In this article:
What is niacinamide?
What does niacinamide do for your skin?
Benefits of niacinamide
Niacinamide skin care products
Among a handful of other amazing skin care ingredients such as retinol and vitamin C, niacinamide is a standout because of its versatility for almost any skin care concern and skin type.
As many of you know, but for those who don’t, the conclusions we make about any ingredient are always based on what the published research has shown to be true—and the research about niacinamide unanimously demonstrates how special it is. Ongoing research keeps confirming it’s one of the most exciting skin care ingredients around.
What is niacinamide?
Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3, also called nicotinamide. This antioxidant is derived from niacin, another form of vitamin B3.
Niacinamide is one of the vitamins that the human body uses to convert food into fuel and is essential in maintaining healthy hair, eyes, liver and yes – skin (1).
The body can’t store niacinamide, because it’s a water-soluble vitamin, however, it can be obtained from eating a variety of foods, including certain types of yeasts, lean meats and leafy greens (2).
As we age, and with exposure to environmental stressors, our body experiences a decrease in nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, a product of vitamin B metabolism (3). This decrease can lead to multiple visible signs of ageing.
Lucky for us, this is where supplementation with niacinamide – both orally and topically – can help (4). Topically this can involve forms from serums to moisturisers, boosters to concentrated treatments – and concentrations even as little as 2% can help (5).
What does niacinamide do for your skin?
Niacinamide’s abilities are made possible thanks to its status as a multitasking bio-active ingredient. However, this powerhouse form of vitamin B takes a bit of a journey before our skin and its supporting surface cells can reap its benefits.
After niacinamide’s applied to skin, it’s broken down into the form of this vitamin that our cells can use, the coenzyme nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (5). It’s this coenzyme that’s believed to be responsible for niacinamide’s benefits to skin.
Benefits of niacinamide
Niacinamide is a multitalented ingredient that all can add to their routine, no matter skin type or skin concern. Some people’s skin may have more concerns than what niacinamide can address, but without question everyone’s skin will gain something from this B vitamin. Here are the specific concerns niacinamide can help improve.
1. Minimizes enlarged pores
Niacinamide is most famous for its ability to reduce the appearance of large pores (6). It does so because it has a normalising ability on the pore lining. It can regulate the rate at which sebaceous glands excrete sebum (oil) (7). This helps keep oil and debris from getting backed up, which leads to clogs and rough, bumpy skin.
As the clog forms and worsens, the pores stretch to compensate, leading to enlargement. Routine usage of niacinamide minimises the appearance of pores by helping them return to their natural size. Sun damage can cause pores to become stretched, too, leading to what some describe as "orange peel skin". Higher concentrations of niacinamide can help visibly tighten pores by shoring up skin’s supportive elements, often dramatically improving orange peel texture.
2. Add moisture
Other benefits of niacinamide are that it helps renew and restore skin's surface against moisture loss and dehydration (8). When key fatty acids in skin’s barrier known as ceramides gradually deplete, skin is left vulnerable to all sorts of problems, from persistent patches of dry, flaky skin to increasingly becoming extra-sensitive.
If you struggle with dry skin, topical application of niacinamide has been shown to boost hydration of moisturisers so skin’s surface can better resist the moisture loss that leads to recurrent dryness and flaky texture. Niacinamide works brilliantly with common moisturiser ingredients like glycerine, non-fragrant plant oils, cholesterol, sodium PCA, and sodium hyaluronate.
3. Brightens skin
Niacinamide is particularly helpful for its ability to combat hyperpigmentation, dark spots from sun damage and an uneven tone. These concerns stem from excess melanin (pigment) showing on skin’s surface.
In concentrations of 5% and greater, niacinamide works via several pathways to keep new discolourations from appearing (9). At the same time, it also helps reduce the appearance of existing discolourations, so your skin tone looks more even. Research has shown niacinamide and tranexamic acid work particularly well together, and as mentioned above, it can be used with other discolouration-reducing ingredients such as all forms of vitamin C, licorice, retinol, and bakuchiol.
4. Skin barrier support
One of the most important things you can do to achieve younger-looking skin is to maintain a healthy skin barrier. Your barrier is your defense against the outside world, and anything you can do to keep up proper barrier function is crucial.
