Niacinamide: The super star ingredient

 

Niacinamide is one of those essential ingredients in the world of beauty. It is present in all trendy skincare products: serums, moisturizing creams, masks, eye contour cream, etc.

Niacinamide, also called Vitamin B3, is a derivative of nicotinic acid, a water-soluble vitamin composed of niacin and nicotinamide.  Its success is due to numerous clinical studies demonstrating its effectiveness, particularly for its anti-aging and smoothing properties. But this vitamin has many other powers!  

• Anti-wrinkle action

   

From a certain age, our skin produces less and less proteins such as keratin, filaggrin and collagen, which guarantee skin elasticity, tissue regeneration and maintenance of the barrier function. This decline causes a loss of skin elasticity and the gradual appearance of wrinkles. Niacinamide will stimulate the production of these proteins and slow down oxidative stress, which will visibly reduce wrinkles and restore firmness and density to the skin. This anti-wrinkle action combined with its anti-inflammatory action also helps protect the skin from damage caused by UV rays, the main cause of skin aging.   

• Anti-acne action

Niacinamide is not just for mature skin. Indeed, it also has benefits for oily and acne-prone skin. Much less aggressive than antibacterial treatments, its anti-inflammatory properties help reduce skin inflammation, the main cause of the formation of imperfections. It also acts on the production of sebum and helps slow down its production for purified and mattified skin.   

• Anti-stain action

Sun exposure and acne scars can leave dark spots on the skin. These marks are explained by an excessive production of melanin, the pigment responsible for the coloring of the skin and hair: this is the phenomenon of hyperpigmentation. Niacinamide, concentrated at a minimum of 2%, slows the transfer of melanosomes, small spheres which transport melanin, between melanocytes, the skin cells which produce melanin, and keratinocytes, the cells of the epidermis. Thanks to this slowdown, the skin becomes lighter and the signs of hyperpigmentation decrease.   

• Restorative action of the barrier function

The skin has a fundamental protective mission. It prevents the penetration of harmful agents such as micro-organisms and pollution. It also blocks part of UV rays. In addition, it protects the body by controlling the evaporation of water and regulating its temperature. When the epidermis is damaged, the skin is weakened and more reactive. Redness, irritation and tingling sensations may then occur. Niacinamide, from 1% concentration, increases the synthesis of lipids and ceramides, which help retain water to maintain skin hydration. The latter is essential to guarantee healthy, well-nourished skin and a more resistant and reinforced barrier function. Therefore, Niacinamide can be used for very dry skin as well as in cases of eczema and redness, where the barrier function is damaged, and the skin lacks hydration and nutrition.   Convinced by its scientifically proven effectiveness and its high tolerance, we use Niacinamide in all our serums. And to go further, we have chosen to combine this serum with red light in order to potentiate its effects. This combination [Niacinamide + red light] helps protect the skin from external aggressions such as UV and pollution, but also from internal aggressions such as oxidative stress.