Deep Dive into Niacinamide
Niacinamide or vitamin B3, has become a staple skincare ingredient over the last couple of years for good reason. Yet, it is often overshadowed by other vitamins such as vitamins A (commonly known as retinol) and C.
We termed niacinamide as a miracle do-it-all skin saviour as there are so many benefits it can do for your skin. Here’s a full rundown of this ingredient for all you skincare junkies out there, and we show you how to include it into your skincare routine!
What is Niacinamide?
Niacinamide, also called nicotinamide, is a form of vitamin B3, an essential nutrient that our bodies do not produce. That means we have to either consume it orally or apply it topically to reap its benefits. You can find vitamin B3 in foods like eggs, green veggies, beans, fish and milk. The best way for your skin to absorb vitamin B3 is to use topical skincare containing niacinamide!
What are the benefits of Niacinamide?
Concerned with hyperpigmentation? Enlarged pores? Fine lines and wrinkles? Niacinamide is your best friend! This versatile ingredient is known for its anti-ageing benefits amongst many others. Here are some of the things that niacinamide can do:
1. Visibly minimise enlarged pores
Niacinamide reduces the production of sebum and in return, your pores will look smaller due to less sebum and dead skin being trapped in your pores.
2. Revive skin’s healthy tone and texture
Niacinamide helps to slow down the transfer of melanin caused by UV rays to your skin’s epidermis. This helps to reduce the appearance of freckles and age spots. It is also an antioxidant which helps to revive dull skin.
3. Improve skin’s firmness
Niacinamide increases collagen production in skin which helps to maintain your skin’s firmness and bounciness. Say bye bye to lines and wrinkles!
4. Reduce impact of environmental damage
Niacinamide increases the production of ceramides to maintain and strengthen your skin’s protective barrier, and it can even repair past signs of damage due to its anti-inflammatory function.
5. Minimise redness and blotchiness
Redness be gone with niacinamide, as it’s an antioxidant with proven anti-inflammatory properties that eases redness from acne, eczema and rosacea.
Talk about a powerhouse ingredient!
Does Niacinamide work well with others?
The answer to that is a resounding YES! It’s compatible with literally almost every type of active ingredient you can find in your skincare routine. Feel free to mix niacinamide with retinoids like AHAs and BHAs, as well as other active ingredients such as peptides and antioxidants.
To get the most out of your products, we recommend combining niacinamide with skincare containing moisturising ingredients like Hyaluronic Acid.
Sensitivity to Niacinamide?
Yes, there have been some cases where redness and a slight tingling sensation can be felt on the skin upon using niacinamide. Curious, you may be, as niacinamide is generally known to be a soothing ingredient in skincare.
Well, this could be attributed to a few reasons:
(i) an allergic reaction (most uncommon),
(ii) a reaction to another ingredient in the product, or
(iii) the concentration of niacinamide was too high for your skin.
This could differ from person to person, and if you feel any sensitivity, especially when trying out a new product, the rule of thumb is to rinse it off immediately, and apply a soothing gel such as aloe vera to reduce any redness.
The good news is, most users don’t encounter any skin problems when applying products containing niacinamide, so if you’re up for some experimenting on a new ingredient, we say dive right into it!
Products with Niacinamide
Niacinamide is most commonly found in the form of essences, serums, moisturisers and masks, as it is the most effective in a leave-in formula.
Try the ést.lab VitaLift A+ Brillage Face Mask.
Pamper your skin with the VitaLift A+ Brillage Face Mask to instantly soothe, repair and glow. This all-in-one nano bio-cellulose face mask soaked in a cocktail of skin-loving ingredients like Niacinamide & Bifida Ferment Lysate to deliver multiple benefits to your skin. The Niacinamide in the mask will help minimise enlarged pores, tighten lax pores, improve uneven skin tone, soften fine lines and wrinkles, diminish dullness and strengthen skin barrier.
Try the ést.lab Miracle Lift Serum.
Include this miracle all-in-one ingredient into your skincare regimen with the VitaLift A+ Miracle Lift Serum. This innovative, super potent and luxurious age-defying serum is specially formulated to plump, tone, lift and smoothen skin, specifically for ageing skin, saggy jowls and expression lines. This serum contains Niacinamide and other active ingredients such as Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5 to increase production of collagen to firm up the skin and delay formation of wrinkles and crow’s feet.
In Good Hands,
Estetica
Sources: https://www.allure.com/story/niacinamide-skin-care-redness-side-effect
