Also known as vitamin B3 and nicotinamide, niacinamide is a water-soluble vitamin that works with the natural substances in your skin to help visibly minimise enlarged follicles, improve uneven skin tone, soften fine lines and wrinkles, diminish dullness, and strengthen a weakened skin barrier function. Dermalogica use this powerhouse ingredient in quite a few of our products to help our customers get fantastic results on their skin.
Niacinamide is best known for its ability to reduce the appearance of enlarged follicles, often referred to as pores. It can help the follicle lining retain its structure and be more supportive, so the oil and debris don’t get stuck in it. This helps not only to stop comedones (blackheads) and breakouts from forming, causing our follicles to become stretched but also to reduce the size of the follicle.
Another benefit of niacinamide is that it can help your skin grow a ceramide (lipid) barrier, which can, in turn, helps retain moisture. This is beneficial for all skin types, especially if you have any sensitivity, sensitisation, or dehydration on your skin.
With helping to prevent and treat hyperpigmentation, niacinamide can rebuild healthy skin cells while also protecting them from damage caused by UV rays. This can help new pigmentation from appearing as well as reducing existing pigmentation. It also helps with post inflammatory pigmentation (the pink, red or purple marks left behind from breakouts) Niacinamide isn’t an alternative to wearing SPF daily. We always recommend a SPF is worn daily 365 days a year. When it comes to causes of skin damage, premature ageing and uneven skin tone, exposure to ultraviolet radiation is at the top of the list
In terms of results, we usually say 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. The key part is to use your skincare products consistently to see the results you want to and once you start to see improvements to keep on using your products as results will increase over time. Expectations need to be realistic, it isn’t possible for a skincare product to make your skin look “poreless” for example, but you can expect your follicles to look smaller, your skin tone to look more even, to be more hydrated and have an overall healthier appearance.
To find out what product containing niacinamide is best for you talk to a Dermalogica skin therapist for a professional consultation and Face Mapping Skin Analysis.