What is Niacinamide in Skincare?

There are a lot of ingredients in both skincare and makeup today that can be confusing. Why can you mix some ingredients but not others? Do some ingredients cancel each other out? Can some ingredients give you a rash? How do you know which ingredients are right for your skin? There are a lot of skincare ingredients and while I can’t talk about all of them in one blog post, I can deep dive into one of my favorite ones: niacinamide.

Aside from hyaluronic acid, niacinamide is one of my favorite skincare ingredients. In this post, I’ll go through what this ingredient is, its benefits, and recommended niacinamide skincare items.

What is Niacinamide?

Niacinamide (or nicotinamide) is a kind of B-3 vitamin. Niacinamide can help build proteins in the skin and lock moisture in to help protect it from environmental damage. Niacinamide contributes to all sorts of skin benefits including minimization of pore appearance, minimizes redness, treatment of hyperpigmentation, minimizes fine lines and wrinkles, and protection against sun damage. These are just a few of what niacinamide can do for your skin.

Aside from topical treatments, you can get niacinamide from the foods that you eat. Foods like eggs, milk, fish, and beans all contain niacinamide. Many people choose to supplement these foods with topical serums to get the most benefit to their skin.

Choosing Niacinamide Skincare Items

There are a few skincare items to choose from when you’re thinking about incorporating niacinamide into your routine.

I usually see niacinamide in the form of serums or ampoules which is applied to the skin after toning but niacinamide can also be a core ingredient of sheet masks, creams, and even some cleansers.

Niacinamide concentrations can vary per skincare item but reports show that 5% concentration can be effective for treating hyperpigmentation and a concentration of 2% can be effective in helping ease symptoms of eczema.

Personally, I’ve experienced good results when using niacinamide with hyaluronic acid and have not had any reactions to combining them but always patch test your products if you have doubts.

Who is Niacinamide Good For?

My skin has never shown a particularly averse reaction to niacinamide and from what I’ve read, niacinamide is great for people who have sensitive skin. Even folks who have rosacea can benefit from niacinamide.

With any new products or new ingredients you’re trying, however, it’s always a great idea to patch test. Pick an area on your neck or somewhere easily hidden to patch test new skincare just to see if you get a reaction from it.

Niacinamide Product Recommendations

One of my favorite products containing niacinamide is the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops. I typically put this on before applying my makeup and my skin always looks like I’ve been drinking a lot of water and have been really healthy even though I absolutely have not been.

My other favorite product with niacinamide in it is the Fenty Water Niacinamide Pore Refining Toner Serum. When I saw pictures and videos of the product, I thought it was going to be thick and wouldn’t absorb nicely. When I actually used it, though, I loved it! It was really nourishing and comfortable on the skin. Highly recommend.