Why Niacinamide Is Your New Skincare Bestie
If you’re like us, you’re constantly looking for the latest go-to ingredient for healthy skin. There’s nothing more exciting than buying a new skincare product that features the latest and greatest. But how much do we really know about our favorite products?
Labels tell us what’s inside, but most of the words are hard to pronounce and can be scarily unfamiliar. What we do know is that our skin requires a certain level of vitamins, minerals, and hydration that can be achieved with a healthy diet and clean products.
One exciting new ingredient you may be hearing facialists, beauticians, and skincare experts have been preaching about is niacinamide, otherwise known as vitamin B3. We’re going to dive into what the hype is all about and show you why niacinamide is your new skincare bestie!
There are two types of vitamin B3, niacin and niacinamide. Niacinamide is produced in the body with help from niacin. Though they sound similar and are both categorized as vitamin B3, they are different and provide different benefits to the body.
What is niacinamide?
Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3 that is found in food and used as a dietary supplement to prevent B3 deficiencies. B vitamins play an important role in overall wellness. They are particularly known for their ability to promote energy levels, brain functions, and metabolism.
Vitamin B3 is a B vitamin that is particularly important for building proteins in the skin and retaining moisture. That’s why you see it used so often in topical skincare products. However, you can also get this particular vitamin B from certain foods.
Foods that contain niacinamide:
Red meat: beef, beef liver, pork
Poultry
Fish
Brown rice
Fortified cereals and bread
Nuts, seeds
Legumes
Bananas
Eating a balanced diet is always a good way to make sure you are getting the proper nutrients your body craves. However, some people choose to take a dietary supplement to ensure they meet the recommended amounts of certain vitamins they may be missing from their normal diet.
Vitamin B3 and Skincare
As mentioned, vitamin b3 helps to build keratin, a protein essential for skin development. It's a great component to add to your skincare routine because there are a number of benefits when applied topically.
Niacinamide is known to help with fine lines and wrinkles, skin texture, acne, and other skin concerns like dryness and redness. Topical niacinamide can help protect against sun damage, regulate the production of natural oils, and minimize the appearance of pores. Really, what can't niacinamide do?!
For sensitive skin, niacinamide helps promote faster inflammatory responses for any irritation and redness. It's important to know what type of skin you have before trying new products, however, gentle products that contain niacinamide can help with all skin types.
The best use of niacinamide is when it's combined with other essential forms of vitamin C, E, A, K. All of these vitamins have different features that promote healthy, glowing skin. Skin cells crave these nutrients in order to keep reproducing.
Another important component of skincare is hyaluronic acid. Use niacinamide and hyaluronic acid for a duo that will hydrate and maintain hydration in the skin cells.
In other words, there are many different vitamins and ingredients skincare experts pair together to create products that work effectively to treat acne, dry skin, etc. However, let's dive into exactly what our BFF niacinamide can help with and what using niacinamide can do for you.
Prevent and Brighten Dark Spots
Niacinamide products have been known to treat hyperpigmentation in the skin. This means that if you're noticing any discoloring or dark spots on your skin, you may want to try niacinamide to brighten those spots.
One study showed that after 4 weeks of use of niacinamide, dark spots brightened. This could be due to the production of collagen produced by lipids from using niacinamide.
Protects Against Oxidative Stress
Oxidative stress is caused by an overabundance of free radicals in the body. Antioxidants help to combat these oxidative stress-causing free radicals that can cause acne and other skin-related issues.
Niacinamide helps build up skin cells to prevent environmental free radicals from taking over. Environmental effects include sunlight, pollution, and other toxins that can affect the skin.
Helps Retain Moisture
Dry skin can cause all kinds of irritating skin problems such as eczema, rashes, and cystic pimples. Our skin needs a certain amount of moisture to stay healthy. That's why our pores produce natural oils. We need that natural moisture from the oil, though it can sometimes feel greasy and make you want to wash your face.
Most skincare products understand the importance of retaining moisture in the skin. However, if you're using a product particularly for oily skin, be sure to watch your skin for dryness with use over time.
In Summary
If you're looking for a product that helps with fine lines and wrinkles, dryness, dark spots, and other skin irritations, find one with niacinamide.
Our skin needs B vitamins to help generate cell turnover and keep our skin plump, elastic, and healthy. If you combine niacinamide with a vitamin C product and a lightweight moisturizer, you may begin to notice your skin is brighter and appears younger.
If you have any questions about our products, please comment below. We love to hear from you!