and lightens skin.

Both ingredients are good for antiaging, but retinol is better.

These can be used together because they both have antiaging and skin lightening benefits.

Vit B3 can help decrease the side effects from retinol.

If you have to choose between the two- choose retinol for antiaging.

You can go in the sun while wearing niacinamide. Niacinamide does not seem to be a photoallergen and does not make skin more sensitive to sun.

When used topically, it has very few negative effects. It gets blamed for rosacea flares and facial flushing but reactions are more likely due to an allergy.

Vit B3 can cause an allergic reaction in some people. The purity and grade of Vit B3 used in the skin care formulation effects the potential to cause a skin allergy. In other words- purer forms of are less likely to cause an allergic reaction.

 This is why you may get an allergy to some products with niacinamide in them and not from others. In fact, it can vary from batch to batch depending on what form was used when the products were made.

When niacinamide is applied to the skin, it is readily absorbed and utilized by skin cells without triggering the release of prostaglandins, causing vasodilation. Niacinamide does not cause flushing.

Oral niacin, which is similar to niacinamide and is also known as nicotinic acid, can cause flushing, which is characterized by redness, warmth, and tingling sensations in the skin, particularly on the face, neck, and chest. This flushing occurs because niacin activates the GPR109A receptor in the skin, leading to the release of prostaglandins, which dilate blood vessels and increase blood flow to the skin.

In contrast, topical niacinamide, despite being in the same vitamin B3 family as niacin, does not cause flushing when applied to the skin. The reason for this difference is that niacinamide does not activate the GPR109A receptor like niacin does. Niacinamide is a more stable form of vitamin B3 that does not undergo the same metabolic processes as niacin when applied topically.

Although many people say you cannot mix niacinamide with Vitamin C, this is incorrect. Niacinamide and Vitamin C can be used together. Both are water soluble ingredients that are compatible together.

Make sure you are using the best niacinamide products for your skin type.

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