Niacinamide for Clear Skin

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What exactly does niacinamide do for your skin? Many believe it can strengthen the skin barrier, reduce signs of aging and inflammation, regulate sebum production, minimize hyperpigmentation, and improve overall skin tone. But these benefits are only meaningful if backed by actual clinical evidence in humans.

Let’s set aside the theory, marketing, and influencer hype to focus on what human research says. What do clinical trials reveal about the realistic benefits of using niacinamide in skincare?

Niacinamide vs. Niacin

Vitamin B3 comes in two main forms: niacinamide and niacin, each with different uses and chemical structures. Niacinamide, also called nicotinamide, is the form used in skincare products. It has potential benefits for the skin when applied topically. Niacin, or nicotinic acid, is rarely used on the skin because it can cause intense flushing, which is harmless but highly unpleasant. Instead, niacin is typically taken as an oral supplement to reduce cholesterol and support heart health.

Because niacinamide doesn’t cause the flushing that niacin can trigger, it’s much preferred for skincare. Additionally, it’s studied more extensively for skin benefits than niacin.

Dosing and Effectiveness

Niacinamide is typically used in concentrations ranging from 2 to 5%. Higher concentrations are not necessarily more effective, as niacinamide is already well absorbed into the skin at these levels.

Benefits of Niacinamide

Niacinamide and Acne

Does niacinamide actually help with acne? While it’s believed to reduce inflammation and oil production, let’s look at what clinical studies have found.

First, let’s talk about the evidence. Preliminary research shows that applying niacinamide cream twice daily for 12 weeks, in combination with benzoyl peroxide, can reduce the number of acne lesions. Another study found that adding niacinamide cream while already using benzoyl peroxide and adapalene gel showed a small additional reduction in acne compared to a placebo cream.

One clinical study even suggests that using niacinamide gel twice daily for 8 weeks is as effective as an antibiotic gel in reducing acne lesions. This study noted that niacinamide appeared to be more effective for patients with oily skin. It seems that niacinamide’s anti-acne effect is primarily due to a reduction in sebum (oil) production. A small trial found that topical niacinamide modestly reduces sebum production.

However, another preliminary study involving patients using the prescription medication isotretinoin found that adding niacinamide cream twice daily for 6 months did not further reduce acne lesions. Still, it did help reduce redness, dryness, and itching caused by the medication.

Oral niacinamide has also been studied, but the evidence is weak and it has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients. For example, a branded supplement called NicAzel, which contains niacinamide among other ingredients, showed some weak benefits. Another branded supplement, Nicomide, also found some weak benefits.

When it comes to niacinamide for acne, topical applications have much stronger evidence supporting their use than oral ones. Niacinamide seems to be best for oily skin types and shows the most benefit when used alone. Research indicates that combining niacinamide with other anti-acne therapies, especially stronger treatments like benzoyl peroxide or prescription medications, may not provide much additional benefit. However, niacinamide may still help reduce side effects, such as redness or dryness, caused by these stronger treatments.

Niacinamide and Wrinkles

Can niacinamide help reduce wrinkles and make your skin look more youthful? Let’s dive into the studies.

One study showed that applying niacinamide cream to one side of the face for 8 weeks reduced wrinkles. This finding is promising, but there’s more.

In another small study involving women with photoaging, applying niacinamide cream twice daily for 12 weeks improved not just wrinkles, but also blotchiness and skin elasticity compared to a placebo. These improvements suggest that niacinamide may have deeper effects on the skin than just reducing surface wrinkles.

These studies provide some evidence that niacinamide can reduce the appearance of wrinkles and benefit the skin at a deeper level. However, saying niacinamide is good for anti-aging might be an oversimplification. The strongest research supports niacinamide’s ability to reduce accelerated skin aging due to UV radiation, also known as photoaging. There is far less clinical evidence to show that niacinamide alone is effective at reducing the slower, natural aging of skin.

