Niacinamide versus Vitamin C

Niacinamide and Vitamin C offer similar benefits to our skin.

However, how they offer each of these benefits and the pathway they follow to provide these benefits is different.

Below, I will start by listing the key benefits of both Niacinamide and Vitamin C and will then move on to explain the differences.

Key benefits of Niacinamide

Reduces pigmentation and dark spots

Strengthens skin barrier and thus hydrates skin and reduces breakouts

Reduces inflammation and redness

Regulates oil production and thus reduces pore size

It helps prevent the degradation of existing collagen – and thus reduces fine lines

It helps reduce yellow spots on the face

Reduces post-acne scar formation and also fights acne-causing bacteria to some extent

Key benefits of Vitamin C

Reduces pigmentation and dark spots

Reduces post-acne scar formation

It helps form new collagen and thus reduces wrinkles and fine lines (anti-ageing)

Regulates oil production and thus reduces pore size

Improves the efficacy of sunscreens. Effective sunscreens reduce dark spots on the skin.

Brightens skin

An important point to remember about Vitamin C!

The pure form of Vitamin C, L-ascorbic acid, is difficult to formulate in skincare products. Hence, many skin care manufacturers use vitamin C derivatives.

Not all derivatives of Vitamin C are created equal. Most can’t offer the same benefits as a pure form, but some, like 3-o ethyl ascorbic acid, can.

So always check which derivative the product uses and make your purchase decision. Just because its label says Vitamin C, it does not mean it offers Vitamin C benefits.

Should you buy Vitamin C or Niacinamide?

You can use both Vitamin C and Niacinamide serums. They are both quite helpful for the skin. But if you are on a tight budget, here are some options:

Many moisturisers on the market contain niacinamide. We all use moisturizers every day. Buy a moisturiser with niacinamide and a vitamin C serum.

If you have used niacinamide and find it irritates your skin, buy vitamin C.

If you have used vitamin C and find it irritates your skin, buy niacinamide.

If you can’t find a moisturiser with niacinamide and are on a limited budget, and neither ingredient irritates your skin, buy niacinamide.

Benefits explained…

Pigmentation / Dark spots

Dark spots/pigmentation occur when there is an excess amount of pigment called melanin in our skin.

Dark spots/pigmentation cannot be treated with one ingredient.

There are different checkpoints at which this melanin has to be attacked so that dark spots and pigmentation don’t occur.

Vitamin C and niacinamide both help address dark spots and pigmentation. They address this issue by attacking melanin at two different checkpoints. This means that including both in your skin routine can be helpful—they address different aspects of what leads to dark spots, so there is synergy in including both in your routine.

Here is how niacinamide helps fight pigmentation:

Reduces the amount of pigment that gets transferred to the cells in the top layer of skin.

The pigment we are talking about here is melanin. Excess melanin in the top layer of the skin is responsible for dark spots and pigmentation.

Less pigment in the cells in the top layer of the skin = Less dark spots/pigmentation

Here is how vitamin C helps fight pigmentation:

It inhibits the activity of an enzyme called tyrosinase. This enzyme helps in producing the pigment melanin.

By interfering with the enzyme, vitamin C helps reduce the amount of melanin produced.

Less excess pigment produced = Less dark spots/pigmentation

Vitamin C also increases cellular turnover. This means more new cells are produced in the deeper layers of the skin, which then reach the top and replace the old cells.

Some of these old cells might have deposits of excess melanin. When these old cells get replaced, the melanin deposits also go away along with the old cells. This way, vitamin C can help fade some existing dark spots. Please note that this does not apply to all pigmentation – only to some.

It is a powerful antioxidant.

The root cause of non-hormone-related dark spots/pigmentation is not using sunscreen.

Sunscreen is a must. Antioxidants like vitamin C can increase the efficacy of sunscreen. When used underneath sunscreen, it can help reduce oxidative stress, reducing the chances of pigmentation.

Acne

Niacinamide and Vitamin C are NOT classified as acne-treating ingredients. However, they can help manage acne, prevent acne formation, and significantly address post-inflammatory acne marks.

They help manage acne effects but address the issue through different pathways. Having said that, niacinamide does have an edge over Vitamin C when it comes to acne.

Here is how niacinamide helps fight acne:

It reduces the inflammation and redness in the acne region.

Reducing inflammation is essential because inflammation eventually leads to post-inflammatory pigmentation.

Some research (not a lot, but some) shows that it has a bacteriostatic effect on the bacteria causing acne. The bacteriostatic effect means reduces the growth of bacteria.

Reduces excess oil production in the face. Excess oil can clog pores and lead to acne.
More studies have been done than Vitamin C to show that niacinamide is better.

Here is how vitamin C helps fight acne:

Vitamin C inhibits certain activities that can trigger inflammation.
This leads to a reduction of inflammation in the acne region (to some extent).
Inflammation is a precursor to dark spots, so controlling it is always good for controlling post-inflammatory pigmentation.

Reduces excess oil production in the face. Excess oil can clog pores and lead to acne.

Hydration / Breakouts / Skin barrier strengthening

The outermost layer of skin acts as a shield.

It prevents water from evaporating from the skin and thus keeps it hydrated. It also protects skin from attacks from environmental nasties—these attacks can lead to breakouts—so protecting skin from them prevents many breakouts that would have otherwise occurred.

Here is how niacinamide strengthens the skin’s barrier function:

It helps in the production of ceramides in the skin.

Ceramides strengthen the skin’s barrier function. Thus, niacinamide helps keep skin hydrated and prevents breakouts.

Brightening

Here is how vitamin C brightens our skin:

Vitamin C increases cellular turnover.

Cellular turnover increases when new cells are formed rapidly at the deeper layers of the skin, travelling upwards and replacing the old cells from the top layer.

It brightens up the skin.

Anti-ageing

Here is how niacinamide helps in anti-ageing of our skin:

Niacinamide helps the existing collagen from degradation – sometimes collagen molecules bind themselves to sugar molecules, making them ineffective.

Here is how vitamin C helps in anti-ageing of our skin:

Vitamin C helps in the production of collagen. It assists a couple of enzymes that play an important role in collagen production.

As the amount of collagen reduces, skin loses its firmness – it becomes wrinkly and fine lines appear.

Glycation / yellow spots

Here is how niacinamide helps in fighting glycation:

Glycation is the process when collagen molecules bind themselves to sugar molecules.

When this happens, yellow spots (skin discolouration) appear on the skin.
Niacinamide is effective in reducing glycation.

Sun protection

Niacinamide and Vitamin C are not replacements for sunscreen—they are NOT sunscreens—but they can offer some essential benefits to the skin when used in conjunction with niacinamide.

Niacinamide and the sun’s UV rays:

It reduces the inflammation and redness that the sun’s UV rays can cause.

Reducing inflammation is essential in preventing many harmful effects of the sun’s UV rays.

Vitamin C and the sun’s UV rays:

This is a powerful antioxidant. When used underneath sunscreen, it can reduce pigmentation and cell damage.

Reduces inflammation caused by the sun’s UV rays.

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