Skin Care

Niacinamide Benefits For Skin: Is Niacinamide Really An All-in-one Skincare Ingredient?

Niacinamide the vitamin B derivative has become the hot topic of beauty buzz over the past two years. This versatile skincare ingredient has found its place in countless skincare and makeup products. Why?


Written by Aashika Rajendran

On Jan 20, 2023 – 8 minutes read

Niacinamide benefits for skin

Niacinamide benefits for skin in many ways. Before getting into the benefits let’s understand why Niacinamide is the star ingredient that everyone is raving about. One of the reasons must be that, unlike other skincare ingredients,  Niacinamide is suitable for almost all skin types, helps the skin by improving its barrier, and targets almost every skin concern. 

It is claimed to control redness, sebum, and oil production and also improve skin hydration. Let’s try to understand niacinamide’s benefits for the skin, a bit better and find out how it works, who can use it, and how to use it. 

What Is Niacinamide & How Do Niacinamide Benefits For Skin?

Niacinamide is a vitamin B derivative naturally found in meat, milk, cereals, and vegetables.  Niacinamide also known as nicotinamide, is necessary for the body to effectively manage fat and sugar levels and produce healthy cells. A high deficiency of Niacinamide aka Vitamin B3 in the body is called pellagra(1).

How Do Niacinamide Benefits For Skin?

This is a serious disease that can cause dermatitis, skin/ mouth sores, diarrhea, and mental disturbance, and if not treated properly can eventually lead to death. Niacinamide with consistent use is claimed to improve the skin barrier and boost moisture levels. It is a natural ceramide booster. Niacinamide also has inflammatory properties making it a go-to product for acne and other skin conditions. Hence Niacinamide benefits for the skin are many.

9 Amazing Niacinamide Benefits For Skin!

Overall works by helping the skin in retaining moisture, boosting ceramide production, and helping in the faster build-up of proteins. Niacinamide can also protect the skin from environmental damage. Here are some of the individual benefits of niacinamide for the skin.

  • Niacinamide is a great source of antioxidants. It helps protect the skin from environmental pollutants like toxins, UV damage, etc. niacinamide when combined with zinc can be used under the foundation to prevent oxidation of the foundation.

(Foundation oxidation is a situation in which the foundation which is the right shade eventually starts getting darker or orangish after a few hours of application, this usually happens when the oils in the foundation come in contact with the oils in the skin)

  • Regular use of Niacinamide helps in building keratin in the skin which maintains the elasticity and firmness of the skin.
  • Enhances the production of ceramide thereby improving the lipid barrier of the skin.

(The lipid barrier is very important to maintain the hydration levels of the skin, preventing aging.)

  • Niacinamide benefits for skin include reducing redness and swelling from acne
  • Helps control excess oil production, hence very effective for oily skin.
  • Minimized the appearance of pores making skin look and feel plump and supple.
  • Protection against sun damage 
  • Niacinamide benefits for skin include its ability to reduce hyperpigmentation when used consistently
  • Increased hydration controls the visibility of fine lines and wrinkles

How And When Do You Use Niacinamide?

Niacinamide can be included in both your AM as well as PM skincare routine.

One of the key properties of niacinamide is that just like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide works well in a combination with actives so you need not worry about which goes with what.

What Can I use With Niaciniade?

Niacinamide + Retinol 

Retinol is an active anti-aging ingredient that is great to prevent aging. But retinol when used alone is claimed to cause dryness, purging, and irritation. Combining retinol and niacinamide is said to be a powerhouse formula for anti-aging because while retinol does its job, niacinamide is going to keep your skin buried strong, improve moisture and reduce inflammation and protect from UV light, thus canceling out all the side effects of retinol.

Niacinamide + Vitamin C

Combining Nicainamde and vitamin C has been a topic of debate for a long time. The main reason is that both Niacimide and vitamin C are antioxidants and when both are combined the results become ineffective.  But this is not true anymore. Vitamin C was considered highly unstable, but today with innovations in science serums with vitamin C that are potent as well as stable on the skin have been developed.

Niacinamide + Vitamin C

Therefore combing vitamin c and niacinamide can great combination where you can receive the combined benefits of both. Vitamin C will help in brightening the skin and reducing spots and pigmentation while Niacimade will keep the skin healthy and less sensitive and prevent the formation of dark spots and other skin damage. Hence making niacinamide and vitamin C a powerful prevention and cure combination.

Niacinamide +Hyuloronic acid

Both niacinamide and hyaluronic acid are powerful humectants. Humicats are those ingredients that can draw in moisture from the atmosphere hence helping the skin become well-hydrated and healthy from the inside out.

The skin’s protective barrier is improved as well as its ability to function properly.  While using both in your skincare routine make sure you start with hyaluronic acid and follow up with niacinamide.  Hyaluronic acid has a lighter consistency and hence can be absorbed better. Applying hyaluronic acid first will prepare the skin to reap the maximum benefits of niacinamide.

