What is niacinamide?
What is niacinamide and why do we want it in our skincare?
I have spent hours and day and weeks at a time researching skincare ingredients when developing my SkinGoal collection. I have a lot of words thrown at me by the skincare scientists I work with, and while I trust them absolutely and between us we have developed a range I am very proud of, I like to do my own research too. Especially when ingredients suddenly take on a ‘buzz’, and you see all the high street brands boasting about their inclusion in their product range.
So, what does niacinamide do in skincare?
I have introduced niacinamide into my most recently developed moisturiser, Cream Revive. Why? Because as well as delivering excellent benefits to skin, it’s a friendly little molecule that you can blend with any other skincare ingredient and not be concerned about how they’ll get on. Not all ingredients work this way, so if I want to include particular benefits in a product, I need to take great care it doesn’t clash with something else. In my Cream Revive, my driving aim was to develop a powerful night cream for sensitive skin, so I discounted all the usual active ingredients you see in night creams, such as retinol or lower grade AHAs, such as lactic acid. These are great for exfoliating skin, but some skin types need calming, not exciting. Niacinamide is a hardworking ingredient that won’t upset any skin type, from sensitive to dry and flaky to those with acne or hormonal breakouts.
What is niacinamide and what does it do?
Niacinamide is a form of Vitamin B3. Its primary benefit is that it helps build proteins, known as keratin, in our skin that help keeps the skin healthy. We can naturally produce B3, but in limited amounts, and it’s more easy accessible through our diets, through eating plenty of fish, poultry, grains, nuts, and beans.
Strong skin barrier
Niacinamide is also a powerful agent in helping build a strong skin barrier, which helps keep skin hydrated and prevents attack from external pollution and pathogens. By creating a healthy skin barrier, it helps keep skin hydrated and helps prevent that hydration from escaping through the skin. There’s no point in being super-hydrated if your skin just lets it all drift away. Hydrated skin shows in minimising wrinkles, fine lines and flaking, and that awful tightness we can sometimes feel, despite applying moisturiser.
Reduces redness
Niacinamide has been proven to reduce inflammation, which in turn could ease redness from skin concerns such as acne.
Minimises the appearance of pores
Niacinamide can reduce the appearance of enlarged pores. Niacinamide is believed to effect the lining of pores, preventing a build-up of sebum and debris that acts to stretch and enlarge the pore.
Regulates oil production
It’s been shown that niacinamide can help regulate the amount of oil your skin produces, preventing the sebaceous glands from over-production.
Skin brightening
Niacinamide can help lighten dark spots resulting from sun damage and aging. It’s not the most powerful ingredient in the skincare developer’s arsenal, but it’s perfect for those with sensitive skin who can’t tolerate more powerful active ingredients. In my Cream Revive, I have also included bakuchiol, another very gentle skin brightener, which exfoliates skin and support the action of niacinamide (many describe the action of bakuchoil as if it were a ‘botanical retinol’ due to it’s similar yet gentler rejuvenation properties).
Acne
Studies have shown niacinamide may be helpful for those who suffer with acne. Its ability to regulate oil production, reduce inflammation and effect the action of enlarged pores all contributes towards calming acne-inflamed skin.
Niacinamide is a bit of a wonder ingredient, in that it is capable of very gently achieving many beneficial actions for our skin. It’s not super-powerful, but many super-powerful active ingredients can trigger a reaction in sensitive skin, which makes niacinamide the perfect choice for my Cream Revive, which is specifically aimed at supporting sensitive and easily inflamed skin.
Any questions? Drop me a line at hello@skingoal.co.uk
Love, Penny x