How to Use Niacinamide on Your Face
Niacinamide may sound complicated, but it’s one of the few skin ingredients that’s easy to incorporate into your skincare routine. It’s packed with antioxidants and moisturizing properties, so you’ll find that niacinamide can really help with any skin concern.
The question is how to use niacinamide on your face and if it’s really that easy to incorporate into your daily skincare routine. Let’s explore to find out more!
What is Niacinamide?
Before we dive in, let’s quickly review what niacinamide is and the various benefits it can offer your skin.
Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3 that can help draw moisture to the surface of your skin, strengthening your protective barrier against daily exposure to free radicals and other environmental irritants. Thanks to niacinamide’s antioxidant properties, you’ll also find that the following skin concerns are alleviated as well:
Hyperpigmentation, uneven skin tone, and dark spots
Blemishes, blemishes, and acne
Dull, lackluster complexion
Redness
Signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkles
Uneven skin texture
Large and noticeable pores
How can you use niacinamide in your skincare routine?
Niacinamide is praised for its incredible versatility, being able to be mixed with almost any skincare ingredient. Due to its hydrating properties, niacinamide is often used in water-based skincare products, such as serums and moisturizers. This is good for both your routine and your skin, as both products stay on the skin the longest compared to rinse-off cleansers, so your skin benefits from this clever hydration powerhouse.
By keeping your skin barrier fully functioning and containing the right amount of water and oil, you’ll find that other steps in your routine are absorbed quickly, with some users even seeing faster results.
Niacinamide is often said to have similar effects to the very popular hyaluronic acid. While it’s true that both are effective in increasing the skin’s overall hydration, the main difference is that niacinamide has the unique ability to regulate the natural oils on the surface of the skin. Not only does this keep your skin healthy, but it’s also an added benefit for those with oily skin, acne-prone skin, and pimples.
Can I use niacinamide daily?
In fact, you can, and it’s highly recommended that you use niacinamide twice a day, but only if you make sure your skin can tolerate it. While Niacinamide is effective and versatile, it’s still important to patch test any new product or ingredient 24 hours before applying it all over your skin to avoid unnecessary breakouts or irritation. Using Niacinamide twice a day, especially during the cold winter months, will protect your skin from harmful free radicals from things like central heating and harsh weather. They essentially form a protective layer over your skin to help it through the day and regenerate and repair your skin at night.
Do you put Niacinamide all over your face?
You can apply Niacinamide all over your face, but avoid applying it too close to the under-eye area, where the skin is thinner, more sensitive, and easily irritated.
When using Niacinamide, it’s important to use the right amount, because you can have too much of a good thing. What I mean by that is that Niacinamide’s moisturizing properties are so powerful, and too much can cause moisture to be drawn away from the lower layers of your skin, which can cause irritation and severe dryness.
Using Niacinamide all over your face can fight signs of dehydration and help boost the ceramides in your skin. This will hydrate and restore balance to your skin, while enhancing the effectiveness of any other products you use in your daily skincare routine.
Can you use a moisturizer after using Niacinamide?
Absolutely! However, this depends a lot on the product that the Niacinamide is formulated in. For example, if it is a serum, it is best to apply it before any form of moisturizer. This is due to general “skin rules” when using different products in your daily life. To give you a better understanding, here are the three most important rules you should follow to ensure that you get the most out of your treatment.
Apply formula from thinnest to thickest
It may sound simple, and maybe even a little silly, but applying your skincare products in order of thickness allows each product and its effective formula to absorb properly into the skin.
Apply water-based products first, then oil-based products
As you know, oil and water usually don’t mix, which can create a huge mess and render your skincare useless. Applying water-based products first and oil-based products later allows the water-based products to better penetrate the correct areas of the skin before applying the thicker, heavier oil-based products.
Pay attention to the pH level
This part may be a little confusing, but it is very common for people to experience irritation when using skincare products without knowing why. For example, products with a high percentage of acidic active ingredients typically have a pH of 3.0 to 4.0 and should be applied to the skin before neutral products with a pH of 5.0 to 0.7. If you keep these tips in mind when applying your skincare products, you will avoid unnecessary skin irritation and benefit from an effective daily regimen.
Hopefully, this will give you a better understanding of why applying your skincare products in a specific order allows you to fully leverage the active ingredients contained in each product. Once you get the hang of it, you can use these products at different times of the day to achieve the best results for your skin.
How long does it take for Niacinamide to work?
You will notice a noticeable difference as soon as you apply Niacinamide to your skin. For longer-lasting results, you should wait approximately 8-12 weeks for your skin’s appearance to improve significantly, especially when the formula contains a 5% Niacinamide concentrate. Not only will this visibly improve the overall appearance of your complexion, but you won’t have to worry about irritation.
If you want to learn more about Niacinamide and all the benefits it can have for your skin, check out our dedicated blog post on this ingenious ingredient If you have any questions, check us out on Instagram and of course don’t forget to check out our latest episode of The Green Couch!
DQH Knowledge drop: In your 20s, your skin cell turnover decreases. (Cell turnover is a key component in keeping your skin youthful.) You know what else slows down? Your collagen production. Starting in your 20s, collagen decreases by about 1 percent per year. Should you want to prevent fine lines and wrinkles, start by eliminating behaviors that contribute to premature aging. “If it’s bad for you, it’s bad for your skin,” says dermatologist Michel Somenek.
