Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B-3 that is increasingly popular in skincare ingredients. It has many benefits and can actually improve all types of skin concerns ranging from hyperpigmentation to signs of aging. It is an ingredient that you can find in almost any type of skincare product. Niacinamide is an ingredient that is approved and frequently offered by dermatologist to try out.
What is Niacinamide?
Niacinamide is also known as nicotinamide that is an essential nutrient. It is a form of niacin (vitamin B3) a water soluble antioxidant that is important for helping your cells repair. Studies have shown that applying niacinamide topically might help with certain skin conditions such as eczema and acne.
This ingredient has been approved by dermatologists as something that is safe and can effectively help improve your skin condition. It is a vitamin that our bodies cannot produce by itself, therefore it is necessary for us to either ingest it or apply it topically for the benefits.
You can use niacinamide in both morning and at night. It is effective because it is a chemical that comes before two enzymes called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate. These two enzymes are involved with chemical reactions that help repair damaged skin cells.
Niacinamide will help your skin repair damage and might even help increase the production of ceramides (helpful for your skin protective barrier).
Does Niacinamide Lighten Skin?
Niacinamide is a really good ingredient that can do it all, this includes lightening/brightening your skin’s dark spots. It can help fight off the external and internal stressors that your skin deals with. These stressors can eventually lead to skin deterioration and increased premature signs of aging such as wrinkles and dark spots.
It has been shown that niacinamide has the ability to prevent pigment called melanocytes from being transferred in your skin. This means that it might help reduce the amount of dark spots. Although there are still not enough clinical studies on the effects of niacinamide on your skin, the few that has been done have suggested that it does have a positive effect on lightening your dark spots and fine lines.
For example, one study suggested that women who applied a moisturizer that contained 5% niacinamide for 12 weeks found that they had significant improvements in their hyperpigmentation spots, wrinkles and fine lines. Thereby, niacinamide has the ability to reduce dark spots and sun damage.
How Should You Use Niacinamide?
Niacinamide is in many different skincare products. It is an ingredient that can be used both during the day and at night. You might experience some irritation when you first start using niacinamide, but that would usually go away after you have used it for several times. However, if you still see irritation after continued use, you should always contact a dermatologist to see what is causing the issue.
Most skincare products contain around 2% to 10% niacinamide, for those of you who are looking to brighten your dark spots and hyperpigmentation, I would aim for something that is around 5% or higher. You can use niacinamide for long term as it is safe to apply topically.
As always, if you are not sure about using niacinamide, you should always talk to a dermatologist. A licences dermatologist can help you figure out if it is worth trying or if there is another better option that might be great for your skin.
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