I love skincare. It gives me a feeling of luxury on an ordinary Tuesday after a long and stressful workday. It provides me with an opportunity to relax and de-stress.
However, something I’ve noticed in recent years is that you nearly need to be a chemist to understand the texts on all the jars of creams, serums, toners, essences, and everything else we’re supposed to include in our skincare routines (if we’re to believe the companies).
In addition to needing to keep track of all the products that should be squeezed into the routine, we also need to understand the ingredients and what they do versus what they don’t do.
The nerd in me has, of course, read up on everything I can about ingredients and which ones we should pay attention to, as well as which ones are designed to separate you from your money.
The star ingredient today is Niacinamide – the pores’ worst enemy and a skin brightener.
What is it?
Niacinamide is the ingredient that is currently getting a lot of hype. It is said to work wonders for large pores, eliminate acne, banish pigmentation changes, and even prepare dinner while you take a break after work.
Praise aside, what is it?
In chemical terms, it is a bioactive form of vitamin B3. Bioactive means that it can have a specific effect in living tissue.
What does it do?
Niacinamide acts as an astringent in pores as it reduces sebum production. This also means it can have a positive effect against acne caused by increased sebum production. By reducing sebum production, you may experience less shine throughout the day.
Other positive effects of Niacinamide include its effectiveness against pigmentation changes. It gives the skin a glow by strengthening the skin barrier.
Another important characteristic is that Niacinamide is a stable substance, which is easy to formulate, so as a consumer, you get what you pay for.
Who should have Niacinamide in their skincare routine?
The simple answer to that question is EVERYONE. Yes, everyone benefits from Niacinamide precisely because it has more than one property. If you’re lucky enough to be around 20, Niacinamide is fantastic for regulating sebum production and managing acne. If you’re around 40, acne may not be the issue, but rather a lack of glow and a weakened skin barrier. In that case, this is a super ingredient. If you’ve experienced pigmentation changes during pregnancy or due to aging, this is also a super product as it works to brighten those.
If you have rosacea or reactive skin, Niacinamide can help to soothe and strengthen the skin barrier.
Do you want more elasticity in your skin? Yes, you guessed it right—Niacinamide is a super product because it reduces water loss in the skin.
What this super ingredient doesn’t do is fix dinner. Unfortunately, you’ll have to handle that yourself.
Click here for products at Know to Glow with Niacinamide