Niacinamide + Lactic acid (AHA)

Lactic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). AHAs are strong and potent acids that work on the deeper layers of the skin. Hence while incorporating any kind of AHA in the skin it is important to make sure you do a patch test, this will help you understand if that particular formula is compatible with your skin. Some of the patent AHAs used in skin care are hydroxy caproic acid, glycolic acid,hydroxycaprylic acid, and citric acid. It is absolutely safe to use niacinamide with AHA.

Niacinamide + Lactic acid (AHA)

AHA works best when applied at night and is a part of your PM skincare routine. Hence if you are using any actives then try and use niacinamide in your AM routine. It is always advisable to use fewer actives while using AHA as it can be overbearing on the skin, leading to irritation. If niacinamide is used in your AM routine till will make sure your skin is protected and hydrated through the day leaving space for AHA to work at night.

If you are someone who cannot do without niacinamide in both your AM and PM routine we recommend leaving a minimum of 30 minutes gap between the two. This will make sure that the PH level of the skin is not disturbed. One of the most common causes of skin irritation which occurs while using actives is because of the altered PH levels of the skin.

Nicinamide + Chemical peels

Chemical peels are usually a combination of AHA, BHA, and PHA, making them one of the strongest skincare ingredients out there (2). It is very important to do a patch test on your skin 24 hrs before using any kind of chemical peel. When combining chemical peels with niacinamide the same rules of using niacinamide with AHA,s apply. Incorporate the peel in your nighttime skincare and niavinime in your morning skin care. Leave time and space between the two so that both can do the job well and not alter the PH of the skin.

Niacinamide + Peptides 

Niacinamide benefits for skin include high anti-aging benefits when combined with other ingredients such as retinol or peptide. Peptides work on reducing the signs of aging and niacinamide will help peptides work better by preparing the skin and projecting its barrier. 

Niacinamide is a very versatile skincare ingredient. The fact that it works with almost every skincare is why people love it. People with acne-prone sensitive skin as well as people with oily skin will absolutely fall in love with niacinamide. While applying always make sure that you give the product some time before layering it with another. The longer niacinamide sits on the skin the better its efficiency.

Our Niacinamide Recommendation:

  • The Ordinary Niacinamide: It has 10 % niacinamide and 1%zinc (Our favorite)
  • Paula’s Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster
  • Glossier Super Pure
  • Minimalist Niacinamide 10% + Zinc (Budget-friendly version of the ordinary one)
  • La Roche-Posay Retinol Face Serum with Vitamin B3
  • Olay Niacinamide + Peptide 24 Moisturizer
  • CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion
  • The Inkey List Niacinamide Oil Control Serum
  • First Aid Beauty Eye Duty Niacinamide Brightening Eye Cream (Best Eye Cream)
  • Mario Badescu Buffering Lotion(Best for Acne-Prone Skin)

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the ordinary niacinamide benefits for the skin?

Ordinary Niacinamide benefits for skin, as the formulation comes with 10% niacinamide and also has zinc which is great for sensitive skin as zinc helps in reducing congestion and balancing out the skin oils. Niacinamide and zinc benefit by enhancing the efficiency of the serum and is a powerful combination to target skin concerns.

2. Is niacinamide good for dry skin?

Absolutely yes! Niacinamide helps in keeping the skin hydrated as it’s a humectant.

3. What are the niacinamide benefits for acne?

Niacinamide helps improve the skin barrier, reduce inflammation, reduce redness, reduce acne scars, maintain oil levels and over time fade the existing acne scars.

4. Is niacinamide good for oily skin?

Yes! Niacinamide helps control oil production making the skin maintain its oil balance.

5. What are Niacinamide side effects on the skin? 

Normally there are no side effects on the skin when niacinamide is applied tropically but in cases where the user has previous issues with the skin, they might experience slight burning and redness.

6. Can I use niacinamide every day?

Yes! Niacinamide is perfect for everyday use and a great ingredient to add to your AM and PM skincare routine.

7. Does niacinamide give glowing skin?

Yes, consistent use of niacinamide can give you healthy and radiant skin.

8. Which is better niacinamide or vitamin C?

Niacinamide and vitamin c are both antioxidants and a great combination. While niacinamide prevents damage, vitamin C treats damage. 

Have you tried niacinamide on your skincare, let us know your experience with niacinamide and how Niacinamide benefited your skin.

  1. National Library of Medicine. (n.d). Pellagra. [Online] Available at:

    https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000342.htm
  2. Springer Nature Switzerland AG. (2023). Genetics and Biochemistry of Polyhydroxyalkanoate Granule Self-assembly: The Key Role of Polyester Synthases. [Online] Available at:

    https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10529-005-5521-4

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Aashika

Aashika is a makeup and beauty expert known for creating stunning looks that not only accentuate facial features but also empower women to feel confident in their skin.

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