Research finds niacinamide supports the skin barrier by helping regulate the synthesis of some of its major components, including ceramides, fatty acids and cholesterol. The older we get, the more help we need with this synthesis, and so niacinamide can be an important component of maintaining barrier function.
5. Helps regulate oil production
We touched upon this a bit earlier, but one of the most amazing aspects of niacinamide’s ability to help skin is how it regulates oil production.
As mentioned above, this can result in a visible improvement in the appearance of pores, especially pores that appear stretched out. But this ability to regulate just how much oil can come out of pores by influencing sebaceous glands leads to numerous other benefits, including fewer bumps – of several kinds – resulting in a balanced-looking complexion.
6. Reduces signs of ageing
From the picture we’ve been painting here already, niacinamide is invaluable in its ability to improve the look of multiple signs of ageing.
This doesn’t just include the improvement of age spots from its ability to regulate melanin production or a reduction in the look of orange-peel skin. Studies demonstrate niacinamide is able to enhance skin’s extracellular matrix. Elastin and collagen – substances that maintain skin’s youthful bounce and elasticity – are essential components of the extracellular matrix. Not surprisingly, as we age the synthesis of these materials is also reduced. Niacinamide has been shown to increase the production of dermal collagen and not only that, but it can also stop its degradation (10).
The result? Fewer fine lines and wrinkles, and a marked improvement in skin elasticity.
7. Soothes redness
Niacinamide might sound like a do-all ingredient at this point, but that’s because in reality it absolutely is! This anti-ageing superstar is also a good choice for those with sensitive or compromised skin because it has anti-inflammatory properties (11). Specifically, niacinamide was shown to inhibit the inflammatory response that comes from exposure to environmental stressors, one of the leading causes of skin barrier disruption. This ability helps reduce the redness that comes with having stressed skin.
8. Well-tolerated
Perhaps the best aspect of niacinamide is that it is generally well-tolerated by those of all skin types and various skin conditions (10). In fact, a 2024 study remarked that niacinamide was “extremely well-tolerated by the skin (e.g., no irritation, redness, burn, sting, or itch issues)”.
What about the so-called “niacin flush”? While this is the case for the related niacin (nicotinic acid), research has found that even in higher amounts, niacinamide does not cause this reaction (10).
Niacinamide skin care products
For best results, use niacinamide products that are meant to be left on skin (such as serums or moisturisers) instead of rinse-off products (like cleansers) where contact time is limited.
- A niacinamide toner can be especially beneficial when applied after cleansing to rehydrate and replenish skin.
- A concentrated 10% niacinamide serum booster can be used on its own (much like a serum) or mixed into your favourite non-SPF moisturiser, based on personal preference.
- Those with stubborn concerns around advanced signs of sun damage, orange peel texture, lax pores, and oil-related bumps should consider trying an advanced strength 20% niacinamide serum.
- You can use niacinamide-containing products around your eyes, too. Some might find applying a moisturiser or niacinamide eye cream helps soften the appearance of crow’s feet and dark circles, not to mention enables this delicate area to retain skin-smoothing moisture and resist loss of firmness. Facial care niacinamide products can also be applied to the neck and chest.
- For skin concerns beyond the face and neck, a niacinamide body serum can be advantageous. Niacinamide’s benefits on the body include tackling uneven tone, discolourations (including dotted marks around the hair follicles), plus restoring and strengthening skin’s moisture barrier. Our 5% Niacinamide Body Serum targets uneven tone and signs of ageing on the body, making it a terrific addition to any post-shower body care routine.
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References for this information:
- MountSinai.Org, Website, Accessed November 2024
- Tietz Textbook of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, eBook, 2016
- Experimental Gerontology, August 2021, pages 1-17
- Dermatological Reviews, August 2024, pages 1-10
- Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, March 2006, pages 96-101
- The Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, March 2023, pages 763-775
- The Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, March 2024, pages 958-963
- International Journal of Pharmaceutics, January 2013, Pages 192-201
- Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, June 2014, pages 311-315
- Antioxidants, August 2021, pages 1-24
- International Journal of Cosmetic Science, October 2020, pages 501-511
- Antioxidants, March 2024, pages 1-18
