If you are beginning your skincare journey or are looking for a product to further achieve your skincare goals, there is one skincare ingredient that should be implemented in everyone's routine.
Niacinamide is one of those ingredients that are truly beneficial in skincare, especially for those with dehydrated skin, hyperpigmentation and textured skin. Below, we will go over what exactly niacinamide is, how to integrate niacinamide in your regimen, and which niacinamide products are best.
What is niacinamide?
Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B-3, which helps strengthen the skin’s barrier. Niacinamide also helps build proteins in the skin and locks in moisture in the skin. Our bodies naturally make niacinamide when we have too much niacin in our bodies. Niacin is a B vitamin that our bodies use to turn food into energy.
Many foods that contain natural niacinamide include chicken, eggs, beans, fish, milk and green veggies. Many of the foods we eat have niacinamide that helps prevent premature aging signs in the skin, help metabolism, and improves blood fat levels and blood pressure.
In addition, topical niacinamide in skincare treats acne and minimizes pore size. If you are suffering from acne-prone or even eczema prone skin, niacinamide is perfect to increase hydration and improve the skin’s texture. Niacinamide also helps lock in moisture and prevents environmental damage, protecting the epidermis barrier.
The most popular skin concern niacinamide treats are hyperpigmentation and dark spots. Niacinamide is known to greatly reduce and improve hyperpigmentation, dark spots, and sunspots. By increasing collagen production, niacinamide helps to disperse melanin in the skin.
Furthermore, by reducing hyperpigmentation spots, niacinamide assists in brightening the skin and achieving a glowing complexion. If you are deciding between brightening vs whitening, our article explains the difference in more depth.
By regulating oil or sebum production, niacinamide helps to reduce acne and blemishes, as well as prevent clogged pores. As we age, the enzymes in our bodies that convert niacinamide to NADH and NADPH decline. Thus, it is important to eat nourishing foods and apply skincare products that also contain niacinamide.
Is niacinamide necessary?
So, is niacinamide necessary to add to your skincare routine? As stated above, vitamin B3 is an essential nutrient that boosts metabolism, as well as helps protect the skin’s barrier and promotes skin cell renewal.
If you are suffering from acne, excess oil, redness, or blotchiness, integrating niacinamide into your skin regimen is a great way to tackle all of these concerns at once. The anti-aging properties of niacinamide will protect your skin from harmful UV rays, pollution and other environmental factors. Thus, these nourishing, anti-inflammatory properties will slow down signs of wrinkles, fine lines and weakening of your skin’s barrier.
How do you integrate niacinamide into your skincare regimen?
Niacinamide is found in many forms, such as in serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and even in oral products such as pills. Due to its anti-inflammatory and gentle properties, applying niacinamide with other ingredients or products may lessen harsh side effects.
For example, niacinamide and retinol are commonly paired together due to niacinamide soothing irritations that come about with retinol. Retinols tend to dry out and cause redness and even skin purging, thus, niacinamide is a great option to combat those side effects. Although, when it comes to an alternative, (Gotu Kola vs retinol) Gotu Kola is an amazing botanical option!
Furthermore, finding products that already contain niacinamide in it may be easier to work with versus using a potent serum. Moisturizers, creams or cleansers that contain niacinamide alongside other ingredients such as salicylic acid or vitamin C are amazing. Niacinamide works amazingly well with ingredients such as these due to all containing similar properties and yielding similar results.
Best products that contain niacinamide
As stated above, incorporating products that contain niacinamide and other rejuvenating and soothing ingredients is the best option. Luckily, Flora & Noor carries products that contain niacinamide, vitamin C, licorice root extract, botanical hyaluronic acid and other ingredients. These ingredients combined target and treat hyperpigmentation, discoloration, and smooth the skin’s texture.
Flora & Noor’s Super Glow Gel Moisturizer contains a mix of niacinamide, vitamin C, botanical hyaluronic acid (Cassia Angustifolia Seed), tamanu and licorice root. All of these nourishing ingredients help fade dark spots, refines the skin’s texture, reduces wrinkles and minimizes pores and acne. The Super Glow Gel Moisturizer deeply hydrates and nourishes the skin, leaving the skin plump and bouncy.
