Everything You Should Know About Niacinamide for Skin

Niacinamide, also called nicotinamide, is a form of vitamin B3, a nutrient that is essential for the body and is crucial for brain, kidney and skin function. Taking niacinamide can help prevent a B3 deficiency. However, this essential nutrient also has significant benefits when applied topically.

And when it comes to general skin health, niacinamide is the superhero ingredient that may help treat certain skin conditions such as acne, eczema and pigmentation and has a host of beneficial effects that can improve and protect skin overall. Read on to learn more about the benefits for skin.

Skin Benefits of Niacinamide

Treats hyperpigmentation - Niacinamide is effective in treating hyperpigmentation and lightening dark spots. This benefit may be due to increased collagen production.

Treats acne - Niacinamide may be helpful for severe acne, especially inflammatory forms like papules and pustules. Over time, you may see fewer lesions and improved skin texture.

Reduces redness and blotchiness - Reduces inflammation which may help ease redness from eczema, acne, and other inflammatory skin conditions.

Reduces fine lines and wrinkles - It can also minimise some signs of sun damage that come with aging such as fine lines and wrinkles.

Moisture retention - Niacinamide can help lock in moisture to prevent environmental damage by promoting the lipid barrier. This is beneficial for all skin types and especially if you have dry or mature skin.

Protects against oxidative stress - Niacinamide helps build cells in the skin while also protecting them from environmental stresses, such as sunlight, pollution, and toxins. It also protects against sun damage by rebuilding healthy skin cells and further protecting them from damage caused by ultraviolet rays.

Minimises pore size - by keeping skin smooth and moisturised. This happens over time with repeated use as the skin improves in condition.

Regulates oil production - Niacinamide can also help regulate the amount of oil the sebaceous glands produce to inhibit oiliness in skin.

How Niacinamide Actually Works

Most of these benefits come down to one thing: niacinamide helps your skin build more ceramides, the fatty molecules that hold the outer skin barrier together. A stronger barrier means less water escapes through the skin (called transepidermal water loss), so skin stays hydrated for longer and is better able to shrug off irritants, pollution and UV stress. That same barrier-supporting effect is also why niacinamide calms redness and helps regulate oil production — it's not fighting your skin, it's helping it function the way it's supposed to.

How to Add Niacinamide to Your Routine

Niacinamide is one of the easier active ingredients to build a routine around because it's gentle enough for daily use and plays well with almost everything else, including vitamin C, retinol and hyaluronic acid. Apply it to clean, slightly damp skin after cleansing and before your moisturiser, morning or night. Most formulas use niacinamide in the 2-10% range — higher isn't always better, since concentrations above that can occasionally cause flushing on sensitive skin, so it's worth starting daily and easing off to a few times a week if you notice any irritation.

In the UAE's heat and humidity, oil production tends to run higher and air conditioning pulls extra moisture out of the skin indoors, which makes niacinamide's dual role — controlling shine while shoring up the barrier — particularly useful. Follow it with a lightweight moisturiser such as HydraSilk Facial Moisturiser to lock in hydration without feeling heavy, and always finish the morning routine with SPF, since niacinamide works best as part of a protected routine rather than on its own.

Overall, if there is one superhero ingredient that you should include in your skincare routine, Niacinamide is it!

Try Skin Karma from Kathryn Jones Hand Blended Serums, a tried and tested formula with documented results. Skin Karma serum is a natural anti-ageing, anti-acne treatment, which visibly reduces blemishes, breakouts, pigmentation, and redness. Prolonged use can significantly reduce acne, blemishes and fine lines.

Active Ingredients: hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, N-acetyl glucosamine