When it comes to skincare ingredients, there’s bound to be some confusion. Now that (almost) everyone has built their own skincare routines, men included, there’s so much content online about what products to use and what ingredients to keep an eye out for. Take, for instance, Niacinamide. Men & women are religiously using it without even understanding how it works – do you know everything about niacinamide? If not, we’re here to tell you about it all.
First & foremost, Niacinamide is a form of Vitamin B3 & like all vitamins, it’s great for refreshing and rejuvenating your skin. It’s also a great beginner-friendly active, great for those of you who haven’t been using any actives so far. It’s also a great active for those of you with oily skin or for people dealing with an uneven skin tone or texture.
Now that you’ve understood everything about niacinamide (hopefully), let’s detail out the various benefits of this active.
Controls and regulates excess oil production, particularly on the nose, forehead and chin
Reduces inflammation thereby helping with acne & pimples
Reduces the appearance of pores
Helps reduce pigmentation leading to fading of dark spots & acne marks
Strengthens the skin barrier
Helps reduce skin irritation, especially after shaving
While niacinamide is by-and-large absolutely safe, some people could experience a few side-effects. However, it’s important to note that it could also be a result of a specific niacinamide serum or moisturiser as opposed to the active in general. These side-effects include:
Redness or irritation
Excessive dryness
Small breakouts
Itching
Before you go about dismissing the entire ingredient, maybe try a different product or brand instead.
The best way to go about incorporating niacinamide into your skincare routine would be to use it as a serum either during the day or at night. You don’t have to use during both, especially if you’re using another active as well. For people with oily skin, we’d recommend using a niacinamide serum during the day as managing excess oil production is especially challenging at that time. Start slow – alternate days to begin with – and build it up from there.
Here are our picks of the best niacinamide serums in the market for you to choose from:
Price: ₹8,000
Price: ₹4,375
Price: ₹9,500
Price: ₹8,600
Price: ₹9,400
Price: ₹600
Price: ₹4,394