We know. Your skincare shelf is already brimming with products for various skin conditions. But, if this one skincare item is missing on your shelf, you might as well make some space for it too. We are talking about the niacinamide serum. This serum is growing in popularity, and for all the right reasons. You may have seen it making rounds on the internet, claiming it to be an all-rounder of a serum. Well, they’re not quite wrong when talking about the potency of niacinamide. However, there’s a catch. Not all beauty brands have the right concentration of niacinamide to suit your needs. But why does the percentage of niacinamide matter? And what does it do for the skin anyway? How do you use it, and with what? Which niacinamide serum is the best in the market? Let's get into the nitty-gritty of niacinamide and understand why you must have it in your skincare regime.
What is Niacinamide?
Niacinamide is a category of vitamin B3 called nicotinamide or niacinamide. This vitamin is not produced naturally in the body as it is water soluble in nature. In an interview with SELF magazine, Snehal Amin, MD, board-certified dermatologist of MDCS Dermatology and clinical assistant professor of dermatology at Weill-Cornell Medical College, said, “Vitamin B3 is an antioxidant which is important for cell repair.”
Due to the benefits of niacinamide for the skin, it is essential to replenish this vitamin in the body from external sources, both orally and topically. In fact, its water-soluble property makes it excellent for topical applications, especially via serums. To reap its skincare benefits, including this vitamin in your skincare routine is highly recommended by skin experts as their topical application helps the skin in various ways. “For skin-care concerns, topical application has more of a direct effect on skin appearance and is safer than oral supplements,” says Dr Amin.
Let us understand the full scope of niacinamide’s use in our skincare.
How does niacinamide benefit the skin?
Niacinamide is thought to be useful in skin care products because it serves as a precursor to two vital co-enzymes in your cells: nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP+) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH). These two molecules are essential to the chemical processes your cells—including skin cells—need to carry out in order to heal damage, procreate, and perform their usual functions. Without NAD+, your cells can't produce niacinamide. Many of these important events can't take place at all if you do not use niacinamide.
Niacinamide's major benefits for skin care in both topical and maybe supplement form are thought to stem from its capacity to possibly aid your body in producing more NAD+ and, consequently, repair damage. Some evidence also suggests that niacinamide is, in a way, responsible for the production of ceramides, which are lipids that helps maintain the protective barrier of your skin. This property of niacinamide enables it to act as an excellent anti-ageing ingredient.
“Niacinamide has overarching benefits for skin health and has powerful anti-inflammatory properties that can improve skin texture, moisture and functionality”, says the leading aesthetics doctor in anti-inflammatory medicine, Dr Barbara Sturm. But the benefits do not stop there. Listed below are some of the major benefits of niacinamide serum which can completely transform your skin for good.
- Acne and inflammation control: Niacinamide has anti-inflammatory properties, which make it a promising solution for acne treatment. Integrating it into your acne-treatment regime can help you get that clear and flawless skin. It controls acne by controlling the root cause of the breakout, that is, excessive sebum and oil production in the pores. When pores get clogged due to these sticky substances, dirt and dead skin cells start accumulating in them, causing breakouts to happen. Niacinamide acts on sebum production and unclogs your pores, letting them breathe free. It reduces pore size too, which can visibly improve the texture of the skin and avoids further clogging. In addition, niacinamide has an antibacterial effect that helps calm down your skin when it gets flared up due to severe acne breakouts or the use of an incompatible product. The redness caused as a result of using the wrong product can be mitigated by the serum. Niacinamide helps in retaining skin balance, calms breakouts, and mitigates skin congestion, all of which are important to prevent future acne breakouts.
- Skin barrier: A solid skin barrier is essential to block out irritants and pollutants from entering the dermis. Thanks to niacinamide, you can now strengthen your skin barrier and keep it healthy for a long time. It does so by increasing the synthesis of proteins and lipids found in the skin barrier. Ceramides are the most crucial lipid found in the skin barrier and help retain moisture in the skin. By helping in the production of ceramides, niacinamide helps in keeping the skin moisturised and hydrated. This is especially beneficial for those who are prone to dehydration. Thus, if your skin dries out too often, do your skin a favour and make niacinamide your best buddy.
