What Does Niacinamide Do For Men’s Skin: How To Use It, Benefits & Side-Effects

Wondering what niacinamide does for men’s skin? Here’s what it is, how to use it, the side effects to know, and the best niacinamide serums to try.
niacinamide for men
From serums to moisturisers, niacinamide is easy to add to a men’s skincare routine.Getty Images
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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.  

What is Niacinamide? 

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.

Benefits of Niacinamide 

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

Side-effects of Niacinamide 

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.

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How to Use Niacinamide 

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.

 Best Niacinamide Serums To Use 

Here are our picks of the best niacinamide serums in the market for you to choose from: 

Dermalogica PowerBright Dark Spot Serum

Price: ₹8,000 

Dermalogica PowerBright Dark Spot Serum
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Fenty Skin Watch Ya Tone Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum

Price: ₹4,375 

Fenty Skin Watch Ya Tone Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum

Clarins Bright Plus Advanced Serum

Price: ₹9,500 

Clarins Bright Plus Advanced Serum

Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Clearing Serum

Price: ₹8,600 

Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Clearing Serum

Sulwhasoo Lumiwise Brightening Ampoule Serum

Price: ₹9,400 

Sulwhasoo Lumiwise Brightening Ampoule Serum

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% Serum

Price: ₹600 

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% Serum

PAULA'S CHOICE Clinical Niacinamide 20% Treatment

Price: ₹4,394 

PAULA'S CHOICE Clinical Niacinamide 20% Treatment
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