Niacinamide is a superstar ingredient. It offers multiple benefits to our skin.
First, I will list all its benefits and then explain each in greater detail.
Benefits
Each Benefit Explained
Hyperpigmentation / Dark spots / Uneven skin tone
Hyperpigmentation is usually caused by an excess amount of pigment called melanin.
Niacinamide controls the amount of melanin – and that is how it reduces hyperpigmentation.
Background theory:
Certain types of cells called melanocytes are found in the deeper layers of the skin. Inside melanocytes are organelles called melanosomes, which are basically packets and structures.
A pigment called melanin is produced inside melanosomes.
Melanin plays a vital role in the immunity of the skin. So, our skin needs melanin.
Melanosomes get transferred to a different cell called a keratinocyte. Keratinocyte cells travel from the deeper layer of skin to the visible layer (the top layer). Keratinocyte cells need melanin because melanin is essential to the skin’s immunity. Hence, melanosomes get transferred to them to provide them with melanin (as melanin helps with the skin’s immunity).
Sometimes, especially when the skin is inflamed, an excess amount of melanosomes gets transferred to keratinocytes. When these keratinocytes, filled with excess melanin, reach the top layer of skin, our top layer ends up with an excess amount of melanin.
Melanin is dark in colour. Unfortunately, excess melanin doesn’t do much for the skin except end up as dark patches and spots…Dark because that is the colour of melanin.
How does niacinamide help?
Niacinamide reduces the transfer of melanosomes from melanocytes to keratinocytes. When the transfer is reduced, excess reduces. When excess reduces, only the required amount of melanin ends up in the top layer of the skin. It’s the excess melanin that causes the dark patches (hyperpigmentation). When excess gets reduced, dark patches and dark spots get reduced.
Existing Vs New Hyperpigmentation
It is important to note that niacinamide cannot help with the hyperpigmentation already on the skin. It can only help prevent future pigmentation from occurring.
Hydration
Niacinamide reduces the loss of water from the top layer of skin. By reducing water loss, it helps the skin stay hydrated.
Background theory:
Cells in the top layer of the skin are arranged like bricks. Just like bricks are held together by mortar, these cells are held together by lipids.
If the mortar is not strong enough, bricks can fall apart; in the top layer, if there isn’t a good quality and quantity of lipids, these cells are not held tightly together.
These cells in the top layer act as a shield. They prevent water loss from the skin and protect it from attacks from environmental nasties.
If the barrier is not strong (i.e. cells are not held tightly):
One of the components of the lipids that hold the cells together is ceramides.
How does niacinamide help?
Niacinamide boosts the production of ceramides.
more ceramides = more lipids
more lipids = strong barrier
strong barrier = less water loss + less attacks from environmental nasties
less water loss + less attacks from environmental nasties = hydrated skin + less breakouts
Quick note: Regarding hydration, there are two types of ingredients. One type adds hydration, and the other keeps the skin hydrated. Niacinamide falls in the second category; it keeps skin hydrated.
Regulates oil production
Niacinamide reduces excess oil production. This property of niacinamide is particularly helpful for oily skin.
Problem with excess oil:
Excess oil clogs the skin’s pores, which are bowl-like structures. When pores are clogged, breakouts like pimples, blackheads, whiteheads, and even acne result.
How does niacinamide help?
Niacinamide inhibits the activity of an enzyme called sebaceous lipase. This enzyme plays a vital role in oil production and sometimes can produce excess oil. By controlling its activity, niacinamide controls excess oil production.
Quick note: Skin’s oil is also called sebum.
Reduces pore size
Niacinamide helps regulate oil production (as explained above). One of the side effects of this regulation is a reduction in the appearance of pore size.
Background theory:
In the deeper layers of skin, there are some bowl-like shaped structures. Each of these bowl-like structures is attached to a tube-like structure. The bowl-like structure and the tube-like structure together form a pore. The tube-like structure opens up into the visible layer of skin.
The bowl-like shaped structures are attached to oil glands. Oil glands produce oil and pump it into bowl-like structures.
Excess oil gets pumped into the bowl-like-shaped structures. The excess oil makes the bowl-like structures swell up, and they push the excess oil into the tube-like structures, which ends up on the visible layer of skin. When pores swell up (i.e. both the bowl-shaped and tube-shaped structures), it looks like a large opening on the skin’s surface.
How does niacinamide help?
Niacinamide controls the production of excess oil. Less or no excess oil means no enlargement of pores.
Quick note: Skin’s oil is also called sebum.
Anti-ageing
We don’t want skin cells to age faster than they should, but ageing is inevitable. Anti-ageing skincare aims to reduce the premature ageing of skin.
Niacinamide helps with anti-ageing in 2 ways:
Glycation and niacinamide:
A protein called collagen gives skin its structure. When the amount of collagen in our skin reduces, the skin becomes saggy and wrinkly. There are a few different reasons for collagen reduction. One of them is when sugar molecules in our skin go and bind themselves to collagen molecules. When this happens, collagen becomes rigid. It loses its property of keeping skin firm and elastic. And so the skin becomes saggy.
This process of sugar molecules binding to collagen molecules is called glycation. Studies show niacinamide reduces glycation. More glycation means saggy skin; less glycation means firm, elastic skin.
Niacinamide and its antioxidant properties:
Exposure to environmental nasties and the sun’s UV rays forms free radicals in the skin. These radicals are very harmful and age the skin.
Substances with antioxidant properties can attack free radicals and neutralise their harmful effects on the skin.
Niacinamide has antioxidant properties, so neutralising free radicals reduces the aging effects they cause.
Reduces redness
Niacinamide has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. These two properties can help reduce the redness on the face.
Niacinamide effectively reduces the redness from acne, rosacea and other general redness caused by skin inflammation.
Anti-inflammatory
Niacinamide has anti-inflammatory properties. Skin inflammation can eventually lead to dark spots/pigmentation if not fixed.
Niacinamide can control the occurrence of pigmentation by reducing inflammation of the skin.
One of the most common reasons for skin inflammation is exposure to the sun’s UV rays.
Acne
It is important to remember that niacinamide is not an acne-treatment ingredient. Niacinamide can help with some of the issues that come from acne.
It helps acne-prone skin in the following ways?