Niacinamide and Dark Spots

Can niacinamide help with dark spots and hyperpigmentation? Let’s explore the evidence.

A small clinical study in Japanese women found that applying niacinamide moisturizer twice daily reduced hyperpigmentation and increased skin lightness after 4 weeks compared to a placebo. However, further improvements were not observed after an additional 4 weeks of treatment.

In another study involving Korean women, using a moisturizer containing niacinamide and tranexamic acid twice daily for 8 weeks reduced skin pigmentation compared to a placebo. Since this study combined niacinamide with tranexamic acid, it’s hard to determine the exact effect of niacinamide alone.

For women with melasma, a condition causing dark patches on the face, a 4% niacinamide cream was almost as effective as 4% hydroquinone in reducing pigmentation and had fewer side effects.

There is some evidence that niacinamide can reduce hyperpigmentation and dark spots. However, these studies also used broad-spectrum sunscreen 2-3 times daily. The overall benefits were small. This means that even if niacinamide can slightly reduce hyperpigmentation, you likely won’t notice much benefit if you don’t use sunscreen daily to prevent further pigmentation.

Niacinamide and Sun Damage

Can niacinamide help with sun damage? It’s believed to protect the skin from DNA damage caused by UV radiation. Let’s look at the evidence.

One clinical study found that patients with a history of skin neoplasms who took niacinamide orally twice daily for 12 months saw a reduction in the development of these neoplasms. Additionally, a meta-analysis of several small clinical trials showed that using niacinamide daily, both orally and topically, for 1 month to 5 years lowered the risk of nonmelanoma skin neoplasms, including basal and squamous cell neoplasms, by 50% compared to a control group.

Niacinamide appears to reduce damage from UV radiation by decreasing the development of nonmelanoma skin neoplasms, especially for those at risk. Oral niacinamide has the strongest evidence for this protective effect, but there is also some evidence that topical niacinamide offers benefits. However, these effects are mostly preventative. There’s no evidence that niacinamide can help with skin neoplasms once they have already developed.

Niacinamide and Inflammatory Skin Disorders

Can niacinamide help with inflammatory skin disorders? Let’s explore the evidence.

Clinical Research on Niacinamide and Inflammatory Skin Disorders
For eczema, a small clinical study found that patients who applied niacinamide cream twice daily for 8 weeks experienced decreased skin water loss and improved skin hydration compared to those using petroleum jelly.

When it comes to psoriasis, preliminary research in adults showed that applying niacinamide cream twice daily for 12 weeks improved psoriasis scores compared to baseline. However, this study did not have a placebo group, so these results should be taken with caution.

For seborrheic dermatitis, a small study found that applying niacinamide cream once daily for 12 weeks reduced the severity of symptoms like redness and scaling compared to a placebo cream.

There is some evidence that niacinamide can help with certain inflammatory skin disorders. However, the evidence is still weak and more research is needed to confirm these benefits.

Summary

Topical niacinamide can be beneficial for various skin conditions:

Acne – Niacinamide has solid evidence for reducing acne lesions, especially in people with oily skin. It can also help reduce side effects like redness or dryness when used alongside stronger anti-acne treatments.

Skin Cancer Prevention – Taking niacinamide orally might lower the risk of nonmelanoma skin neoplasms, particularly for those at high risk.

Inflammatory Skin Conditions – The evidence is much weaker for treating inflammatory skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis. While there are some promising results, more research is needed to confirm these benefits.

Cosmetic Benefits – For cosmetic issues like wrinkles or dark spots, the benefits of niacinamide are likely small. You probably won’t see much improvement unless you also use sunscreen consistently every day.

In summary, niacinamide shows promise for certain skin concerns, but it’s not a cure-all. Its effectiveness can vary depending on the condition and how it’s used.

Top supplement choices

• Niacinamide (cream) – topically
• Niacinamide (oral) – 1 cap / day

Learn more about

• Supplement reviews

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