Science shouldn’t be intimidating. The best science is simply the discovery of secrets that exist in nature and sharing the knowledge to benefit us all. As part of Ustawi’s dedication to the best of both science and nature, we bring you the ins and outs of Niacinamide, a true hero ingredient.
Niacinamide has become a familiar buzzword in skincare, though relatively few may know exactly what it is, or how it works. We hope to share some insight into it - and its powers - with you. Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3, and it can be found in both plant and animal sources. It is one of the essential B vitamins that the body requires for many key functions, in particular the ability to convert food into efficient, usable energy.
So, like all our hero ingredients, Niacinamide is an important source of wellbeing, inside and out.
Applied to the skin, the science: Niacinamide boosts the production of fatty acids, ceramides, and collagen; is a powerful anti-inflammatory and inhibits the transfer of melanin.
In the mirror, the results:
- TEXTURE: Minimizes pores, fine lines, and wrinkles.
- PROTECTION: Reinforces the skin barrier to protect against environmental and UV damage.
- BREAKOUT: Regulates sebum production to prevent, anti-inflammatory powers to minimize.
- HYPERPIGMENTATION: Works to reduce and prevent hyperpigmentation by blocking melanin production in the deepest layers of the skin.
- HYDRATION: Boosts the power of moisturizers to retain hydration.
Yes, this ingredient does all of this, and that is why you will find it in all our Serums and Moisturizers, as well as our Red Clay Mask. We use at least 2% concentration of Niacinamide, the optimal proportion.
AND, in all our products containing Niacinamide, we also include Vitamin C (we’ll go deep into this ingredient in a future blogpost). Niacinamide + Vitamin C synergize to boost the effects of two key actions: Inhibiting Melanin overproduction’ and boosting Antioxidant/Ceramide production. Like nature itself, Ustawi’s science seeks to identify the power of individual ingredients and their ability to harmonize and amplify each other in combination.
Niacinamide. A true hero ingredient, vital to health and wellbeing.
THE STUDIES:
Hakozaki, T et al. The effect of niacinamide on reducing cutaneous pigmentation and suppression of melanosome transfer - PubMed (nih.gov)
Draeolos, Z.D. The effect of 2% niacinamide on facial sebum production - PubMed (nih.gov)
Kawada, A. Evaluation of anti-wrinkle effects of a novel cosmetic containing niacinamide - PubMed (nih.gov)