There is one skincare ingredient that has been making noise in the cosmetic and skincare industry lately. You know what we’re talking about if you’re an avid skincare fan. Most likely, you have probably heard of niacinamide already. But you know, it’s not like it’s a brand new skincare ingredient. This has been in thousands of skin care products in the past. But it’s only now that it’s making the spotlight it deserves. We’ve seen this on Tiktok, Facebook, Instagram, and other social media network. However, the million dollar question is – what exactly is niacinamide, and is it worth the hype?
What Is Niacinamide And Is It Worth The Hype?
What Is Niacinamide?
Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3. It is a well-known ingredient that is usually approved by the FDA and can be found in a multitude of skincare products for brightening, moisturizing, and getting rid of acne. Users who are familiar with niacinamide might mistake it for nicotinic acid, so what’s the difference between the two? According to dermatologists, nicotinic acid sometimes causes flushing, so people are now switching to niacinamide.
How It Works
When choosing the right skin care product, especially for your face, you must know what the ingredients actually do for your skin. That way, you can weigh the pros and cons and decide smartly. Does it penetrate the skin? If it does, does it have mechanisms that are actually beneficial? Will it react to your skin in a meaningful way and are there studies to back it up? Niacinamide is not a new ingredient. It has been used in the market since skincare products were invented.
What Are The Benefits
At a cellular level, niacinamide acts as an antioxidant to decrease inflammation. If you’re suffering from skin damage from radiation, it will help stop pigmentation. It also acts as a moisturizer as it stops water loss from your epidermis, which is what we try to accomplish when we use moisturizers. Did you know that we’re actually affected by evaporation? Yes, you read that right! And your skin is not exempted. When water loss happens on the skin, it cracks and loses its volume causing it to become dull and lifeless. Niacinamide has been found to be effective in locking in water in our skin. Isn’t that great?
But this great product has far more superior benefits than just locking in water on your skin, which in our opinion is pretty impressive already. Unfortunately, as we age, there are changes in our skin that are inevitable such as pigmentation. You may not notice it but your saline or the yellow pigment on your skin increases as you age. Our super skin care niacinamide is also found to decrease this process and increase the production of dermal collagen on our skin.
These cellular functions that the ingredient has caused great benefits and results on our skin. In simple layman’s translation, niacinamide can be used as an anti-acne. It reduces inflammation (or the redness of our skin which helps our existing acne heal faster). Niacinamide is also used to treat hyperpigmentation and boost collagen to defy aging. It also decreases oil production that causes acne, but even if you don’t have a lot of acne, it will be good for people with oily skin.
A new study shows that niacinamide also acts as a protection against UV-induced damage, which is the cause of some skin cancer. According to dermatologists, taking niacinamide orally can decrease the high risk of getting skin cancer for patients that had skin cancers in the past.