Furthermore, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, and niacinamide all work together to increase collagen production, protect the epidermis barrier, and moisturize deep under the skin to lock in moisture. Tamanu promotes the formation of new and healthy tissue and skin, reduces hyperpigmentation, and is anti-inflammatory. In addition, licorice root extract combats sun damage and the appearance of acne scars, leaving the skin brighter and glowing.
Flora & Noor’s Vitamin C Resurfacing Toner promotes skin elasticity and anti-aging benefits with Vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, aloe vera, and glycolic acid. Glycolic acid and niacinamide are an amazing duo together that gently exfoliates the skin, treats acne, and brightens dull skin.
Not to mention, Flora & Noor is 100% vegan, cruelty free, halal-certified, and Leaping Bunny Certified, making all Flora & Noor products safe and permissible to use on everyone and all skin types, especially for Muslims!
How to utilize your niacinamide products in your routine
The best way to utilize your skincare products is to know how to properly layer them. To start, cleansing your face with a gentle cleanser will clear away the debris, sebum and bacteria that is sitting on top of the skin. A few recommendations would be Flora & Noor’s Boost & Brighten Vitamin C Cleanser, the Rose Renewal Cleanser, or the Hydration Station Aloe + Shea Green Tea Cleanser.
The Boost & Brighten Vitamin C Cleanser contains vitamin C, Gotu Kola, reshi, and aloe vera, targeting hyperpigmentation and promoting skin cell renewal. This cleanser targets acne-prone and oily skin, while also soothing irritations and containing antioxidants that protect your skin’s barrier.
Next, the Rose Renewal Cleanser contains a mix of shea butter, rose extract and water, aloe vera, and tri-peptides. These ingredients hydrate, brighten, and even out the skin tone. The Rose Renewal Cleanser also unclogs pores and balances the skin’s pH levels, leaving the skin smooth and supple. Rose extract and rose water have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, perfect for soothing sensitive and irritated skin!
Lastly, the Hydration Station Aloe + Green Tea Cleanser clears pores and reduces breakouts with salicylic acid, licorice root, aloe vera, and calendula extract. These ingredients target free radical damage, repairing damaged cells and promoting new ones. Those will oily or combination skin will benefit from the balancing effects of the Aloe + Shea Green Tea Cleanser.
Whichever cleanser you choose, Flora & Noor contains only 100% botanical and natural ingredients that feed your skin the nutrients it needs to look and feel its best.
Additional niacinamide products to add to your routine
After cleansing the face, applying a hydrating toner removes traces of impurities still stuck in pores after cleansing. Toner also helps brighten the skin, reduce acne and fine lines, and helps fade dark spots. Luckily, Flora & Noor’s Vitamin C Resurfacing Toner helps further protect the skin’s barrier from free radicals, reduce wrinkles, and gives an overall even and brighter complexion! This toner contains niacinamide as well, further promoting cellular renewal and supple skin.
After applying toner, apply a serum, such as the Bright Side Vitamin C Serum, that will feed your skin and target hyperpigmentation, acne and blemishes. The Bright Side Serum contains the highest form of active, bioavailable vitamin C, as well as help the skin retain moisture. Containing vitamin E, this serum is anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and contains antioxidants, all which increases a brighter skin tone while relieving irritations and slowing aging signs.
To lock all of the nutrients from the previous skincare steps, applying a moisturizer next is the best bet. As stated above, the Super Glow Gel Moisturizer is amazing at protecting against environmental stressors and locking in hydration and moisture!
Overall, Flora & Noor’s Vitamin C Collection is an amazing collection of botanical vitamin C and other natural ingredients that will give lasting results. Paired with ingredients that target acne, irritation and the like, such as glycolic acid, salicylic acid and aloe vera, these products are the best when it comes to your morning routine ritual!