Niacin - Powerful active ingredient for body and skin cells

Niacin

The superstar of the beauty world has been gaining popularity for quite some time now. Not the only one, but one of the most celebrated. But what is it anyway? And what can it do? Who is it suitable for? And are there also skin types for which it is not so suitable? We would like to introduce you to the power ingredient in a little more detail.

What it is:

Niacin is approved in the EU in two forms (compounds), as nicotinic acid amide (nicotinamide, niacinamide) and as nicotinic acid. It is a water-soluble B vitamin (B3) and is primarily found in food. In addition, the human body can produce it itself in the liver from the essential amino acid tryptophan. The amino acid tryptophan, for example, is converted into niacin in the liver.

Nicotinamide is a component of the two coenzymes nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP+). Nicotinic acid and nicotinamide have identical vitamin activity, but different pharmacological properties.

As an active ingredient in cosmetics, you will often find derivatives of niacin, such as niacinamide or tocopheryl nicotinate. 

What it is extracted from:

In nature, niacin or B3 is found mainly in mung beans, peanuts, mushrooms, dates, fish, poultry, eggs, milk and cashew nuts. Fish (e.g. anchovies, tuna, salmon, mackerel) and meat (lean beef, veal and pork, poultry) and offal also contain particularly high levels of niacin. Fun Fact: Coffee and bread are also sources of niacin, which, given my coffee consumption, could explain why I don't look as much older as I perhaps should, despite frequent sunbathing without sun protection. 

What it can do:

Coenzymes, which influence all reactions in all body cells, contain niacin as an important component. For metabolism, niacin is involved in energy metabolism and in the synthesis and breakdown of carbohydrates, amino acids and fatty acids. Niacin is required so that the cells in our body can divide and send signals for the rest of the (skin/immune/cell) metabolism.

Niacinamide strengthens the skin barrier through its contribution to the synthesis of lipids and ceramides, which are essential for the barrier function of the skin. It regenerates and moisturizes the skin.

According to a 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled, left-right randomized clinical study from 2004, topical (i.e. externally applied) niacinamide was able to visibly reduce yellowing, wrinkling, red spots and hyperpigmentation of aging facial skin (see Int J Cosmet Sci. 2004 Oct;26(5):231-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-2494.2004.00228.x.).

In another randomized, placebo-controlled split-face study from 2008, a significant improvement in skin condition was found in 64% of subjects after application of a product with 4% niacinamide, with a significant difference compared to the control group. The degree of wrinkles in the tested area was reduced significantly more than before application.

According to a medical report from 2011, which refers to various studies, niacinamide has anti-inflammatory properties and is able to reduce the transmission of melanosomes. It also causes a regression of pigmentation, inflammatory infiltrate and solar elastosis. Elastosis refers to changes in areas of the skin due to increased exposure to the sun. Typical characteristics are pronounced wrinkles and a visually rough skin texture. The face, neck and back of the hands are particularly affected. Elastosis occurs more frequently with increasing age and can also be referred to as actinic, solar or senile elastosis.

In Japan and the USA, separate clinical double-blind and placebo-controlled studies were conducted with Japanese and Caucasian participants to investigate the effect of 2% niacinamide in different ethnic groups. The result of the studies was that the sebum excretion rate or occasional sebum levels could be significantly reduced after several weeks of application of (only) 2% niacinamide.

In the case of nicotinamide, as a building block of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, a skin cancer-preventive effect can also be derived, which has already been demonstrated in two phase 2 studies (J Invest Dermatol 2012; 132: 1497-50).

This is just a small excerpt from all the worldwide studies on the impressive effects of niacin on the skin. So we can state that externally applied niacin has the ability to 

• reduce the depth of wrinkles
• alleviate skin damage caused by sun exposure
• reduce melasma or hyperpigmentation of the skin
• strengthen the skin barrier
• regulate or reduce the sebum production of the skin
• improve the moisture content of the skin

And as a further strength of this active ingredient, its good tolerability, even in very sensitive skin, was found in all studies.

And because we love niacin as much as many of you do, we are happy about every product that contains this ingredient. Below you will find some of our niacin-containing products:

                 

Sources:

1.) “Evaluation of anti-wrinkle effects of a novel cosmetic containing niacinamide”, Department of Dermatology, Kinki University School of Medicine, Osaka and Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Management of Technology in Medical Science, Kyoto, Japan

(https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/j.1346-8138.2008.00537.x)      

2.) “A Double-Blind, Randomized Clinical Trial of Niacinamide 4% versus Hydroquinone 4% in the Treatment of Melasma”, D. J. Tobin (https://www.hindawi.com/journals/drp/2011/379173/)

3.) “The effect of 2% niacinamide on facial sebum production”, Zoe Diana Draelos 1, Akira Matsubara, Kenneth Smiles
(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16766489/)

4.) http://hautpflegewissen.de/wirkstoffe/niacinamid-vitamin-b3/