What Does Niacinamide Do for Your Skin?

Take a look at the skincare products lining the shelves of any beauty retailer, and you’ll quickly notice that niacinamide makes an appearance in quite a few of them. If you’re new to the ingredient, you may find yourself wondering: What does niacinamide do that makes it so popular? As it turns out, a whole lot. Niacinamide’s benefits are quite broad, with proponents claiming it can help promote a healthy skin barrier, improve the look of dark spots, and minimize the appearance of enlarged pores (really, the question isn’t “What does niacinamide do,” but rather, “what can’t it do?”). 

If you’re interested in giving the trendy ingredient a try for yourself, keep reading. Here, we’ll explain the evidence-backed benefits of niacinamide and share tips on integrating the ingredient into your routine. Plus, you’ll discover some of our best niacinamide serums, moisturizers, and more to snag next time you hit the store.

How Niacinamide Benefits the Skin

Niacinamide, also referred to as nicotinamide, is a form of vitamin B3, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Over the past several years, experts have conducted countless studies to get a clearer sense of what niacinamide is good for when used topically. And, as they’ve found, niacinamide’s uses for skin are pretty extensive. Here are five science-backed benefits of the popular skincare ingredient. 

1. Helps protect the skin from external stressors

Every day, you come into contact with sunlight, air pollution, and other external stressors that can damage your skin. In most cases, exposure to these stressors is largely unavoidable—especially if you live in an urban area. Research shows that using niacinamide topically (like in a cream or serum) can help protect your skin from damage by neutralizing free radicals generated by exposure to these stressors. 

2. Boosts skin hydration

According to the Cleveland Clinic, topical niacinamide can help support your skin’s natural moisture barrier (your body’s first line of defense between you and the outside world). Studies show that using products with niacinamide may also help trap moisture in the skin and reduce transepidermal water loss. While you’ll still want to use a moisturizer every day to keep your skin feeling hydrated, adding niacinamide to your routine may further help support a balanced, comfortable complexion. 

3. Minimizes the appearance of dark spots

One of the most well-known benefits of niacinamide is its ability to help even the skin tone. One 2011 study published in Dermatology Research and Practice found that using niacinamide consistently can help visibly improve the appearance of dark spots and other discolorations (such as sun spots). By offering protection against free radical damage, topical niacinamide may also help protect the skin from the stressors that contribute to dark spots. 

4. Helps improve skin texture

If you’re looking for something that can help minimize the appearance of those fine lines that seem to become more prominent by the day, turn to niacinamide. A 2005 study published in Dermatologic Surgery found that using the ingredient topically can help to both reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and boost skin elasticity. It can also help minimize the appearance of enlarged pores, a common concern for those with oily skin types.

5. Soothes and calms irritated skin

Whether you have persistently ruddy skin or only deal with occasional redness, niacinamide may be a useful addition to your skincare routine. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the ingredient can have a calming effect on irritated skin and using it topically may help diminish the appearance of redness. Of course, if your skin is persistently red or irritated, it’s a good idea to check in with your dermatologist before adding anything new to your skincare routine. 

What Does Niacinamide Do for Different Skin Types?

Niacinamide benefits a wide range of skin types and concerns, but not all niacinamide-infused skincare formulas can be used by everyone. The best way to get the results you want is by integrating niacinamide into your routine via a product designed for your skin’s needs.

• Oily skin: As mentioned above, topical products with niacinamide can help to reduce the appearance of enlarged pores, which is a common concern for those with oily skin types. Some evidence suggests that it may also help minimize excess oil to promote a more balanced appearance.

• Dry skin: Niacinamide’s hydration-boosting properties make it particularly beneficial for those with dry skin. By helping to trap moisture into the skin, products with this ingredient may help reduce dryness and support smooth, supple skin. Try using a niacinamide-infused moisturizer in conjunction with a hydrating hyaluronic acid serum—the serum will help hydrate your skin, while your niacinamide moisturizer can help ensure the moisture stays there. 

• Combination skin: Those with combination skin typically have dry spots and oilier areas, which can make finding the right skincare products challenging. By helping to reduce excess shine and promote skin hydration, niacinamide may help to address the conflicting needs of combination skin. 

• Sensitive skin: If your skin barrier is compromised, even gentle skincare products may leave your skin red or uncomfortable. By helping to support a healthy skin barrier, niacinamide may be useful for those prone to sensitivity. As mentioned above, it can also help minimize the appearance of redness that often goes hand-in-hand with sensitive skin. But, while niacinamide is generally well-tolerated, it’s a good idea to check in with your dermatologist before adding it to your routine—particularly if your skin is highly reactive. 

How To Add Niacinamide To Your Skin Care Routine

If you’re ready to add niacinamide to your routine, here are a few of our favorite products that feature the powerhouse ingredient. 

