What is niacinamide good for? A dermatologist weighs in on potential benefits
Intricate skincare routines à la “morning shed” might appear to be the answer to glowing, radiant skin. The reality is: You probably don’t need an extensive skincare routine to achieve a smooth complexion. If anything, lathering serum upon serum to your face could actually be causing more harm than good, potentially triggering breakouts, redness and irritation.
If you’re looking to simplify your routine, there’s one ingredient that might be able to help: niacinamide. Serums and moisturizers formulated with niacinamide can address a range of common skin concerns, from hyperpigmentation to pore size. Here’s what you need to know.
What does niacinamide do for skin?
Niacinamide (also known as nicotinamide) is a form of vitamin B3. It’s an active ingredient in many cleansers, serums and moisturizers, and even formulated in certain concealers and foundations.
Moisturizers and serums infused with niacinamide can help thicken the skin barrier, decrease redness and soften fine lines and wrinkles, says Dr. Joshua Tournas, a dermatologist with Banner Health.
There’s science to back this up. A 2021 study concluded topical niacinamide helps promote an even complexion, improves skin barrier function, quells redness, boosts skin elasticity, minimizes pores, supports hydration and lessens the appearance of wrinkles. Niacinamide’s anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties could also help manage and prevent acne from forming, another study found.
What’s better, hyaluronic acid or niacinamide?
Both niacinamide and hyaluronic acid are considered to be “active ingredients.” That means they help remedy particular skin concerns, says Tournas. When it comes down to it, because niacinamide and hyaluronic acid serve different functions, it’s hard to say one necessarily provides more benefits than the other; it ultimately depends on your skin’s needs, he says.
Hyaluronic acid serums and moisturizers are great if you’re struggling with dry skin. Its primary purpose is to boost hydration in the skin; this may help improve skin elasticity and soften fine lines and wrinkles. As stated, niacinamide does offer similar benefits. However, what differentiates niacinamide from hyaluronic acid is its ability to help smooth skin texture, reduce blemishes, minimize pore size and strengthen the skin barrier, which can help protect your skin from everyday environmental stressors, Tournas explains.
What should you not mix niacinamide with?
There were some initial concerns that niacinamide could inactivate the benefits of vitamin C if both ingredients were applied to the skin at the same time. However, this has since been disproven, says Tournas. There’s nothing inherently unsafe about using niacinamide and vitamin C together. If anything, these products are quite complementary—using them together can help with skin brightening and hyperpigmentation, he notes.
If you’re wondering how to incorporate it into your skincare routine, here’s where to start: With a clean face, lay down your retinoid first, followed by vitamin C and niacinamide. Allow each product to absorb into the skin before applying the next. Then, follow it up with a moisturizer (bonus points if it has hyaluronic acid in it), which will help lock in hydration, Tournas recommends.