Niacinamide isn’t a hot new ingredient like, say, squalane — and it doesn’t have the same name recognition of vitamin C — but it sure deserves a spot in your skincare routine, and a starring role at that. Why? “It’s incredibly versatile, can address a variety of skin conditions, and can be used on any skin type,” says NakedPoppy skin specialist Tara Parenti.

Let’s start with its impressive versatility. Not only is it a clean ingredient often found in fruits and vegetables, but “it’s also one of those great all-around ingredients that can be multifunctional depending on your skin concerns,” says NakedPoppy research scientist Marisa Plescia. “According to various studies, niacinamide has the potential to be an antioxidant, can help improve skin barrier function, decrease skin hyperpigmentation, reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, decrease redness and skin blotchiness, and improve skin elasticity.”

TLDR: It addresses a host of concerns, making it an MVP of your skincare routine. With that, here’s all the ways it works for your skin.

The scoop on niacinamide:

  • Niacinamide is a water-soluble vitamin B3.
  • Niacinamide can help improve dark spots, skin barrier function, fine lines and wrinkles, excess oil production, blemishes, and redness.
  • Pair niacinamide with retinol to get a synergistic effect.
  • Niacinamide plays well with most ingredients, but shouldn’t be paired with certain types of vitamin C.

What is niacinamide?

“Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3,” says Plescia. It’s widely available in food, from fish and eggs to green veggies, which is a good thing — because once in your body, it gets to work maintaining healthy cells and the proper function of fats and sugars. It also functions as an antioxidant, which can offer big skincare benefits. “The properties of niacinamide as an antioxidant are well-studied,” says Plescia. That — plus a few of niacinamide’s other qualities — make it a powerhouse in your skincare routine.

What are the benefits of niacinamide?

It brightens skin

You might have already encountered niacinamide in your brightening products, as it can improve a dull or uneven skin tone. “Niacinamide has been shown in studies to help to prevent melanin, skin’s natural pigment, from reaching the skin cells in the epidermis,” says Plescia. “With less pigment reaching the skin’s surface, you can see a reduction in hyperpigmentation and dark spots, and overall a more even skin tone.”

It fortifies the skin barrier

Niacinamide can also help support the skin barrier. “Research shows that it can increase our skin’s natural ceramides, improving water levels and preventing dehydration,” says Parenti. (Ceramides, for the uninitiated, are lipids naturally found in your skin barrier, where they help skin retain moisture and rebuff external aggressors.) 

In addition to ceramides, it can also help build other key lipid compounds for skin barrier function, such as fatty acids and cholesterol. Without them, your skin barrier can become impaired, leading to dryness, irritation, and more. Plus, says Plescia, “niacinamide can also help stimulate a skin cell life cycle. This results in a thicker stratum corneum, which allows the skin to retain moisture, leading to an improved barrier and hydrated skin.”

It regulates oil production

That barrier repair has a ripple effect, too: “It can help regulate oil production and maintain pore size,” says Plescia. In doing so, it can help control oil or blemish-prone skin. It can *also* be helpful in tackling inflammatory skin conditions, such as rosacea or acne, too. “An improved and healthier skin barrier may also mean less skin redness or irritation,” she says. Translation? It offers a one-two punch of acne-fighting power.

It protects skin

And finally, let’s not forget its role as an antioxidant. In taking down free radicals — which famously damage skin cells and contribute to signs of premature aging — “niacinamide also helps reduce the impact of environmental damage,” says Plescia. That offers protection against future effects of environmental stressors, setting you up for healthy, radiant skin in the long run.

How should you use niacinamide in your routine?

One of the best things about niacinamide is that it plays well with other ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid and Vitamin E. It also has a synergistic effect when paired with retinol, that skincare all-star that can address everything from acne to fine lines. “Retinol helps influence many cellular processes, such as cellular growth and differentiation and a healthy immune response — and the mechanisms of retinol work to enhance the activity of niacinamide, especially in regards to cell turnover,” says Plescia, who notes that the studies investigating their synergy are limited.

Parenti recommends using it in a leave-on treatment, like serum or moisturizer. Prima’s Enlightenment Niacinamide Serum pairs it with hemp-derived CBD to even skin tone and boost radiance. Try it under your moisturizer, day and night.

The only catch? The pH of a formula with niacinamide has to be around a neutral pH of 6 to 7.5, says Plescia, since going above and below that range can convert it into nicotinic acid (which could potentially cause irritation). 

Because of that, you don’t want to pair it closely with acidic ingredients, such as alpha hydroxy acids. “You can still use AHAs in your routine, but I  recommend waiting about 15 to 30 minutes before using a niacinamide product,” says Plescia.

The same goes with some forms of vitamin C, such as ascorbic acid, which has a lower pH. However, that’s not the case with more common, stabilized forms, so it depends on the exact formula. In fact, you can even find niacinamide *in* Maya Chia’s The Super Lift Vitamin C-More Treatment; it has three types of vitamin C, but all are fine to use in conjunction with niacinamide. 

If you’re not sure about your existing vitamin C serum, “apply your vitamin C, then wait 15 to 30 minutes before using the niacinamide product,” says Plescia. “Both ingredients are important for overall skin health and integrity.”

Ultimately, she says, “its ability to improve overall skin health with improving the skin barrier function makes it a perfect addition to any skincare routine. There are no drawbacks.” If that’s not your cue to try it, we don’t know what is.

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Prima’s Enlightenment Niacinamide Serum

Maya Chia’s The Super Lift Vitamin C-More Treatment