As the latest buzz ingredient, you’ll have been hearing about Niacinamide everywhere. But what actually is this powerhouse ingredient, and how does it benefit our skin?
Niacinamide is a specific form of Vitamin B3. An essential nutrient and water-soluble vitamin, and one of the most sought after, much loved skincare ingredients because of its many multitasking benefits when topically applied to the skin.
What can it do?
One of the most noted benefits of Niacinamide is its ability to support the skin’s protective barrier function. Our skin barrier, which includes the skin’s naturally occurring slightly acidic acid mantle, is a protective shield made up of sebum, amino acids and sweat. It sits on the Epidermis, the top layer of our skin, and helps to keep moisture in and environmental aggressors out. This barrier plays a vital role in protecting the skin’s surface and lower layers from external threats that lead to concerns such as premature ageing or bacterial infection.
Niacinamide also has superior moisturising ability, assisting in increasing the skin’s natural moisturising factors, ceramides, and fat molecules that are a component of the skin barrier, helping to retain moisture. With our vital organs receiving most vitamins and water we consume and considering the daily environmental factors of the sun, air conditioning and pollution that cause stress to the skin, it’s a constant battle to maintain adequate levels of moisture for proper cell functioning. Enter Niacinamide, to help boost and maintain skin’s moisture.
Interestingly, while it supports ceramide production and increases moisturisation, Niacinamide simultaneously balances sebaceous oils making it extremely suitable for oily and problematic skin types. Clinically proven to reduce the production rate of sebum, Niacinamide works to increase the skin’s own antioxidant response and prevent the occurrence of breakouts whilst also having a calming action on existing problematic skin.
