7 Benefits Of Niacinamide In Skincare

When it comes to brightening, hydration, or anti-aging it’s likely your go-tos are vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, retinol, maybe even alpha arbutin too if you’re skincare-savvy, but have you heard of niacinamide? Loved by derms and beauty editors, the benefits of niacinamide make for an impressive lineup worthy of a place in your skincare ritual.

“Niacinamide or vitamin B3 as it’s also known, is a powerhouse skincare ingredient that can help many different concerns,” explains Dr. Nina Desai, Board-Certified Dermatologist. “It calms redness and inflammation on the skin—even with more severe conditions like acne and rosacea. And, because the benefits of niacinamide are so broad, it also has the ability to repair our skin barrier, preventing signs of aging, brightening, and smoothing skin. And, it’s gentle enough for sensitive skin too."

What Is Niacinamide + What Does It Do?

Niacinamide is a well-studied form of vitamin B3 that’s water-soluble. As it’s not actually stored in our body, this means we have to either ingest it via food (whole grains and certain leafy greens) or supplements and of course, add it into our skincare.

The seven benefits of niacinamide...

1. Niacinamide Protects

Niacinamide is a pro in supporting and strengthening the skin’s barrier. This not only helps maintain optimal levels of hydration, it also safeguards skin’s natural defenses against environmental stressors, while at the same time repairing any signs of damage too.

2. Niacinamide Brightens

And, that’s where the brightening comes in. By repairing and protecting skin, niacinamide helps reduce dullness, or lackluster skin, restoring skin’s natural radiance.

3. Niacinamide Hydrates

One of dry skin’s unsung heroes, niacinamide reinforces skin’s barrier, preventing moisture loss and dehydration by supporting skin’s production of natural ceramides. In fact, it’s so good for nourishing flaky, tight, dry patches, it can even be applied topically. Barrier Balm or Healing Gel are great options for this. And, as a bonus, it actually boosts the conditioning abilities of moisturizers, as it preps the skin’s surface to receive and retain that moisture surge more effectively.

4. Niacinamide Repairs Signs Of Aging

As a result of its reparative, hydrating properties, the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles are softened, elasticity is improved, and skin appears plumped and supple. Taking a starring role in our Eye Restore and Phyto-Active eye creams, niacinamide is a must for the eye area, helping to soften the appearance of fine lines and improve under-eye circles.

5. Niacinamide Balances + Reduces Pores

Getting to work on the lining inside pores, niacinamide helps prevent pores from getting clogged and therefore becoming more visible due to the debris within them making them noticeable. Niacinamide helps clear pores, tightening them up, and minimizing their appearance. It also helps balance oil production too, reducing breakouts. Try our niacinamide infused salicylic acid and retinol serum—Beta-Clarity BHA Drops for a clarifying, smoothing boost.

6. Niacinamide Improves Uneven Tone

Niacinamide is a go-to ingredient for treating hyperpigmentation and uneven skin tone, preventing new issues from coming up, while also treating existing uneven patches. This is why it’s a key ingredient in our Hydra-Bright Alpha Arbutin Drops—a potent serum loaded with skin brightening benefits.

7. Niacinamide Soothes Inflammation

By this point you might be wondering if there’s anything niacinamide can’t help with, and the answer is, not really. Even redness and inflammation can benefit from the soothing, calming powers of niacinamide, supporting with acne, rosacea, or more general skin sensitivities. For this, our Barrier Balm is particularly nourishing and reparative.

How To Add Niacinamide To Your Skincare

The great thing about niacinamide is that once you go looking for it, you’ll discover it in an array of products from serums to moisturizers.

One of our best-selling exfoliating and brightening treatments, Hydra-Bright Pro 5 Liquid Exfoliant is infused with niacinamide to get to work deep into the skin and work its magic, supporting the AHAs with smoothing, brightening, and all that good stuff.

For a niacinamide boost, you’ll find it in serum form via the Hydra-Bright Alpha Arbutin Drops for brightening and hyperpigmentation issues, and Beta-Clarity BHA Drops—where it works with other acne-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid to balance and clarify. And, if you want an active treatment moisturizer enriched with niacinamide, Phyto-Active Face Cream is a must-try.

If it’s a deeper, lasting dose of niacinamide you’re after, both our Hydra-Bright AHA Glow Peel and the GlyPro AHA Resurfacing Peel feature it among other actives, for visible results.

Short contact niacinamide also imparts plenty of skin-loving benefits too, so we infuse many of our cleansers with it to help really get to work on pores and balance oil. Try our Pumpkin Enzyme Scrub, Purifying Gel Cleanser, and Purifying Mist for this.

Keep your niacinamide use to low percentages to avoid overdoing it, and add each product in slowly to see its transformative effects. Remember to give it time to work too, don’t give up after a week. It can take anything up to a month to show visible effects.

Welcome to the niacinamide fan club, happy skin guaranteed.