“Cigarette smoking reduces blood flow to the skin and causes premature wrinkling and a dull skin texture. Making the repeated pursed motion to inhale can also cause smoker’s lines. Alcohol and recreational drugs are toxins for the skin that damage its cellular structure and DNA,” Somenek tells us. “The faster you eliminate vices while you are young, the better chance your skin and body have to recuperate.” Also, adopting an anti-aging routine in your 20s is key. After all, the best offense is a good defense. We spoke to Somenek and experts Joshua Ross and Audrey Kunin to find out more.
Keep reading for the best anti-aging products for your 20s, according to skincare professionals.
Sunscreen
“We all know that the sun is the number one cause of skin aging and starting the prevention in your 20s is very important,” Ross says. “The majority of your sun damage won’t start to appear until you’re in your 30s, so don’t wait until you see it surface or you’ll be behind the curve. Stay ahead of it with a good-quality zinc-based sunscreen worn daily.”
Farmacy Green Defense Daily Mineral Sunscreen
An invisible sunscreen with SPF 30, plus botanical extracts meant to protect skin with tons of antioxidants. Bonus: It’s clean and fine to use under makeup.
Bareminerals Complexion Rescue™ Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30
Although we recommend you use your SPF and moisturizer separately, we also understand moments when you don’t have time or energy for that extra step. For those times, this bareMinerals moisturizer is a great thing to have on hand.
Vitamin C Serum
“A great introduction to anti-aging is to start with a vitamin C serum in your morning skincare routine,” Ross says. “It’s a powerful antioxidant that will neutralize free radicals and brighten the skin.” He adds that it’s a great way to counteract the effects of the sun’s harmful rays, which, as previously mentioned, are among the biggest causes of premature aging.
Drunk Elephant C-Firma™ Vitamin C Day Serum
The Drunk Elephant C-Firma is a lightweight serum that promises to give skin a glow by combining the brightening powers of vitamin C with ferulic acid, l-ascorbic acid, and vitamin E. The included sodium hyaluronate is meant to replace hydration loss, so you shouldn’t have to deal with any irritation.
Sunday Riley C.E.O. Rapid Flash Brightening Serum
This potent serum is jam-packed with vitamin C (15 percent, to be exact), which means it’s a potential superstar at both brightening skin and dousing it in antioxidants.
Peptides
Using peptides on your skin has many benefits, says Somenek. “The skin barrier is what defends the body against pollution, UV rays, bacteria, and toxins. It can be damaged by several everyday factors. Using topical peptides aids in building a stronger barrier,” he says. “Peptides comprise elastic fibers, which are a type of protein. These fibers help to make skin appear taut and firm. Peptides can also help repair damaged skin, relieve inflammation, and even out skin tone. Some peptides can kill acne-causing bacteria that is common in 20-somethings.”
Kunin agrees, saying, “Peptides are an excellent entry point for supporting collagen.” She recommends looking for face and eye treatments that contain these collagen-boosting powerhouses.
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Eye Rescue Cream
This Charlotte Tilbury super-emollient eye cream has a base of coconut oil and shea butter (read: it’s incredibly hydrating). Botanicals plus peptides are meant to help reduce dark circles and boost collagen, respectively.
This creamy moisturizer serves up potent collagen-boosting peptides and pycnogenol, and antioxidant-rich vitamin C. “Instead of sitting on top of the skin, peptides penetrate the outer layer so they go deep. The ‘signals’ they send tell the cells to produce elastin and collagen, which are needed for youthful-looking skin,” explains Somenek.
At-Home Peel Pads
Remember that skin cell turnover fiasco we talked about earlier? One way to help support it is by exfoliating. “Exfoliation is important to help keep skin fresh and luminous,” Kunin says. She recommends using at-home peel pads as an easy and effective way to exfoliate.
“The goal in your 20s is to fight the slowing pace of cell turnover. It is wise to use products that gently exfoliate, yet still remove oil and other impurities. Products that have Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) or Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHA) are a good choice.”
According to Somenek, you should only exfoliate two to three times a week. “People of all ages are guilty of over-exfoliating and that can be too much of a good thing,” he says.
Dermadoctor Kakadu C Intensive Vitamin C Peel Pad
A few swipes of this Derma Doctor powerful peel pad promise to leave your skin glowing and smooth, thanks to the seven (yes, seven) types of chemical exfoliants, including AHA and BHA. It also contains vitamin C via Kakadu plum extract for added brightening and antioxidant protection.
KEY INGREDIENTS Kakadu plum extract is sourced from the Kakadu plum, a fruit grown in northern Australia. It contains vitamin C, which restores the skin’s natural barrier, increases collagen production, and soothes irritation.
Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Universal Daily Peel Pads
These are the gold standard of peel pads, with a cult following and over 900 five-star reviews on Sephora. They’re easy to use and contain a blend of anti-aging exfoliating acids.
Emollient Night Cream
“In your 20s, you need to start upping the hydration in your skincare routine. You may have been cautious of over-moisturizing because of acne in your teens, but as you enter your 20s, your skin transitions and becomes drier,” Ross says. “I recommend an emollient night cream added into your evening skincare regimen.”
“Twenty-somethings need to make sure that they are not using creams that will clog their pores and cause excess oil production,” says Somenek. Opt for non-comedogenic products.
Cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream
One great choice is the CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream, which is a non-comedogenic night cream that leaves skin soft and glowy. It combines the moisturizing powers of ceramides and hyaluronic acid.
RoC Retinol Correxion Max Hydration Creme
“The best night cream ingredients contain retinol, benzoyl peroxide, and/or salicylic acid or hyaluronic acid. The goal is to moisturize, yet remove excess oil,” says Somenek. This Roc Retinol Correxion cream fits the bill as it contains both hyaluronic acid and retinol so it promises to moisturize while also being non-comedogenic.