How to Add Niacinamide to Your Skincare Routine

Much like all the popular skincare ingredients, niacinamide exploded its way onto the market and since then, we couldn’t be without it. The trick is to understand how to add it into your skincare routine and see the best results, it’s easier than you may think.

What is niacinamide?

Niacinamide is essentially a water-soluble for vitamin B3 and is one of the many vitamins that you can natural find the body. When applied topically to the skin niacinamide is able to kick start an increase in cell energy, helping with the cell turnover, allowing the skin to appear more radiant. Packed with antioxidant it is also able to protect the outer layer of the skin against free radicals that can damage the skin and cause premature ageing, uneven skin tone and break down in collagen production. With the skin’s barrier strengthened you will also find your face looks plumper with a youthful bounce thanks to niacinamide locking in the moisture but keeping bacteria locked out. We are now going to share with you some of your popular questions about how to add niacinamide in your routine and the benefits you can expect to see. Don’t forget you can always find out more about niacinamide and its skincare benefits over on the blog.

Do you put niacinamide before or after moisturiser?

Due to the fact niacinamide is naturally found in the body it is one of the skincare ingredients that can be incorporated into your routine without too much worry of it not suiting your skin type. You will also find that it is usually formulated into serums or other treatment products, such as sheet masks.

Deciding on which product you wish to use containing niacinamide will help determine where in the routine you should use it to gain the full benefits.

Niacinamide enriched skin serum                                                                   

1. Cleanse the skin of makeup and bacteria          
2. Use a toner to remove any remaining traces of debris         
3. Exfoliate the skin (2-3 times a week depending on your skin type)         
4. Apply serum containing niacinamide          
5. Apply moisturiser         
6. Don’t forget your SPF in your daytime routine

Niacinamide enriched sheet mask

1. Cleanse the skin of makeup and bacteria
2. Swipe a toner to remove any debris left over
3. Apply niacinamide enriched sheet mask
4. Apply your chosen moisturiser
5. Not forgetting your SPF for AM routine

As you can see with both routines the niacinamide is applied before moisturiser. This is due to the fact it is considered such a potent ingredient that to reap the rewards of adding it into your everyday skincare routine it should be added before a heavy, creamy moisturiser. Serums are able to penetrate past the skin’s epidermis and are considered an important step in your routine when you are wanting to treat any skin concerns you may have, such as fine lines, uneven skin tone or lack lustre complexion. It is these concerns that benefit more from topically applied serums enriched in powerhouse ingredients like niacinamide. Serums consistency are usually light-weight and sometimes gel like and need to be applied before a moisturiser to allow them to absorb into the skin without any extra barriers to overcome. Teaming serum with a moisturiser that is suitable for your skin type will form a potent skin duo meaning whilst the serum is work hard in the lower layers of the skin, the moisturiser will be the protective coat for the skin, keeping it well balanced with a healthy barrier.

As for sheet masks, they are the ultimate self care step of a routine and are hugely beneficial to give the skin a boost in hydration. Allowing the mask to stay on your face for about 20-30 minutes will help the ingredients absorb into the skin. Using a sheet mask is ideal if you are wanting a quick result and visible difference to the complexion, however, if an overall long term result is something you are after than investing in a high performing serum containing niacinamide will deliver the best results.

Should I use niacinamide in the morning or night?

This really depends on you and your routine, some find time is not on their side in the mornings and so need to miss a step or two. Whilst others prefer to focus more time and effect in their evening routine to help counteract the damage left behind from the day. In the ideal world you should be using niacinamide in the morning and night, but life is busy and before you start beating yourself up about your hectic day you will still see the results of using niacinamide, be it twice a day or once. 

What works well with niacinamide?

Niacinamide is a vitamin found in the body and so generally plays well with other ingredients found in skincare products, having said this it is always a good idea to use a combination of ingredients that will benefit the skin type you have. For those prone to redness and sensitivity it is known that niacinamide and vitamin C used simultaneously can cause the skin to flare up, this can subside in 20 minutes or so but bear in mind this effect on the skin can develop into more concerns down the line.

To avoid any problems it is advisable to alternate skin ingredients, for example, using a vitamin C enriched product in the morning and niacinamide serum in the evening. That way you will get the best of both worlds without overloading your skin. 

Can I use niacinamide on sensitive skin?

As previously mentioned niacinamide as an ingredient is generally easy to include in your everyday routine without many concerns, due to the nature of sensitive skin however it is advisable to consult with a doctor or dermatologist to ensure using a product containing niacinamide won’t cause any rash or irritation to the skin. If you are introducing the ingredient into your routine start with a product that has a lower concentration of 2% this will allow your skin to build its tolerance and you may find other skin conditions, such as eczema, will benefit from the lower concentrates to begin with.

Hopefully by now you know more about how to add niacinamide to your skincare routine, with its ability to work well with other ingredients and benefit all skin types you’ll find it hard to imagine your skincare routine before using it.

Don't miss out on more skincare tips and expert advice over on our YouTube channel! Come and find us on The Green Sofa by hitting the subscribe button, you won't regret it!