Niacinamide Benefits For Acne And Is It Really Worth The Hype?

Skincare's active ingredients are making their name known in the market nowadays. Active ingredients are naturally sourced, highly potent formulations that help repair, rejuvenate, hydrate, protect and nourish cells. Different active ingredients serve different purposes according to the skin type. While picking an ingredient, you must first evaluate what you want to use it for. We will be diving deep into one such active ingredient called Niacinamide.

What Is Niacinamide?

Niacinamide, also known as niacin, is a form of vitamin B3. Niacinamide will work like a charm on your oily or acne-prone skin if you suffer from blotchiness, blemishes, and causes of acne. Vitamin B3 is commonly found in the following foods.
• Beets
• Fish
• Eggs
• Nuts and seeds
• Beans
• Green veggies
• Fortified bread and cereals
• Eggs
Niacinamide is a water-soluble ingredient that you can easily consume through these foods, but it also is great if you apply it on your face as a skincare product. Niacinamide's use in skincare products is due to its long list of potential benefits for your skin.

Benefits of Niacinamide

• Treats Acne
The first and foremost reason people look for this ingredient is Niacinamide for acne. Adding topical acne treatment with Niacinamide to your daily skincare routine might be the missing piece to your good skin puzzle. At the same time, Niacinamide can reduce the level of bacteria by protecting the skin barrier and inhibiting the proliferation of these bacteria. This contributes to less inflammation and reduces the incidence of breakouts. This is how Niacinamide helps acne. Niacinamide has potent anti-inflammatory properties, reducing the redness and swelling of acne. This anti-inflammatory activity also decreases acne's severity and lesion count, reducing the likelihood of pigmented spots development.

• Reinforces Skin Barrier
A weak skin barrier is a significant cause of irritated and inflamed skin. The skin barrier protects from environmental hazards like bacteria, fungi, and excess moisture loss from the skin. Niacinamide helps to reinforce or restore the skin barrier by boosting the level of ceramides in the skin. In addition to counteracting the irritation and dryness that often result from topical acne treatments, niacinamide benefits for acne can be said to be multipurpose.

• Protects against Sun Damage
Niacinamide can reconstruct healthy skin cells while shielding them from damaging ultraviolet rays. The product of compounds like Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) is the main cause of recurring pollution and sun damage on your skin. Niacinamide offers protection against environmental stressors by counteracting ROS formation. This is the primary reason why Niacinamide is often used in reverse photoaging and shows anti-aging properties. ROS is also behind melanin production in our skin, which is why Niacinamide is good for acne marks.

• Minimizes Fine Lines, Wrinkles & Pigmentation
Research has also found that the same concentration helped reduce some signs of sun damage that come with aging. This includes fine lines and wrinkles. The process occurs when UV (ultraviolet) light strikes unprotected skin, causing DNA to change at the cellular level. This is a significant reason behind premature aging. If you are wondering, does Niacinamide help with acne scarring? Yes, it does. It has properties that can change the DNA on a cellular level and is also effective on acne scars or pigmentation.

How To Incorporate Niacinamide Into Your Skincare Routine?

It is best to slowly incorporate it into your skincare routine or use a product with a low percentage to avoid irritation. There are two ways you can include Niacinamide into your daily skincare routine.

• As a Serum: serum is by far the most effective way of using active ingredients like Niacinamide because of their smaller molecular structure. The active ingredient can easily penetrate your skin. Most niacinamide serums are water-based; applying them after cleansing and toning and before applying oil-based serums is best. Please wait for it to get absorbed into your skin, then go in with your moisturizer.

• As a Cream: Niacinamide is now found in most anti-aging and pore-minimizing moisturizers. You can even find this ingredient in some over-the-counter (OTC) creams. It is best to buy any product with a Niacinamide percentage of 2% to 5%. Any more than that can irritate your skin.

What Other Active Ingredients Can You Use With Niacinamide?

You can use other active ingredients in your skincare routine for optimal results.
• Retinol: Retinol is a vitamin A derivative that has anti-aging properties and helps reduce hyperpigmentation, but along with all these benefits, it tends to make the skin dry out. Niacinamide, on the other hand, helps to retain moisture in the skin. A combination of these two will counteract the dryness caused by Retinol and will provide better results.
• Hyaluronic Acid: Both act as humectants, keeping the skin hydrated so it can continue functioning as a barrier to protect against disease. Both activities are safe when used together, less likely to irritate, and do not cause serious side effects.
• AHA's and BHA's: Using AHA, BHA and Niacinamide together will double the benefits of brightening, fading pigmentation, and reducing wrinkles.

Side Effects Of Niacinamide

Niacinamide is well suited for all skin types, including dehydrated skin, as it helps retain moisture but it is also associated with side effects. Mild itching, burning, and redness are some of the side effects.. Niacinamide has not been shown to cause any side effects when used as directed. Doing a patch test before using it on your face is suggested to analyze whether it is okay with your skin.
If you cannot or do not want to use Niacinamide to treat your acne, you can choose the following active ingredients, which work similarly to Niacinamide.

• Benzoyl peroxide
• Retinol
• Salicylic acid
• Vitamin C
• Zinc

What to Expect?

It is crucial to apprehend that multiple factors can delay or hamper the desired results, like the type of weather you live in, your consistency with the application of the product, or any underlying skin issue.
Many clinical studies on niacinamide note change after six to 12 weeks. However, consistent use, as directed by these products, is also a requirement.

Our Products With Niacinamide

• Acne Clarifying Serum
This is a must-have for acne-prone skin. This serum has seized all of the anti-acne properties of thyme extract, and niacinamide reduces breakouts and fades acne scars to give you clear skin. It also reinforces the skin barrier and treats acne. With this serum, you can get glowy flawless skin in no time.
• Urban Rani Facial Serum
This multi-action serum targets visible signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkles. Formulated with niacinamide, this helps to fade away hyperpigmentation and acne marks and improves skin texture. It also is excellent for controlling excess sebum in the skin. Profoundly hydrates for glowing, plump, and youthful skin.

FAQ

Is Niacinamide safe to use every day?

Niacinamide is an excellent ingredient for daily use and can even be used twice a day without an issue.

How does Niacinamide work on stretch marks?

Unfortunately, niacinamide cannot fade stretch marks. Stretch marks are a type of scar that develops when the skin stretches or shrinks quickly, such as during pregnancy or when you lose or gain weight in a short period.

Can Niacinamide be used on wet skin? 

Applying niacinamide on wet skin is not a great idea because it can cause the product to evaporate instead of absorbing into the skin and delivering its beneficial properties.

Is Niacinamide safe for all skin types? 

Niacinamide is commonly tolerated by all skin types, including sensitive and rosacea-prone skin. 

However, it has been noted that niacinamide can cause sensitivity, mainly if used in high concentrations (such as over 10%) or used too frequently.

Is it safe to use Niacinamide when pregnant? 

Yes, niacinamide is a pregnancy-safe ingredient; however, ensure that the product you are using does not contain other ingredients that are not recommended for pregnancy, such as Retinol.

Can You Use Niacinamide With Spironolactone?

Spironolactone is a medication often prescribed to women dealing with hormonal acne. Niacinamide can be applied on top of the skin, so it does not interfere with the action of Spironolactone. So Spironolactone acne treatment with niacinamide is entirely safe.