L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift Pressed Night Moisturizer with Retinol + Niacinamide

This lightweight night cream is formulated with retinol and niacinamide, packing a dose of two anti-aging goodies in one jar. The fragrance-free formula provides intense moisture and leaves the skin feeling hydrated for up to 24 hours. With consistent use, it also helps visibly reduce wrinkles, improves skin tone and texture, and firms the skin to help promote a more youthful appearance. 

L’Oréal Paris Bright Reveal 12% [Niacinamide + Amino Sulfonic + Ferulic Acid] Dark Spot Serum

This niacinamide serum is among our top picks for those seeking to achieve clearer, more even-looking skin. The non-greasy formula provides gentle exfoliation to help remove dead skin surface cells and brighten the skin. It immediately leaves the skin looking fresh and luminous, while consistent use helps visibly reduce the appearance of dark spots, sun spots, and post-acne marks. To use it, apply a few drops to your clean face and neck and pat it in before smoothing on your favorite moisturizer.

Editor’s tip: In the daytime, round out your routine with a facial sunscreen, like the L’Oréal Paris Bright Reveal Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Daily UV Lotion. The lightweight sunscreen applies easily and blends with an invisible finish across all skin tones.

L’Oréal Paris Bright Reveal Dark Spot Exfoliant Peel

Consistent exfoliation is a great way to promote a smoother, clearer-looking complexion—especially if you use this potent at-home peel. The professionally-inspired formula contains niacinamide along with a trio of gentle exfoliating acids (alpha-hydroxy, beta-hydroxy, and poly-hydroxy). Add it to your nighttime routine up to four times per week to help resurface your skin, boost radiance, and visibly diminish the appearance of stubborn dark spots.

What Should You Not Mix With Niacinamide?

If you have a collection of skincare formulas and aren’t quite sure how to mix and match them, we get it—determining when and how to use which product in your lineup is one of the most challenging aspects of mastering a skincare routine. Fortunately, since niacinamide is typically well-tolerated, it can easily be added into your skincare routine (post-derm consultation of course) via one of your current steps. 

That said, the best way to avoid the struggle of coming up with the perfect recipe for your skin is to find a product that contains the exact ingredients you want and need. For example, many people worry about how best to incorporate retinol into their routine, especially when they want to use other active ingredients like niacinamide. The aforementioned L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift Pressed Night Moisturizer With Retinol + Niacinamide combines the two in one luxe formula, taking the guesswork out of creating a hardworking evening routine.

Which Is Better: Retinol or Niacinamide?

When it comes to deciding which active ingredients are better for your skin, it’s always going to depend on your skin concerns, what other ingredients you’re already using, your lifestyle, and the formulations of the products you're considering adding to your routine. So if you ask whether retinol is better than niacinamide, the answer will always be it depends. 

There is some overlap between the two ingredients and their benefits. For example, retinol is celebrated for its ability to improve the appearance of signs of aging like fine lines, wrinkles, and dark spots. While it can also help address those concerns, niacinamide really shine when it comes to supporting balanced, hydrated skin. The good thing is that you don’t have to choose between the two—as you’ve already learned, retinol and niacinamide play nicely together, so you can use them simultaneously to get the best of both worlds.

Which Is Better: Vitamin C or Niacinamide?

Vitamin C is another popular skincare ingredient often used to help support a brighter, firmer complexion. As with retinol, it’s not necessarily better or worse than niacinamide, just different. The best way to decide which ingredient is for you is by consulting with your dermatologist—but again, because niacinamide pairs well with other ingredients, there’s nothing stopping you from using the two of them together—either in a product that contains both ingredients, or via separate steps in your routine. 

How Niacinamide Benefits Dark Spots

There’s plenty of evidence that shows topical niacinamide can help improve the appearance of discolorations, including sun spots, age spots, and post-acne marks. The widely-loved ingredient can also help quell redness, such as the kind that lingers after a breakout. That being said, don’t expect immediate results. Dark spots can be stubborn, and you’ll want to follow a consistent skincare routine to see noticeable results. 

Are There Side Effects To Using Niacinamide?

Generally speaking, niacinamide is well-tolerated, and in lower concentrations (up to 10%) isn’t associated with any known side effects. But, of course, everybody’s skin is different. How often you use niacinamide, what other products you pair it with, and your skin type can all play a role in how your skin responds to a given product or ingredient. If you have specific questions about potential side effects or need personalized pointers on incorporating niacinamide into your skincare routine, we suggest consulting with a board-certified dermatologist. They should be able to answer all of your questions and work with you to create a routine that suits your skin’s unique needs.

Next Up: When, How, and How Often to Use Niacinamide

Photo courtesy of L’Oréal Paris