Have you Heard...about NIANCINAMIDE?

We know...

We know we were literally just talking about our intense and abiding love for Centella Asiatica...and we still love her let's not get it twisted!

But hear us out real quick...what do you know about Niacinamide? 👀

Niacinamide is a big player in the skincare world right now and we couldn't help but throw a little...or a lotta...love her way! There's seriously a lot to love in this little ingredient, so let's get down to the nitty-gritty! What exactly do you need to know when it comes to Niacinamide?

 FOR STARTERS...WHAT IS IT?

Niacinamide is actually a form of vitamin B-3, an essential nutrient that our bodies use to help build the proteins in your skin and basically lock in all that much-needed moisture. It helps to protect your skin from the everyday environmental stressors that we face like sun damage or other pollutants. At this point, we all know how important moisture is when it comes to a healthy skin barrier and keeping your skin feeling happy and looking gorgeous! Is it really surprising that when the skincare world discovered an ingredient proven to not just amplify moisture but to lock it in, AND boost collagen production among seemingly a million other benefits, that we'd lock that one down TIGHT? Of course not!

WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?

The good news here is that Niacinamide isn't exactly hard to come by. You can find Niacinamide in a lot of the different foods we eat such as yeast, meat, fish, milk, eggs, green vegetables, cereal grains, and beans. It can even form on its own within the body as a byproduct of another B-3 vitamin: Niacin. Niacin, while also a fantastic and essential B-3 vitamin, is NOT the same thing as Niacinamide.

Dietary Niacin is primarily associated with lowering bad cholesterol and boosting good cholesterol, both incredibly important however not quite what we're looking for when discussing skincare benefits. When taken at higher doses you can see the development of Niacinamide as a byproduct, but this isn't the best way to utilize Niacinamide when the goal is to improve skin health, and Niacin at high doses can have some serious side effects. You should always consult a doctor before taking any form of vitamin B3 or other dietary supplements.

SO WHAT DOES IT DO?

Niacinamides rap sheet when it comes to skincare benefits is a LONG one. We already mentioned its ability to lock in moisture, this is in part because it helps to bolster your lipid barrier. It can also help to reduce any redness or blotchiness in your complexion, regulate oils, minimize the appearance of pores, fine lines, dark spots, and wrinkles, protect against sun damage, and even treat acne in some cases! It’s also said to increase collagen production, which is an enormous benefit if you're looking for that youthful bounce to your skin!

 BEST WAY TO GET YOUR DAILY DOSE?

While you can get a certain amount of Niacinamide from the foods you eat the best way to truly ensure maximum skin health benefits is to use it topically! That's where products like creams and serums come into play. In fact, that's part of the reason why we've been oh so interested in Niacinamide lately. If you're interested in skincare and Niacinamide there may or may not be a little something developing behind the scenes here at Element Mom...but that's just between us mamas!

Pro tip! There are some indicators that point to using Niacinamide along with Hyaluronic acid to give it an added boost. Hyaluronic acid can help increase product absorption and adds even more easily absorbed moisture to the mix, which is NEVER a bad thing! Plus, as we've mentioned before when gushing about our love for HA, it does wonders for everything from wound healing to increasing skin elasticity. Both ingredients together make up a powerful, anti-aging, skincare dream team aimed at maximizing the health of your skin and turning up the glow!

THE WRAP-UP

Clinically speaking? Niacinamide has proven to be one of the best-studied ingredients for anti-aging on the market. It works hard to improve your skin’s moisture barrier, which in turn improves your skin health as a whole, all while being gentle enough to avoid and even improve upon any redness or irritation. That's the whole goal when it comes to skincare! We want to keep our skin healthy and happy and protected. Niacinamide is a power player in skincare, one we definitely want on our team!