When choosing your skincare products, it’s imperative to know which ingredients to avoid. But it’s also important to know which ingredients to prioritize, however they might align with your skincare goals. Many brands scrutinize over their ingredients roster, and that’s a relief for consumers. Take, for example, how at Cardon we chose cactus extract as a hero ingredient in all of our products. We know that its powers as a skin-soothing and firming agent make it especially good for our customers—particularly for anyone with sensitive skin or anyone who shaves frequently. 

As a conscious skincare consumer, here’s another ingredient to memorize: niacinamide (pronounced: “nahy-uh-sin-uh-mahyd", and yes, it’s a mouthful). Niacinamide is a common active vitamin B derivative (of vitamin B3, specifically) that you’ll find in hydrating skincare products and treatments—like moisturizers and serums. It is often included in 1-2% concentrations, but some treatments may have much higher doses (5-10% concentrations).

Who should use niacinamide?

As you’ll read below, niacinamide has so many benefits that pretty much everyone will benefit from using it. However, it is often sought out by people with oily skin or enlarged pores (both of which are far more common in men than women). Anyone who spends extended time outdoors also benefits from niacinamide, since they are more exposed to pollutants, toxins, and UV rays. If you shave frequently, have persistent breakouts, or have redness/inflammation, then you’re also a prime candidate. And lastly, if you have experienced photoaging (dark spots, fine lines, and wrinkles), then niacinamide is also useful. Read on to see all of the ways it can help people in each of the above scenarios.

What does niacinamide do in skincare?

Niacinamide has many benefits to your skin. Here are the main ones: 

How to Get Niacinamide

Your body can naturally produce niacinamide, especially if it receives an excess of vitamin B3 / niacin. However, if you’re planning on taking a supplementary approach, that’s something you should discuss with your dermatologist. We’d recommend choosing at least one hydrating product with niacinamide in order to gain all of the above skincare benefits. Use it consistently, and you could see results in as soon as one month (and the benefits will stay for as long as you use it). But, it’s also recommended that you talk to your board-certified dermatologist about niacinamide’s role in your skincare routine, and don’t mistake it as a panacea for clearing acne or reversing photoaging on your skin. Instead, it’s an active and helpful ingredient that can benefit you with long term and continued use, similar to all other good skincare ingredients. Consider it an imperative ingredient, among many.

An easy way to incorporate niacinamide into your skincare is to look for it in your daytime or nighttime moisturizer. By applying a daily 1-2% niacinamide hydrator to your skin, you can gain the benefits steadily and perpetually. Alternatively, you could rotate in a high-grade niacinamide treatment (5-10%). Our Hydro Boost Gel Moisturizer is a great place to start. 

The gel moisturizer is a terrific hydrator for day or night. Many people prefer to use it as a nighttime moisturizer, paired with daytime use of the SPF 30 moisturizer. This product pairs niacinamide with soothing ingredients like cactus extract to deliver a supercharge to the skin, especially before bed. By synchronizing with your body’s cellular turnover, these ingredients fuel cells and accelerate skin’s regeneration, so that you wake up with smoothed, soothed, and strengthened skin, as well as “rested” looking eyes. It can also be used in the daytime for the same smoothing, soothing benefits.

Whew, got all that? We're here to help. If you have any questions, feel free to chat us or DM us on Instagram @cardon.