Research Summary:
Niacinamide, also known as vitamin B3, is an essential nutrient that, once inside the body, is converted into the co-factors NADH and NADPH. These co-factors are involved in numerous biochemical reactions. A deficiency of this water-soluble vitamin, a member of the vitamin B family, causes pellagra, a disease characterized by dermatitis and red lesions. Pellagra led to thousands of deaths in the United States during the first half of the 20th century until dietary supplementation with niacinamide was found to cure the condition.
As we age, NAD+ and NADPH levels in skin cells decline. Therefore, supplementing the skin with the precursor to these essential co-factors has the potential to provide benefits for aging skin. Niacinamide readily penetrates the skin's surface, making it bioavailable through topical application for targeted delivery to specific areas of the skin. Clinical studies of topical formulations containing niacinamide have demonstrated a wide range of benefits for skin care. These include reductions in the appearance of hyperpigmented spots, redness, yellowing (sallowness), surface sebum, pore size, surface texture, and fine lines and wrinkles. Moreover, improvements in moisturization, stratum corneum barrier integrity, and skin elasticity have been observed.
In addition, further clinical studies have shown that combining niacinamide with other skin care ingredients can enhance these appearance benefits. Dermatological effects, such as improvements in acne and bullous pemphigoid, have also been noted in human testing. A more recent evaluation revealed that topical niacinamide can benefit patients with rosacea by improving skin barrier function. This ability to strengthen the skin barrier also suggests that applying niacinamide before or with topical retinoids can increase skin tolerance to retinoid treatment and enhance visible improvements in photodamaged skin.
This brief review will focus on some key skin appearance effects of niacinamide, including its impact on surface sebum, pore size, surface texture, hyperpigmentation, and fine lines and wrinkles. In particular, it will highlight new mechanistic insights into niacinamide’s effects on skin appearance and the enhanced visible improvements when it is combined with other ingredients.
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