As a multipurpose skincare ingredient, niacinamide can help clear up acne, even your skin tone, and strengthen the skin barrier. Though many skincare products include niacinamide as a secondary skin ingredient, Foundation Skincare’s Niacinamide Lotion has a 10% concentration of the active ingredient and a hyaluronic acid base for extra hydration. This makes the product potent, but gentle enough for sensitive skin. 

Find out more about the benefits of using niacinamide for skin and how to add it to your daily routine. 

What is Niacinamide?

Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3 found in many foods like yeast, eggs, green vegetables, and meat. It should not be confused with niacin, which is another form of vitamin B3, although it is sometimes referred to as nicotinamide. Your body makes niacinamide naturally when you have too much niacin in your body. It can also convert an amino acid called tryptophan into niacinamide.

Beyond its benefits for skin, which we’ll discuss below, niacinamide has a number of other roles in the body. It helps your body create energy and ensures your cells are working properly. Niacinamide also supports immune function.  

What Does Niacinamide Do For the Skin?

Along with playing important roles in energy metabolism and cellular health, niacinamide also helps to build keratin, a protein that maintains skin health. It has been shown to strengthen the skin barrier by increasing the production of ceramides in the skin, control oil production, and reduce acne breakouts thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties and ability to scavenge free radicals as a potent antioxidant.¹ Using niacinamide can make your skin feel tighter, less oily, and promote a more even skin tone.

Niacinamide can also protect thes skin from damage caused by UV rays, but it should never be used in place of sunscreen. It’s recommended to always apply sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or greater (50 is preferred) as the last step in your skincare routine.

Niacinamide Benefits for Skin

When used topically in your daily skincare regimen, niacinamide can have a significant impact on your skin health. From reducing hyperpigmentation and acne to improving skin texture and dullness, there are so many science-backed benefits to using niacinamide, with results showing up in as little as four weeks in some studies.²

1. Evens Skin Tone & Reduces Hyperpigmentation

In a 10 week study on subjects with hyperpigmentation, using niacinamide and retinol helped to brighten skin and significantly improve hyperpigmentation, overall skin clarity, and evenness of skin tone.³ This is due to vitamin B3’s ability to reduce epidermal melanin and inflammation, leading to fewer dark spots and less blotchiness.⁴

2. Regulates Oil Production

Niacinamide has been proven to regulate oil production, which can help minimize the appearance of pores and prevent acne breakouts. Dermatologists explain that the vitamin’s anti-inflammatory properties counteract the effects of stress hormones on the skin, which curbs oil production.⁵

3. Strengthens the Skin Barrier

The skin barrier is the outermost layer of skin, which protects against environmental stressors and sun damage. By increasing ceramide production, which are healthy fats in the skin, niacinamide strengthens your skin barrier and locks in moisture to defend against signs of aging, dark spots, acne, and dry skin.⁶

4. Improves Skin Texture & Dullness

In addition to strengthening the skin barrier for more hydrated skin, niacinamide boosts collagen production to improve skin texture, dullness, fine lines, and wrinkles.⁷ Its anti-inflammatory, brightening effects promote a radiant glow without excess oil while improving elasticity.

5. Treats Acne & Scarring

Niacinamide benefits for acne are plentiful. The vitamin can help prevent breakouts by regulating oil production and shrinking pores. It can also clear up breakouts faster by reducing inflammation and calming skin. Even more, due to its ability to even skin tone, niacinamide can help fade acne scars long after the blemishes have healed.

6. Reduces Inflammation

There are a number of reasons why your skin becomes inflamed: bacteria, a dysfunctioning immune system, sun damage, and more. Proven to reduce inflammation, niacinamide eases redness and irritation from skin flare-ups and breakouts, whether you’re struggling with a temporary pimple or an inflammatory skin condition like eczema.

7. Relieves Rosacea 

Speaking of inflammatory skin conditions, rosacea is another reason to try niacinamide. Some studies show that using topical niacinamide twice a day alleviates rosacea in just four weeks.⁸ This is due to its ability to ease inflammation and improve the skin barrier. Even more prominent results can be seen when paired with azelaic acid.

Is Niacinamide Safe for all Skin Types?

Niacinamide is very gentle and safe for all skin types,whether you struggle with dryness or oily skin. If you use Foundation Skincare’s Niacinamide serum, you also have the added benefit of hyaluronic acid, which provides a moisturizing boost for an even lower chance of irritation.

How to Use Niacinamide in Your Skincare Routine

To see the best results, it is recommended to use niacinamide twice daily. You should apply niacinamide after cleansing and any other serums, but before your moisturizer and sunscreen. Use in the morning and evening to see improvement in two to four weeks.

Foundation Skincare’s Niacinamide Lotion pairs well with other ingredients like our Azelaic Acid Cream 14% for even more defense against hyperpigmentation, our Hyaluronic Acid Lotion for increased moisture, and Vitamin C Lotion for reduced signs of aging. You can also use Foundation Skincare’s Night Renewal Cream with Granactive Retinoid, which is clinically-proven to further even skin tone.

Find more skin-boosting ingredients in the FS Skincare line and explore tips and resources on how to support healthy skin in the FS Journal.

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References:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2921764/

2. https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/niacinamide#results 

3. https://jddonline.com/articles/efficacy-and-tolerability-of-a-skin-brighteninganti-aging-cosmeceutical-containing-retinol-05-niacin-S1545961616P0863X/ 

4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3142702/ 

5. https://www.wellandgood.com/niacinamide-oily-skin/ 

6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17147561/ 

7. https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/beauty/niacinamide-skin-benefits 

8. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/10/8/1315