We’ve raved about how Niacinamide benefits skin before but we just can’t get enough of this powerhouse ingredient.

Niacinamide in skincare is known for its brightening effect and has become a buzzy ingredient thanks to its glow-getting and spot-reducing benefits.

Add to that the fact that it’s great for both oily skin types and sensitive skin so it’s no wonder this mega-ingredient is beloved by influencers, editors, and supermodels too when it comes to a clear, luminous complexion.

Here’s why you need to add it to your skincare regime and the best way to do it…

Niacinamide a form of vitamin B3 which is a water-soluble vitamin with a lengthy list of good-skin credentials.

You get anti-inflammatory, repairing, and brightening results all wrapped up in one special ingredient.

Niacinamide is particularly well-known for its pore-reducing properties and its soothing and healing benefits too.

Your body doesn’t make Niacinamide on its own, so you need to supplement it in your skincare routine to see the results.

This is one major, multi-tasking ingredient. Niacinamide helps to tighten lax skin, improve skin tone, soften fine lines and wrinkles, boost radiance and strengthen a weak skin barrier.

It’s equally great for helping to reduce the signs of environmental damage on your skin because of this ability to improve your skin’s barrier but also because it plays a role in repairing signs of past damage from the elements - think pollution, UV rays and harsh winter winds.

• If you have dry skin you’ll want to add this ingredient into your regime too. It helps to boost the hydrating ability of moisturizing ingredients such as glycerin, plant oils, and sodium hyaluronate (a part of hyaluronic acid) helping to prevent moisture loss and the dry, tight and flaky skin that comes from it.
• But Niacinamide is perhaps most famous for its ability to reduce the appearance of enlarged pores by having an effect on their lining, working to tighten and shrink the pore. This helps to prevent pores from getting clogged which is what causes them to enlarge as they stretch to compensate for the debris within them. Sun damage can also cause pores to stretch too.

Niacinamide is available in skincare products in many forms. It can be used on its own as a single ingredient formulation, or as part of a mix as it plays nicely with all other active ingredients.

Read: you don’t need to worry about it reacting with antioxidants, AHAs, hyaluronic acid, or retinol.

In fact, it can help to amplify the benefits of these actives since it helps to strengthen, repair and protect the skin.

You’ll find this wonder ingredient most often in a serum or toner format to be used post-cleanse or in a cream format to be applied overtop of your serums.

Here are some of the best Niacinamide products on TONIC15 that you can incorporate into your skincare routine:

Skin purging is a temporary acne-like flare up that can happen when you start using ingredients that boost cell turnover, such as retinoids and acids.

Niacinamide does not increase cell turnover and as a result doesn’t cause purging. If you do have an inflammatory reaction to a product with niacinamide it’s due to other active ingredients in the formula.

Yes! It was previously thought you shouldn’t but this research is now outdated. It’s now known that these two ingredients can actually complement each other for a more powerful approach.

For example, they both work to brighten the skin but they do this using two different mechanisms, so you’ll get a two-pronged approach and ultimately better results.

However, most experts agree that layering these ingredients is the best approach since vitamin C is notoriously unstable and works best in a formula on its own or paired with other antioxidants.

Which ingredient to layer first doesn’t matter. Here, our favourite K-beauty Vitamin C picks that can be used alongside all of your other niacinamide-containing products:

Niacinamide is ideal for both oily and dry skin types and is well-tolerated by sensitive and rosacea-prone skin too thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties.

In fact, everyone can benefit from this powerhouse ingredient. Since niacinamide is such an all-rounder, it tends to be combined with other ingredients in order to tailor the product's results.

For example, a niacinamide product for dry skin may be bolstered with hyaluronic acid, while a niacinamide for oily skin might also contain clarifying salicylic acid. So essentially, your skin type will determine which kind of product you should choose.