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Benefits Of Niacinamide – Can It Support Your Overall Health?

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By Leslie Waterson

Reviewed by Juliana Tamayo, MS, RDN - Last Updated

Benefits Of Niacinamide

With so many available and countless skincare ingredients on the market, it can be hard to choose what’s right for your skin type. Trying to navigate what skincare ingredients are really effective in your skincare ingredients can also be quite the process. 

Niacinamide has grown in popularity over the last few years and for good reason. This wonderful skincare ingredient is a sure-fire way to upgrade your skincare regimen.

With that said, in this article, we are going to discuss Niacinamide or Vitamin B3, what it is, what it does, and its actual benefits. We are also going to show you some of our favorite and tested recommended brands.

Let’s get started!

Vitamin Niacinamide b3

What Is Niacinamide?

Niacinamide or Vitamin B3 is a recently discovered potent skincare ingredient that effectively deals with a lot of skincare problems.

Niacinamide is a stable form of vitamin B3 which is proven to prevent and treat hyperpigmentation, fights skin inflammation, increases hydration, and prevents oil production while strengthening the natural skin barrier.

Along with other ingredients such as Retinoid and topical Vitamin C, Niacinamide is a powerful antioxidant that is suitable for almost any skin type, Niacinamide is even helpful to those people suffering from acne and other skin inflammation.

So if you’re wondering how does this little skincare ingredient called Niacinamide works we have to go a little deeper into the skin and its functions, when applied topically, Niacinamide goes deep into the skin and gets converted into a special substance called NAD which works wonders to the skin!

Best Niacinamide

Benefits Of Niacinamide

There are countless benefits to adding niacinamide to your daily skincare routine, but for the purpose of this article we will focus on the top benefits that consumers experience. 

Niacinamide Pills

1. Niacinamide effectively reduces Hyperpigmentation. 

If you’re looking to lighten your skin safely and effectively without any irritation or you just simply want to even out your skin tone and remove those pesky freckles or dark spots, Niacinamide is a potent melanin-inhibitor.

If you don’t know what melanin is,  it is the substance produced by your body that gives you the color of your skin and also your hair and eyes, when exposed to UV light the body produces this black-brown pigment in order to ward off the harmful radiation.

It is still relatively unknown how Niacinamide specifically works on reducing hyperpigmentation. There have been numerous studies proving that continuous use of a serum containing Niacinamide can significantly decrease the melanomas in your skin.

Although it is not as relatively as harsh and instantly effective compared to products like hydroquinone, kojic acid, and Alpha-Arbutin in reducing hyperpigmentation. Niacinamide with patience over time can effectively lighten out your dark spots without any dangerous side effects such as skin reddening, irritation, and peeling.

2. Niacinamide enhances skin barrier 

The skin is the largest organ in your body and at the same time one of the most complexes, on a microscopic level the skin is mainly composed of ceramides, fatty acids, and lipids while the outer layer keeps on its process of cell proliferation which results in clog up of dead skin cells.

These things are needed in order to retain moisture and to effectively make sure that the skin is strong enough to keep away foreign bacteria and viruses out. However, due to bad skin habits, harsh external environment, and improper diet many people have compromised skin barriers which results in flaky skin, burning stinging red skin or even oily skin.

That becomes easy to fix the problem when it comes to Niacinamide because it effectively reduces those things mentioned above, Niacinamide when applied is a truly wonderful miracle.

3. Niacinamide reduces and regulates skin’s oil production 

Niacinamide has been proven to regulate and stabilize the production of oil glands, we all know how an overactive sebaceous gland can contribute to clogged pores which result in acne, whiteheads, blackheads, and cysts.

This is also the reason why many dermatologists are now recommending Niacinamide as a potent inhibitor for acne and other comedonal issues. Niacinamide can effectively reduce the production of oil in the sebaceous glands which result in less acne.

4. Niacinamide is a potent anti-aging

Niacinamide has been proven to effectively reduce fine lines and wrinkles, as well as improving the overall skin texture.

This effective skincare ingredient interacts with the lipid barrier of the skin which results in more production of collagen and elastin, both substances that further promote this young and beautiful skin.

This can be the reason why many oldies are swearing to the skin miracle properties of Niacinamide, further proving its youth-enhancing properties!

Many have self-reported that topical use of Niacinamide whether in serum or cream form reduces their skin’s fullness and redness, making their skin more glowing and clear.

5. Niacinamide is a powerful skin antioxidant that protects and repairs

Just like the well-known topical Vitamin C, Niacinamide is another powerful antioxidant that provides DNA protection and has been shown to repair damaged DNA in the skin!

This is because when applied topically the Niacinamide gets converted into NAD a powerful compound which fights free radicals, this is especially important if you are spending too much time outside exposed to UVA and UVB light which causes premature aging, hyperpigmentation, melanoma, and sun cancer. 

Recommended Niacinamide Products

Niacinamide Serum 12% Plus Zinc 2%

Niacinamide Serum 12% Plus Zinc 2%

This serum is concentrated, scientifically formulated, and made with pure 12% niacinamide and 2% zinc PCA. Both of these ingredients help improve uneven skin tone along with regulating oil production to effectively reduce different forms of acne.

GET THE BEST PRICE ON NIACINAMIDE SERUM 12% PLUS ZINC 2%

Niacinamide Gel Cream 5%

Niacinamide Gel Cream

This serum is innovative, experiential gel-cream is formulated with a potent level of niacinamide treating all your skin problems in one!

GET THE BEST PRICE ON NIACINAMIDE GEL CREAM 5%

Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% ($6) 

Coming from popular skincare brand, the Ordinary, this option is the most affordable without dampening the quality of the product. 

GET THE BEST PRICE ON NIACINAMIDE 10% + ZINC 1%

Final Verdict: Niacinamide Is Highly Recommended

A safe and highly effective skincare ingredient for all skin types which tackle every skincare problem from reducing acne, reducing the appearance of aging skin, evening out skin tone, Niacinamide works wonders on the skin!

However, you should be patient and use the product containing Niacinamide every day in order to see results as it may take days or even several weeks before you see any noticeable improvement in your skin.

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Leslie Waterson

Leslie has been passionately involved in the health and fitness industries for over a decade. She is constantly reviewing the latest scientific research and studies in order to take a research-backed approach to lifestyle optimization. Her main areas of interest include nutrition and supplementation. Leslie shares her findings on Fitness Clone to help other health enthusiasts choose the products and routines that will help them achieve their goals.