What are the side effects of niacinamide on skin?

What are the side effects of niacinamide?

Possible symptoms include itching, redness and a mild burning sensation. Irritation and allergy are different reactions: skincare products can cause contact irritation, while contact allergic dermatitis is an allergic skin reaction. Irritant reactions are more common than allergic reactions in skincare generally.14

Is niacinamide itself causing the reaction?

Symptoms alone do not identify which ingredient caused a reaction. Preservatives, fragrances and other ingredients in barrier creams can cause allergic contact dermatitis, even though these creams are usually well tolerated. The name on the front of a jar is not the whole formula, however much space it takes up.3

Breakouts after starting a niacinamide cream do not automatically mean niacinamide is responsible. Some occlusive barrier creams, which form a protective layer over the skin, can aggravate acne on the face. That is a possible effect of the cream rather than a reason to blame its headline ingredient.3

How can you introduce niacinamide carefully?

1. 1Start with a low concentration, especially if your skin is sensitive. Most skincare products contain 5% niacinamide or less, although concentrations vary.
2. 2Apply a small amount to your forearm and wait 24 hours to check for a reaction before using it more widely.
3. 3Start slowly after gentle cleansing. Niacinamide can generally be used once or twice daily in your regular routine.
4. 4For a separate niacinamide product, one layering option is to apply it after moisturizer. A serum can also be combined with moisturizer and applied together.
5. 5Avoid introducing several niacinamide products at once. Count your cleanser, moisturizer and sunscreen as well as any serum.

Niacinamide appears in products ranging from cleansers to serums, so a separate bottle is not the only way to use it. A serum is one format, not a compulsory department of the bathroom.5

What if your skin is already sensitive?

A damaged skin barrier loses more water and becomes more sensitive to irritants and allergens. Niacinamide supports barrier repair by stimulating production of the skin's lipids, or fats, and helps keep skin hydrated. Those benefits do not make every niacinamide cream suitable for damaged skin: most barrier creams should not go directly onto broken skin.3

What should you do if a product causes irritation?

As general skincare guidance, stop using a product that causes burning, itching or a rash rather than continuing through the reaction. Most skincare reactions are mild and settle on their own. If the dermatitis persists, see a clinician; treatment can involve bland emollients, which soften and moisturize skin, and topical steroid medicines. There is no fixed recovery time for a niacinamide reaction.4

Does niacinamide cause a niacin flush?

Niacinamide, also called nicotinamide, is different from nicotinic acid, another form of vitamin B3. Nicotinamide does not cause the characteristic flushing associated with nicotinic acid. Redness after a skincare product should therefore not be dismissed as an expected niacin flush.6

Niacin supplements used for high cholesterol can cause warmth, redness, itching or tingling of the face, neck, arms or upper chest. That is a different situation from applying niacinamide skincare. Talk to your healthcare provider before starting vitamin B3 supplements rather than treating a serum and a supplement as interchangeable.7