Niacinamide: Learn the benefits of this skin care ingredient and how to use it properly

A good skin care regimen is all about choosing the right ingredients for your skin and following them religiously. While cleansing, toning and moisturizing your skin, you can add some other ingredients to enhance your skin’s natural beauty. One such ingredient that most people swear by these days is niacinamide. It has become a staple in our skincare vanity and can work wonders when applied consistently to the skin. This nutrient is good for the skin and is used to treat various skin problems.

Health Shots contacted Dr. Kiran Sethi, skin and wellness expert, to understand the importance of niacinamide in daily skin care.

What is niacinamide?

“Niacinamide is vitamin B3 and is a wonderful topical B complex vitamin. First, and most importantly, it reduces sebum secretion in most people with oily skin. So when used in amounts of about 5 percent at the right pH of about 5-6, it can reduce the amount of oil our skin produces. In addition, it can help reduce the size of pores. It all leads to smaller pores with less oil,” says Dr. Sethi.

He goes on to add, “Another thing that niacinamide is really helpful for is that it can help with reduction of pigmentation, and it can also curb problems such as inflammation, which often causes skin pigmentation. So not only does it treat the cause, but it can also help limit the underlying problems that occur.”

How can we use niacinamide daily?

This ingredient can be used once or twice a day as it is completely safe and gentle and does not irritate the skin if formulated correctly, according to an expert. When found in face washes or cleansers, it has not been shown to be as effective. Therefore, he suggests using it more in the form of leave-in applications than in serums for effective results.

Recently, Dr. Rashmi Shetty, a dermatologist shared a column on her social media sharing how this ingredient can be combined with other skin care ingredients.

Daily routine:

During the day, she prefers to keep it simple and minimize layering. So if someone wants to use niacinamide throughout the day, following the order of layering will give optimal results.

Niacinamide > Moisturizer > SPF

Night routine:

At night, depending on your concerns, here are some great niacinamide combinations:

• For dull skin: niacinamide + vitamin C
• For hydration: niacinamide + hyaluronic acid
• Anti-aging: niacinamide + retinol
• For anyone with pigmentation issues: niacinamide + moisturizer during the day
• Niacinamide + Vitamin C in twilight
• Niacinamide + Retinol at night
• Niacinamide with other products

You can find it in your moisturizer and sunscreen as long as it is in the right percentage of 3-5 percent. It can also be used with retinol to treat acne scars and marks. It will always bring results if it is designed correctly. Continued use will lead to reduced oil secretion and pore size with lighter skin. When combined with the right skin product, it will always lead to fruitful results.

Individual benefits of niacinamide

Some of the benefits of niacinamide include:

1. Build immunity

Niacinamide keeps keratin, a type of skin protein, to keep it firm and healthy.

2. Reduces redness and blemishes

Niacinamide helps curb the inflammation that can result eczemaacne or other inflammatory conditions.

3. Regulates sebum secretion

Retaining moisture in the skin not only benefits dry-skinned beauties, but this wonderful ingredient also regulates the amount of oil produced by our sebaceous glands, preventing them from going overboard.

4. Protect yourself from oxidative stress

It helps to keep up with the cells in the skin while protecting it from environmental issues such as sunlight, toxins and pollution.