It reduces inflammation caused by naturally occurring free radicals and bacteria on the skin, which are responsible for the appearance of blemishes, so niacinamide is very beneficial for acne-prone skin.

When comparing the use of niacinamide and clindamycin in acne treatment, the results show similar effectiveness between niacinamide and clindamycin, which is interesting because clindamycin is a truly effective treatment for acne, but like any antibiotic, there is a risk of developing bacterial resistance.

Since niacinamide is not an antibiotic, this risk does not exist. Another published study shows that niacinamide is more effective than clindamycin in acne treatment in people with oily skin, but less effective in people with dry skin.

Spot Prevention:

Another effect of niacinamide is reducing the transfer of melanin from melanocytes to the surface of the skin. Therefore, it is extremely useful for preventing solar hyperpigmentation, post-acne, and also for treating melasma.

An interesting study compared the effectiveness of niacinamide with hydroquinone in people with melasma, the patients applied hydroquinone to one side of the face and niacinamide to the other, the healing was similar on both sides of the face, but there was significantly less irritation on the side treated with niacinamide.

Roles:

One of the effects of niacinamide is increasing the production of ceramides, which help strengthen our skin barrier.

In fact, by stimulating the production of ceramides, the lipids that form the cement between the epidermal cells, the skin becomes stronger, protected from drying out and penetration of irritating substances. This increases hydration at the epidermal level.

Our skin becomes more resilient and tolerant to other active ingredients like vitamin C and retinol. Strengthening the skin barrier in this way makes niacinamide particularly interesting for people with extremely dry and prone to redness skin.

Niacinamide: Anti-Aging Effect

It also increases collagen production and reduces damage caused by UV rays to the skin, studies show that it is particularly effective in mature skin.

On the other hand, a study published in Australia in 2017 shows that taking vitamin B3 orally can reduce the occurrence of new skin cancers in people who already have skin cancer.

Niacinamide serves as a shield for the skin against the formation of substances that break down collagen when exposed to UV rays.

The final effect of niacinamide on the skin is reducing sebum production, improving the appearance of pores, and reducing acne.

In summary, niacinamide has an anti-acne, anti-inflammatory, spot-reducing, anti-aging, and skin-strengthening effect. Therefore, it is understandable the widespread interest in this active ingredient.

Are there any side effects?

Niacinamide is one of the safest active ingredients and can be used even by pregnant or breastfeeding women. Most studies have been done with concentrations below 5%, so if you go with a higher concentration, you may rarely experience tingling or redness, especially if you have sensitive skin.

If this happens to you, try a product with a lower concentration of niacinamide. However, in most cases, if you experience irritation after adding niacinamide to your skincare, I think it's a reaction to the adjuvant, not the niacinamide itself.

The last thing, and this is not a side effect but a downside, niacinamide takes time to work, to see results, it takes much longer than vitamin A or C. So if you don't see any results after 3 days, that's normal, you should give yourself at least 2 months to see the results.