When it comes to skincare superstars, that's Vitamin B3.
Whether you have blemishes, acne scars, uneven skin tone, redness, pigmentation issues or premature lines and wrinkles (or a combination of skin concerns), Vitamin B3 is one of the only skincare products that can be used on virtually all skin types and is quite frankly, a bit of a miracle worker.
What is Vitamin B3?
An active ingredient also known as niacinamide, nicotinamide and niacin, this water-soluble vitamin offers multiple benefits when it comes to skin health.
Vitamin B3 plays an important role in your overall body function and wellbeing in helping to convert the nutrients in your body into energy. This is useful for many aspects of your health, including aiding digestion, lowering cholesterol, and boosting brain function.
When it comes to your skin, the benefits are no less impressive when applied topically. Revealed in clinical studies, Vitamin B3 can help reduce the appearance of fine lines, dark spots, pigmentation and helps with uneven skin tone, skin cell renewal and stimulates production of skin barrier proteins.
But what exactly does it do?
Here, we discuss how it works and why it's become known as the hero of skincare.
How Does Vitamin B3 Benefit Your Skin?
1. Locks in Moisture
Vitamin B3 is particularly beneficial for reducing the dullness that comes with dry skin and creating a brightening effect. Used daily, Vitamin B3 helps prevent moisture loss and has a stabilising effect on skin barrier function.
These increased hydration levels make for healthy, glowing, firmer skin and help enlarged pores become naturally reduced over time.
2. Reduces Hyperpigmentation
Worried about dark spots and patches?
A daily application of Vitamin B3 serum can help by slowing the transportation of melanin (natural pigment) to the skin’s surface, resulting in a clearer complexion. Research has shown that Vitamin B3 can lighten the appearance of dark spots in as little as four weeks.
Just remember that sunscreen is essential and should be applied every morning to the face and neck, even when it’s raining outside, to prevent further damage.
3. Minimises Lines and Evens Skin Texture
Evidence suggests that topical Vitamin B3 can increase production of ceramides. And that’s a mighty good thing. Ceramides are lipids (fats) in the uppermost layers of the skin that maintain the skin barrier, working like mortar between bricks, if bricks are skin cells.
A stronger skin barrier means skin is less prone to water loss, so is better hydrated, firmer to touch, plumped, healthy and glowing, with fewer lines and wrinkles.
4. Fights Inflammation and Uneven Skin Tone
Vitamin B3’s legendary anti-inflammatory properties make it a go-to for sensitive skin and conditions where redness and inflammation are a concern, such as rosacea, eczema and acne.
In fact, several studies have documented niacin’s positive effect on regulating oil production, which goes hand in hand with acne, blemishes and breakouts.
Vitamin B3 is also a non-irritating option for those with dry or sensitive skin. It is known for its healing qualities, is antibacterial and often referred to as a skin antibiotic.
5. Protects Skin From Harmful Rays
While sunscreen remains the gold standard defence against UVA & UVB rays, Vitamin B3 not only aids in shielding skin from the sun’s infrared rays, but helps repair skin from the effects of UVA and UVB rays.
But what you might not realise is Vitamin B3 can also help protect skin from blue light - also known as high energy visible light (HEV), blue light comes from both the sun and the screens of electronic devices - think computers, phones, tablets, etc.
Too much blue light exposure can cause pigmentation in skin and skin cells to shrink, or even die, all of which can lead to premature ageing.
Vitamin B3 For All Skin Types
Unlike many other key ingredients in skincare, Vitamin B3 is suitable for almost everyone. It is effective but gentle, and is especially great for sensitive skin.
On top of that, it can be easily incorporated into almost any skincare routine and used alongside other active ingredients, including Vitamin A (Retinol), Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Acid to address skin concerns.
And as a bonus, it may help decrease the possible irritation caused by the other active ingredients in your skincare routine.
Vitamin B3 Serum is one of the only skincare products that can be used on virtually all skin types, so the Mx Skincare Cosmeceutical Serum B3 + is quite frankly, a bit of a miracle worker.