- Spot Treatment: The abnormal deposition of the pigment, called melanin, is what gives rise to spots or hyperpigmentation on your face. The abnormal secretion of melanin is stimulated by over-exposure to sunlight and a host of other environmental factors. To know more about what hyperpigmentation is, how it is caused and how you can combat it, read this detailed article about everything you need to know about hyperpigmentation. As for niacinamide’s endless array of benefits, hyperpigmentation is another skin problem that it readily helps tackle. Research suggests that it can help in lightening the dark spots and shows results in just a few weeks. This type of result is somewhat expected as niacinamide is involved in the synthesis of new collagen molecules in the skin. It also prevents the process of deposition of pigment within the skin, thereby resulting in a lighter dermis. Using it over time leads to brighter and spot-free skin.
- Slows Ageing: Vitamin B3 is famous for its tendency to fight off internal and external stressors that cause skin damage and breakdown. What this means for your skin is the inhibition of premature signs of ageing, such as fine lines and wrinkles. It also helps curb skin discolouration caused as a result of ageing.
What percentage of niacinamide is perfect for my skin?
Niacinamide is a water-soluble form of vitamin B3 and comes in different percentages. But how do you narrow down your search for the ideal niacinamide percentage? After all, you would want the best concentration for your skin for maximum benefit. Does that translate to you going for the highest percentage? The answer is no. As the saying goes, less is more. This is also true when it comes to choosing the ideal niacinamide percentage. Researchers and dermatologists recommend going for a serum with a 5% to 10% concentration. A sweet spot between this range would be niacinamide at 8%. Usually, higher concentrations are tolerated by the skin. However, going for a percentage further north may end up doing more harm than good. Similarly, if the percentage is too low, you may not get the desired results.
At 8% concentration, the serum efficiently improves texture, evens out skin complexion, and treats enlarged pores without any harmful side effects.
How to use niacinamide?
Any skincare ingredient for that matter is best used when paired with other ingredients. Niacinamide, in particular, can be used with most ingredients. One of the most popular ingredients to pair with it is vitamin C. This combination gives your skin a boost of hydration and brightness. Tyrosinase, an enzyme that causes excessive melanin, is inhibited by vitamin C, and it is theorised that niacinamide prevents the transfer of this pigment within cells. Thus, both these act as a dream team to combat skin pigmentation.
Apart from vitamin C, ingredients such as hydrolysed rice protein, moringa extract and gold mica also serve as excellent carriers of it. You can get the benefits of all these ingredients in just one serum, that is, the Glow Essence by Kzen. Keep your face glowing, plump, and youthful for years to come with the help of Glow Essence. This is a powerful blend of actives and aids in building the skin’s ceramide or lipid barrier. It leaves skin bright and luminous, prevents signs of ageing, reduces acne and the appearance of large pores and leaves skin smooth and even textured.
The hydrolysed rice protein in the serum is a gentle, gluten-free, and sustainable protein source for the skin. It is a protein derived from rice bran that has been altered to make it water-soluble. It works well as an anti-irritant. Because it is high in amino acids, it helps the skin become moisturised, elastic, smooth, and non-sticky. This article thoroughly explores the science and benefits behind this amazing skincare element.
Moringa is a natural collagen booster and anti-ageing agent. It helps get rid of wrinkles and loose skin. Also, it has antibacterial characteristics that aid in the removal of blemishes, dark spots, pimples, and blackheads, as well as the prevention of acne breakouts on your skin. The antioxidants in moringa also aid in shielding your skin from the sun's damaging UV radiation.
Finally, gold mica is an all-natural, skin-friendly component. It has a strong ability to reflect light, giving the skin a glittering and shimmering appearance. It enhances the radiance of the skin. It calms skin and is non-irritating. Moreover, gold might be able to keep microorganisms off the skin's surface. It makes the skin's basal cells more active, which makes the skin more elastic. Gold contains anti-ageing and firming qualities.
This is the best way to incorporate niacinamide into your skincare regime. With the right carrier ingredients present in the serum, the serum helps you achieve that flawless glass skin that you have been looking for. When applying the serum, take only a few drops and dab them evenly onto a clean face and neck. Avoid the areas around your eyes. Let the serum stay on the skin for a few minutes. Since you will be applying niacinamide in the form of a serum, you will benefit from it the entire time you keep it on. Do not forget to layer up your skin with a moisturiser and an SPF afterwards. You can use the serum in your night skincare routine as well.
Final Thoughts:
Kzen’s Glow Essence serum, just like any of our products, is absolutely cruelty-free, vegan, non-comedogenic and devoid of harsh chemicals such as parabens and sulphates. It has no artificial fragrances and includes only naturally-sourced ingredients. Use this serum to reap the benefits of niacinamide the natural way. Skincare has never been any healthier.