Skincare is highly important if you want to keep your skin healthy and glowing in the long run. Skin loses its charm with exposure to heat, sebum, pollutants, and natural factors like ageing. But, you might have come across the term “niacinamide’ lately. This is an active ingredient for skin that can do wonders to transform your dull skin into fresh-looking and healthy. It helps fight acne and oil production, opens pores, and brightens and whitens skin. If you are confused about Niacinamide uses for skin, this article will guide you through all the benefits and how to use it.
What is Niacinamide?
Niacinamide is an active ingredient, also known as Vitamin B3. It is also known as Nictonamide which can be used in dietary supplements and medications (oral and topical). Niacinamide has numerous benefits for the skin if used as a skincare solution. Sources of Niacinamide are foods like green vegetables, meat, fish, milk, eggs, and cereals. These are healthy sources of vitamin B3 that show effective results in skin improvement. Adding niacinamide to your acne-free lifestyle can give you fresher, plump, and healthier skin.
Niacinamide Uses for Skin and Benefits
People usually use Niacinamide serum in their skincare routine due to numerous niacinamide uses for skin. Here are the proven benefits of using niacinamide in skincare for acne, dullness, open pores, and skin brightening:
Minimises pores
Niacinamide serum and products are highly essential in minimising pores. There are millions of pores in the skin. Due to exposure to the environment, lack of moisture, oil production, and over-exfoliation, pores get enlarged. To avoid pore enlargement, you can use niacinamide serum and other products. It helps tighten pores and gives the skin a fine look.
Reduce Acne Formation
Niacinamide is an effective ingredient in reducing oil production in pores. By providing only needed moisture to the skin, Vitamin B3 reduces sebum and oil which has effective results on acne reduction. So, clear your acne by using niacinamide and get a glass-like clear skin.
Improves Skin Texture
Open pores, acne, and bumpy skin are the main reasons why your skin texture looks uneven. But, niacinamide has a solution for that too. Due to its pores shrinking, acne reduction, and skin barrier-protecting properties, this serum improves skin texture. As a result, the skin looks smooth and even.
Combats Hyperpigmentation
Niacinamide uses for skin also include reducing hyperpigmentation. By healing skin, this ingredient is helpful in evening out hyperpigmentation and reducing dark spots. With consistent use, the skin complexion becomes clear and glass-like.
Boosts Skin Barrier
Niacinamide acts as a restorer for the skin barrier. It works as a layer that reduces the loss of skin’s natural moisture. It also restores the skin barrier by providing a protective shield against environmental aggressors like dirt, heat, and more.
Hydrates Skin
This ingredient is essential in hydrating the skin, especially for acne-prone people. It is a great addition to the skincare routine for acne-prone skin. Niacinamide hydrates the skin due to its water-soluble properties. Along with providing the required moisture, the serum also locks in natural moisture which makes the skin look hydrated and plump.
Reverses Ageing
By removing dullness and tightening skin pores, niacinamide or vitamin B3 can help in reversing ageing. Make your skin youthful and radiant with this serum which reduces fine lines, wrinkles, open pores, and other signs of ageing.
Brightens Skin tone
Niacinamide uses for skin involves brightening and whitening properties. It penetrates within the skin and removes dullness. It helps combat uneven skin tone, hyperpigmentation, and sun tan and reduces dark spots. As a result, the skin looks visibly bright. So, add niacinamide to your skincare for whitening your skin.
Protects against Sun Damage
Niacinamide also has the property to diminish the sun’s damage to the skin. It acts as a barrier to the sun’s UV rays. By using a niacinamide serum in the morning, you can boost the effectiveness of your sunblock or sunscreen. However, niacinamide alone cannot work as a sunblock.
Reduces Skin Inflammation
It can calm down the skin and reduce inflammation. So, if you have sensitive or acne-prone skin, you can calm down your skin using this ingredient. For active acne and redness, it can prove helpful with soothing properties.
Suitable for all Skin types
One of the best benefits of niacinamide serum is that it is suitable for all skin types. Whether you have dry, normal, combination, oily, acne-prone or sensitive skin, the product can be helpful for all with minimal side effects. Moreover, it is a simple product that suits other skincare ingredients like Vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, glycolic acid and more.
How to Use Niacinamide?
Niacinamide is available in different forms from niacinamide concentrated serums and other forms. Always choose the products with 10 niacinamide as a lesser concentration will not be effective and a higher concentration may cause irritation. Some forms are:
- Cleansers
- Toners
- Serums
- Moisturiser
- Sunscreen
- Eye cream
- Spot Treatment
Side Effects
Although Niacinamide is a safe product to use on skin there can be a few side effects that you should be aware of:
- Itching
- Skin Burning
- Dryness
Best Niacinamide Products in Pakistan
If you want to clear acne, add the following niacinamide products to your life:
- The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% serum
- Trego Anti Acne Cleanser
- Accufix Niacinamide Serum
- Hira Ali B3 Niacinamide – Hydra Glow Serum
- Skin 1004 Tone Brightening Capsule Ampoule
- Conatural B3 Niacinamide
FAQs
What does niacinamide do to your skin?
Niacinamide can make your skin healthy, and glowing, shrink pores, reduce hyperpigmentation, fade dark spots, tighten skin, reduce signs of ageing, and improve skin tone.
Which is better, niacinamide or Vitamin C?
If you have acne-prone skin, open pores, and excessive oil production, you should use niacinamide. But if you have specific problems of dark spots and hyperpigmentation, you should use Vitamin C.
Is it okay to use Niacinamide every day?
Yes, you can use niacinamide every day in the morning to control acne, brighten skin, and tighten pores. But if you get issues like skin irritation, itching, or redness, stop using it.
What not to mix with niacinamide?
Niacinamide is usually unsafe to use with acids like alpha hydroxy and beta hydroxy acids. Mixing them may cause irritation and increased skin sensitivity.
Can I use 5% niacinamide every day?
Yes, you can use 5 to 10 per cent niacinamide every day to get healthy and glowing skin.
How to use niacinamide serum for beginners?
For beginners, you should clean your face with a mild cleanser. Then take only 2-3 drops of serum on your palm and apply the product evenly onto the skin. Massage with your fingertips until absorbed.
Does niacinamide whiten skin?
Yes, niacinamide can make your skin bright and glowing. It fades dark spots and removes hyperpigmentation.
