Niacinamide: what vitamin B3 can really do for your skin

The short answer: Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3 and one of the best-researched and best-tolerated ingredients in skincare. In studies it strengthened the skin barrier, reduced redness, pigmentation spots and fine lines, and made the skin more elastic. Concentrations of around 2 to 5 per cent have proven effective – more is not automatically better. And it can be combined with almost anything, including vitamin C and retinol.

What is niacinamide?

Niacinamide – also called nicotinamide – belongs to the vitamin B3 family. The body uses it to build the NAD family of coenzymes, which are essential for the cells' energy metabolism and repair processes.⁴ Applied to the skin, it is well absorbed and well tolerated. Unlike its relative nicotinic acid, niacinamide does not cause a hot feeling or "flushing".

A recent review summarises what niacinamide does in the skin: it supports the cells' energy balance, dampens oxidative stress and inflammatory responses, strengthens connective tissue and the barrier, and slows pigmentation.⁴ No single "target molecule" is known, as there is for some other ingredients – niacinamide works more as an all-rounder.

What the studies show

A stronger skin barrier

Ceramides are the "mortar" between the skin's horny cells. In cell cultures, niacinamide increased ceramide production four- to five-and-a-half-fold; the authors link this to improved barrier function of the skin.³ In people with rosacea, a moisturiser containing niacinamide measurably improved barrier function.⁵ That makes niacinamide particularly interesting for dry and sensitive skin – read more in our article on rosacea and couperose.

A more even complexion and fewer pigmentation spots

Niacinamide does not inhibit pigment production itself, but its transfer: in a cell model it reduced the transfer of pigment granules to skin cells by 35 to 68 per cent. In clinical tests with 5 per cent niacinamide, and with 2 per cent niacinamide plus sunscreen, pigmentation was visibly reduced.² Without daily sun protection, however, the effect remains limited.

Fewer visible signs of skin ageing

In a double-blind study, 50 women applied 5 per cent niacinamide to one half of the face and an active-free cream to the other for twelve weeks. On the niacinamide side, fine lines, pigmentation spots, blotchy redness and the sallow yellow tinge of the skin decreased, and elasticity increased.¹

Which concentration makes sense?

The studies behind most claims used 2 to 5 per cent. Products with 10 per cent or more have become popular, but they are no better supported – and with sensitive skin, the risk of burning or redness rises with the concentration. More important than the percentage is that the product suits your skin and that you use it regularly. Visible changes take around four to twelve weeks.

Combining niacinamide: what goes together

• With vitamin C: The old worry that the two cancel each other out comes from laboratory tests under conditions that have little to do with modern skincare. Many formulations combine both on purpose – according to the manufacturer, the IMAGE ILUMA Intense Facial Illuminator contains niacinamide, vitamin C and tranexamic acid. Read more about vitamin C in our comparison Retinol vs. vitamin C.
• With retinol and vitamin A: A good match, because niacinamide supports the barrier that retinoids can strain at first. The IMAGE AGELESS+ Retinol Repair Crème 0.3% contains both.
• With hyaluronic acid: No problem – one binds moisture, the other helps keep it in the skin. See hyaluronic acid in skincare.
• With acids (AHA/BHA): Possible in principle. With sensitive skin, better to separate them – acid in the evening, niacinamide in the morning.

How to spot niacinamide in a product

On the ingredient list (INCI), niacinamide appears as Niacinamide. Ingredients are listed by quantity: if niacinamide is among the first entries, it is likely highly dosed; right at the end, it plays a minor role. Many manufacturers do not state the exact percentage – that need not be a drawback, because how well an ingredient works also depends on the whole formulation. Niacinamide is found not only in serums but also in toners, creams, masks and cleansers. In cleansers, however, it stays on the skin only briefly; products that are left to absorb make more sense for a noticeable effect.

How to build niacinamide into your routine

1. Morning or evening – or both. Niacinamide is not sensitive to light and can be used at any time of day. In the morning it complements sun protection well; in the evening, a vitamin A product.
2. The right position. After cleansing and toner, before cream. Serums and toners with niacinamide work where they have direct skin contact.
3. Start slowly. With sensitive skin, once a day at first, twice a day after two weeks.
4. Be patient. The barrier often responds within a few weeks; in the studies, pigmentation spots and fine lines took eight to twelve weeks.

Tingling or redness after applying? This occasionally happens with high concentrations. Switch to a product with a lower percentage, or apply it to skin that has already been moisturised. Unlike acids or retinol, niacinamide has no "purging" phase you need to push through – lasting irritation is a sign that the product does not suit you.

Who is niacinamide suitable for?

Almost every skin type – which is what makes it so popular. Particularly likely to benefit:

• Blemish-prone and oily skin: for example with the Environ Clarity+ Sebu-Spot Blemish Gel or the IMAGE CLEAR CELL Clarifying Repair Crème, which combines niacinamide with salicylic acid, bakuchiol and ceramides.
• Pigmentation spots and a dull complexion: for example in the Environ Radiance+ Mela-Fade Serum or the IMAGE BIOME+ Dew Bright Serum. You will find more products under skincare for pigmentation spots.
• Dry, stressed skin: as a base in a toner, such as the Environ Botanical Infused Moisturising Toner, which the manufacturer describes as especially suitable for skin that feels dry at the start of an Environ routine.
• Sensitive and redness-prone skin: start with a low concentration and test on a small area first.

Vitamin B3 also plays a role from within: niacin is one of the few nutrients for which the EU permits the claim that it contributes to the maintenance of normal skin. Read more in our article Dry skin from within.

Niacinamide is no miracle cure – but it is one of the rare ingredients that helps many skin types and harms hardly anyone. We are happy to discuss which product fits into your existing routine in a personal skin analysis. You will also find a selection among our serums.