Winter Beauty Spot
Welcome to Beauty Spot – where we demystify buzz-worthy skincare ingredients so you can feel confident in the skin you’re in! This issue, Jodie Cameron discovers the nourishing benefits of Niacinamide aka Vitamin B3.
When it comes to skincare, few ingredients get beauty insiders and dermatologists equally excited – but Niacinamide is one of them, which is perhaps why you’re starting to see it pop up everywhere. Pronounced NIGH-uh-sin-uh-mide, this multitasking marvel, also known as Vitamin B3, works quietly behind the skincare scenes to do it all: from calming redness and minimising pores to strengthening the skin’s barrier; and it’s suitable for nearly every skin type.
We spoke to expert Beauty Therapist Jenny Wilson from Noosa Body and Skincare and Cosmetic Nurse Bianca Dyda from Cosmedic Lab to better understand the benefits of nourishing Niacinamide and how to incorporate it into our daily lives.
Say hello to its superpowers
Looking to rebalance and restore your skin without risking irritation?
Jenny says Niacinamide is a multitasking active that can deliver visible improvements.
“I’ve seen its benefits first-hand,” she says. “Typically, skin appears calmer, pores look smaller, oil production is more balanced, hydration improves, and skin tone becomes brighter and more even.” Hook us up!
Build a barrier
Bianca says Niacinamide can also help the skin build a stronger barrier.
“It helps retain moisture and protect against environmental stressors like pollution and UV damage, which is important as we age,” she says.
“Plus it can communicate with sebaceous glands (oil-producing glands) to help regulate sebum production, potentially reducing shine and breakouts.”
Pigmentation and redness, be gone
This wonder ingredient is known to reduce the appearance of dark spots and hyperpigmentation, contributing to a more even skin tone.
And Bianca says it can also provide redness relief.
“Niacinamide can help calm redness associated with conditions like acne, rosacea, and eczema, due to its anti-inflammatory properties,” she said.
It’s beneficial to most skin types
Niacinamide has been around for yonks – since the 19th century to be precise –and has become a popular skincare ingredient over the past 30 years because of its ability to build proteins in the skin, and lock in moisture to prevent environmental damage.
Jenny shares that most skin types can tolerate Niacinamide.
“It’s lovely and gentle on the skin, while still remaining active enough to see visible results,” she says.
And Bianca says that unlike many other actives, Niacinamide can usually be tolerated by sensitive and barrier-impaired skin.
“Once it’s working for you, I recommend using it morning or nightly, after cleansing, and under moisturiser,” she says.
Food for your face – and body
A form of niacin, Niacinamide occurs naturally in many foods including meat, fish, milk and green vegetables. It’s also found in supplements – but applying it topically can offer more targeted skincare benefits.
Jenny says Niacinamide works with the natural substances in your skin to help visibly nourish and hydrate.
“Dermalogica uses this powerhouse ingredient in quite a few of their products to help customers get fantastic results on their skin,” she said. “We particularly love their Age Bright Clearing Serum.”
Bianca highlights that our diets don’t always provide an adequate amount of Niacinamide, so adding a serum to your routine is a sure way to get that glow.
“Synergie’s Vitamin B Serum is a lovely hydrating serum containing a powerful 13% Niacinamide for a pronounced improvement in virtually any skin type, and can be used daily,” Bianca says.
How to use it – and how much
Niacinamide typically comes in serums or moisturisers, but Jenny notes that Dermalogica even includes it in a scrub, which means the strength of products will vary.
“The key is to use your skincare products consistently to see results, and once you start to see improvements, to keep on using those products as results will increase over time,” Jenny says.
Bianca adds that expectations need to be realistic because it isn’t possible for a skincare product to make your skin completely flawless or poreless.
“However, you can expect your follicles to look smaller, increase skin tone to be more hydrated, and have an overall healthier appearance,” she says.
Things to consider
Like any active ingredient, Niacinamide can cause some unwanted side-effects if not used correctly – especially when used with other actives – so it’s important to check with a skincare expert first so you know and understand your skin type before introducing it into your regime.
Jenny says to find out which product is best for you, talk to a Dermalogica skin therapist at Noosa Body & Skincare for a professional consultation and Face Mapping Skin Analysis.
“We always like to provide personalised advice tailored to our clients’ particular skin concerns – what works for someone else won’t necessarily be the right product for you,” she says.
“For example, using Niacinamide with some AHAs can cause skin irritation, especially for those with sensitive skin, because the acids in the AHA group have a low pH, so it will affect the neutral pH of Niacinamide.
“It’s always best to proceed slowly and cautiously when it comes to the health of your skin.”
Bianca agrees, adding that it doesn’t pair well with Vitamin C, and can also sometimes cause a tingle on extra-sensitive skin.
Power couple potential
While some combinations are best avoided, Niacinamide does layer perfectly with many active ingredients like Hyaluronic Acid and Peptides.
“It also pairs beautifully with Retinol for enhanced anti-ageing effects, so it can be applied at night under your Retinol or moisturiser,” Bianca says.
An impressive all-rounder
Bianca says she loves Niacinamide for its multi-functional ability in effectively treating congestion, acne, dehydration, pigmentation, sun damage, and ageing skin.
“It’s also wonderful for improving texture, tone and colour, and is fabulous for maintaining already good skin,” she advises.
Jenny agrees: “And because it’s a gentle active, it can help fade the marks that breakouts can often leave behind.”
How long until you see results?
Jenny says it can take up to 6-8 weeks or one full skin-cell turnover cycle – where your skin cells move from the bottom of the epidermis to the top – before you can see the benefits of skincare products working.
Add a little nourishing Niacinamide (or should that be beautiful B3?) to your everyday skincare routine and reap the benefits of a luminous glow this winter!
WANT MORE? Discover the products our experts recommend so that you can get that B3-Beautiful glow!
