What exactly is niacinamide? Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3. Let’s dive into the top benefits of niacinamide and how it can help treat your acne!
Every few years there’s a new hyped up skincare ingredient that is touted as the new “skincare secret to rule them all”.
This time, however, niacinamide might actually be worth the hype.
This essential skincare vitamin has countless benefits, from treating inflammatory acne to brightening up stubborn hyperpigmentation.
Let’s dive into the top benefits of niacinamide (and yes, it can help treat your acne!).
Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3. Vitamin B3 is an essential vitamin, which means it must be absorbed from outside sources as our body does not produce this important vitamin.
The good news is, niacinamide is easily absorbed into the skin, and those who use it topically can enjoy a bunch of benefits. Sensitive skin? No worries. This ultimate multitasker vitamin is easily tolerated by all skin types. While some hyperpigmentation or acne treatments might cause mild irritation -- niacinamide is easily tolerated by all skin types. (Score!)
As it turns out, niacinamide is actually an effective and easily tolerated treatment for acne. This is especially true for the inflammatory type of acne.
Treating acne can be tricky, and there really is no magic cure-all. However, niacinamide does tick a lot of acne treatment boxes. A pretty common acne treatment strategy is to:
Niacinamide is proven to help in all of these areas. (See, the hype might be worth it, right?)
While it’s true niacinamide and acne are a pretty great match, you haven’t even seen what else it can do for acne. Here at Strut Health, we know the power of niacinamide, which is why we use it in our compound acne treatment formula. Here are 7 benefits you might enjoy when using products with niacinamide included regularly.
In a 2013 study, researchers found 4% niacinamide was just as effective as 1% clindamycin (a topical antibiotic that kills acne bacteria) at treating moderate acne. In this review, 6 out of 8 studies found the topical use of niacinamide to lead to a significant reduction in acne when compared to a patient baseline. The short version? Niacinamide can support acne treatment.
Niacinamide is a broad anti-inflammatory. It can inhibit the production of a variety of inflammatory cytokines. This anti-inflammatory property may help reduce the redness and irritation commonly experienced with inflammatory acne.
Acne’s sworn enemy: excess sebum. Sebum is the waxy oil our facial pores secrete. However, sebum isn’t all bad as having a proper amount of sebum is perfectly healthy for the hydration and protection of the skin. Overly oily skin might pose some issues though, especially if you’re acne-prone. While some products work to strip away excess sebum (which often causes even more sebum to be produced) niacinamide helps reduce sebum production altogether.
Regulate that excess sebum rather than harshly stripping it off.
Acne is sometimes caused by a common bacteria called Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes). Topical niacinamide has been shown to significantly reduce this bacteria. (Is there anything it can’t do?) If you have very sensitive skin, skin barrier weakness, or a skin condition like rosacea, using topical niacinamide might be a good bet.
Speaking of the skin barrier -- niacinamide can help create or strengthen the ceramide barrier of your skin. The health of this lipid barrier is necessary to retain moisture and help protect from environmental damage. Maintaining the health of your skin barrier is necessary for everyone but especially for those with rosacea and aging skin. The moisture a healthy skin barrier can retain is truly the secret to healthy, beautiful skin.
Often, acne breakouts can leave behind some discoloration. Niacinamide has been proven to reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation and post-breakout hyperpigmentation. It works to lighten darkened areas by inhibiting the process of melanin synthesis.
Last, but certainly not least, niacinamide can help stimulate collagen production. (If you’re trying to find directions to the foundation of youth -- it’s on the corner of collagen production and healthy skin barrier function.)Collagen is the skin’s main structural protein and is often called “the body's scaffolding”. The collagen levels of your skin can determine skin firmness and elasticity. When your collagen levels are abundant, your skin is likely looking plump and youthful. Being the most abundant protein in your body, collagen is pretty important. So, collagen stimulation is never a bad thing. Since niacinamide can help stimulate collagen production it really is an all-around crowd-pleaser.
Seeing benefits will vary from person to person and from situation to situation. However, with consistent topical use of this essential vitamin, studies have shown notable benefits can be seen between 4 to 6 weeks. Because niacinamide is truly a building-block essential vitamin, consistent and continued use is often recommended. You can find this vitamin in many moisturizers, facial cleansers, and acne treatments.
Here at Strut Health, we’re well aware of the benefits of niacinamide which is why we included it in our prescription-strength, compound acne-fighting formula.
If you are dealing with stubborn acne and want to see if our formula is right for you, complete our free questionnaire-based doctor's consultation online.
If it turns out you are a good fit for our acne formula, we will send it right to your door!
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