NIACINAMIDE: Ingredient of the week + Skin Care Benefits and Recommended Products

Another week, another skin care ingredient. This time, let's take a look at the chemical or clinical side of the ingredients spectrum and discuss one of the most popular Vitamin ingredient in skin care, Vitamin B3 aka NIACINAMIDE. This is also one of my favorite skin care ingredients!

Vitamin B3 is one of the eight B vitamins needed by the body in order to carry out its daily activities and perform its anatomical functions; in skin care, it's more known as is or Niacinamide and in food, it's more commonly known as Niacin. 

Vitamin B3 can be obtained from external sources, primarily food; these are meat, poultry, vegetables, seeds, and nuts. In skin care, Vitamin B3 is usually processed clinically and added into products.

NIACINAMIDE BENEFITS:

Niacinamide (or Niacin) plays an important role in the body: For the health, it is responsible in activating certain chain reactions in the body that signal energy transfer and carriage of other vitamins and minerals throughout the body. 

In skin care, Vitamin B3 is responsible in protecting the skin from contracting Melanoma, which is caused by long- term exposure to UV rays (that's why a lot of lightening skin care products use this ingredient as well); this vitamin also has the capacity to regenerate cells and repair DNA damage. Niacinamide is also prized for its anti-inflammatory properties, that's why it's used in a lot of anti- acne preparations. When I was brought to Sydney, Australia for one of Olay's product launches, I learned a lot about Niacinamide and why it's one of Olay's hero ingredients: aside from the benefits mentioned, Niacinamide is also called the "battery" of cells and the skin because it powers up both and encourages better utilization of topically applied skin care products.

The higher Niacinamide content, the better. Because Niacinamide is a water- soluble vitamin, it doesn't stay long enough in the body to be absorbed and utilized properly. In skin care, standard concentration for over-the-counter products is 3%; anything higher than 3% concentration is desirable for those suffering from acne and hyper pigmentation; 5% is where the magic happens such as lightening of hyper pigmentation; certain brands like Paula's Choice and The Ordinary use 10% for those who are in need of intense lightening and acne/rosacea/dermatitis management. If you have sensitive skin or are new to Niacinamide, start with a low concentration.

NIACINAMIDE SIDE EFFECTS:

Generally, Niacinamide is considered a low irritant that's why it's used in a majority of skin care products, including products for sensitive skin types. There are no recorded grave side effects from Vitamin B3 usage through skin care, except minor ones such as flushing in hyper sensitive skin types, which is caused by the compound itself.

NIACINAMIDE USES:

- as skin care ingredient (topical)

- as supplement (oral)

Here are the  following skin care products that are powered by Niacinamide:

1. OLAY

- As I mentioned, Niacinamide is the hero ingredient across all Olay products, from Total Effects, to Regenerist, to Aquaction.

2. POND'S

- Pond's famous Flawless White and White Beauty range are one of the famous drugstore skin lightening series and their main active is...you guessed it...VITAMIN B3 aka NIACINAMIDE!

3. THE ORDINARY

- The Ordinary is a skin care brand that champions actives and my personal favorite is Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%, which is great for acne prevention and healing.

4. FRESH FORMULA

- Particularly Skin So Good Body Lotion and Moisture skin care series. Niacinamide is good for body care because it has been found to increase ceramides in the skin, which support healthy, overall barrier function; when your barrier aka skin is healthy, it utilizes skin care better, keeps itself in good condition, and prevents external aggressors from entering and damaging the barrier.

Photo Credit: colourpop.com

5. COLOURPOP

- Colourpop dabbles into skin care with the newly- released Fourth Ray Beauty. The range features serums including a 10% Niacinamide serum.

Hope you learned something new today!