Here is Why Niacinamide is Trending in Skincare
It’s super trendy for amazing reasons
Niacinamide also called nicotinamide is one of the two major forms of vitamin B3 (niacin) with the other form being nicotinic acid. Niacin is a precursor to two important biochemical cofactors: nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP+).
Both NAD+ & NADP+ are important in generating the chemical reactions that cells particularly skin cells need in order to repair the damage, protect against oxidative stress, and to build new cells. Niacinamide is the substrate that is needed to make NAD+.
By applying niacinamide to the skin, allows the body to make more NAD+ which helps build new cells and repair damage.
Everyone is raving about niacinamide and for good reason.
Its main benefits are:
- Its anti-inflammatory properties are useful for treating acne and redness.
- It acts as an antioxidant that helps fight free radicals.
- It softens fine lines and wrinkles, minimizes pores, and improves skin tone.
Its anti-inflammatory properties are useful for treating acne and redness.
Niacinamide is popular for treating acne, inflammation, and redness on the face. Acne is an inflammatory condition and this oftentimes leads to many pimples that can cause acne scarring. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, niacinamide is able to stop the inflammation which is the root cause of redness and acne. It helps reduce skin redness, prevents blemishes, and helps improve the skin.
Studies have shown that it can reduce inflammation in moderate acne and helps limit the overproduction of sebum in oily skin.
It acts as an antioxidant that helps fight free radicals.
Niacinamide is a powerful antioxidant that helps fight free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules that have unpaired electrons and so these dangerous molecules steal electrons from other cells which cause damage and can lead to disease.
Antioxidants are able to neutralize free radicals by giving up some of their own electrons and this helps terminate the chain reaction before it can spread even further.
This antioxidant helps improve the skin’s texture and tone and due to its ability to neutralize free radicals, niacinamide is able to help with hyperpigmentation and dark spots. This is because it can rebuild healthy cells while at the same time repairing damaged cells.
It softens fine lines and wrinkles, minimizes pores, and improves skin tone.
Niacinamide is popular for its anti-aging effects on the skin. It has been shown to lighten dark areas in the skin while at the same time decreasing wrinkles and fine lines from the face.
Niacinamide is able to work with the natural substances in the skin to enhance the skin’s natural barrier which helps lead to a reduction in the formation of wrinkles.
As we naturally age, the production of collagen in the skin goes down. This is primarily the reason why wrinkles and fine lines start to appear. By applying niacinamide to the face, helps increase the production of collagen which helps slow down the appearance of wrinkles.
A study that was published in the Dermatologic Surgery Journal showed that using 5% niacinamide moisturizer twice daily reduced the appearance of wrinkles significantly by 8 weeks.
Niacinamide is thought to work its magic on minimizing pores by working on the lining of the pores. This helps prevent debris from getting clogged in the pores. When a clog does form, the skin tries to compensate by enlarging and this results in enlarged pores. This is why niacinamide is so helpful in minimizing pores.
Niacinamide is known to reduce the appearance of dark spots which helps in improving skin tone. Sun damage is the main reason why dark spots form. Your skin makes a chemical called melanin to protect itself against UV rays. Too much sun can cause a clump of it to form, which results in a dark spot. Niacinamide helps reduce the appearance of dark spots by rebuilding healthy skin cells and preventing further damage from the sun’s UV rays.
Final Note
There is a reason why niacinamide is trending in skincare. It's great for treating acne, reducing redness, increasing collagen, reducing fine lines & wrinkles, etc.
To incorporate niacinamide into your daily skincare routine, start by using a niacinamide serum. Make sure to look for a niacinamide concentration that is high to reap the full benefits. Most suggest that 5% concentration is effective for treating hyperpigmentation and if you have sensitive skin, it’s best to go for a concentration that is lower. The highest concentration that some serums carry is 10%.
Go buy yourself some niacinamide serum!
References:
