Niacinamide Benefits: What Does Niacinamide Do for Skin?

What is Niacinamide?

Niacinamide – which is also known as nicotinamide – is an essential nutrient and a form of vitamin B3. Because it’s an essential nutrient, we can only obtain it from food as our bodies can’t produce it on their own. Foods that are rich in niacinamide include -

• Bananas
• Nuts and seeds
• Brown rice
• Poultry
• Red meat

If you don’t have enough vitamin B3 in your body, you can develop disorders to do with the skin, brain, and/or kidneys.

What does Niacinamide do?

Niacinamide benefits are multiple. It is a potent tool in the battle for great skin and niacinamide effects on skin are many. It has been shown to help with skin conditions such as -

1. Acne

2. Eczema

3. Ageing

4. Hyperpigmentation

5. Protection against sun damage

What are the Benefits of Niacinamide?

Applying a niacinamide serum to your skin has been shown to help boost your skin’s production of keratin. Keratin is a form of protein that’s responsible for ensuring your skin stays looking firm and healthy.

Niacinamide also helps your skin create a lipid barrier and this is what’s responsible for ensuring your skin stays well moisturised. So, if you suffer from eczema, or have ageing skin, this is particularly important. Niacinamide has also been shown to aid -

• Reducing pore size
• Regulating oil production
• Reducing redness

Niacinamide is an anti-inflammatory, so can help target skin conditions such as acne and eczema that have a habit of flaring up. Furthermore, niacinamide has been shown to be beneficial in the treatment of sun damage. Healthy skin cells can be rebuilt, and protected against ultraviolet rays if niacinamide is used in your skincare regime.  

How to use Niacinamide

Niacinamide is considered gentle enough to be used twice daily. Simply wash your face, use a toner if you like, and then apply your niacinamide serum. After this, you can then continue with the rest of your skincare routine, using an oil-based moisturiser or serum for instance. When you apply your niacinamide serum at this point in your routine, you’re ensuring your skin benefits from the highest possible absorption of the product.

What about Niacinamide and Vitamin C?

This combo is great at giving skin a double whammy of vitamins. While niacinamide gets to work on dull, lacklustre skin, large pores, and wrinkles, vitamin C targets signs of ageing, and helps the skin stay protected from free radicals. The result is one that delivers a youth-boosting effect, and a smoother, more even skin tone. Woop!

Is Niacinamide and Retinol a good Combination?

If you want your skin to work hard to fight signs of ageing (if you’re over 40 you’ll know what we’re talking about), then niacinamide and retinol are an awesome tag team. Niacinamide works to keep skin calm while targeting wrinkles and oversized pores, while retinol gets to work on deeper lines and signs of ageing.

If you’re looking for the best niacinamide serum UK, then consider Superdrops Brightening Niacinamide 10% or SkinCeuticals Discolouration Defense Corrective Serum. Both are highly rated by users. Alternatively, a combo product like the Niacinamide + Retinol Serum by QRxLabs delivers a potent recipe of anti-ageing ingredients.

Can I use Salicylic Acid and Niacinamide Together?

It’s another yes – especially if you’re looking for the answer to, ‘is niacinamide good for acne?’ When salicylic acid and niacinamide are used together they work to combat everything to do with acne. We’re talking oil production, bacteria, inflammation, and those all-annoying clogged pores.

This tag team of ingredients works at different layers, so while niacinamide targets oil on your skin’s surface, salicylic acid goes deeper to cut oil production in your actual pores. And it’s all done without drying or irritating your skin. Happy days!

Can I use Hyaluronic Acid and Niacinamide?

These two super-hydrating ingredients are great to use together, especially if you’re looking for the answer to, is niacinamide good for dry skin? If you’re layering these two serums, start with the hyaluronic acid and let it get to work hydrating your skin’s cells, then simply apply your niacinamide serum. This will then help ensure your skin’s surface layer is protected and any moisture loss is kept to a minimum.

There are loads of niacinamide before and after pics available to view online, with some seriously impressive results to be seen. So if you’re still wondering, ‘what is niacinamide serum good for?’ simply take a look at these images and you’ll see for yourself. It can help with a whole range of skin concerns from hyperpigmentation to acne and ageing. It’s kind on your skin and can protect against sun damage too – what's not to love?