How does niacinamide compare to other actives?Updated a year ago
Designing a full skincare routine when so many ingredients seem like “must-haves” can be confusing. Can you use niacinamide with vitamin C or retinol? Which is better?
To quickly summarize: Niacinamide is mild enough that some would argue it’s not an active ingredient at all. It can do a lot of different things, but slowly and gently. If you want speedier results, combine niacinamide with more powerful actives, and it’ll support their action!
Niacinamide vs retinol
Retinol is the more extreme anti-aging and smoothing choice between the two. It renews the skin and promotes overall cell regeneration within a very short time period, while niacinamide is milder and more slow-acting.
That said, using them together is very easy! Both molecules function best in water-based serums, and they’re both happy at around a 6 pH level.
That means you can use products that contain both! Studies show that the combination of retinol and niacinamide is effective at reducing all markers of skin aging, including fine lines and age spots.
Niacinamide vs vitamin C
There is no head-to-head research comparing vitamin C and niacinamide, but the general consensus is that vitamin C is the more potent of the two ingredients - assuming it's the pure form of vitamin C, ascorbic acid.
The two vitamins work differently in the skin, but they have overlapping benefits. Both will brighten, protect and soothe the skin. Between the two, vitamin C is more protective and brightening, while niacinamide is the better soothing agent.
More importantly, the two ingredients probably work better when they're in the same routine. Strong antioxidants tend to support each other (that's why using both vitamin C and E in a formula is standard), and one study showed that the combination of ascorbic acid and niacinamide might be particularly useful for hyperpigmentation.
Once upon a time, there were some issues combining niacinamide with vitamin C, because of a chemical reaction that would lead to facial flushing. Nowadays, modern formulations are a lot more stable, so incidences of flushing are pretty much unheard of. That said, if you do experience flushing when you layer both together, you may want to reserve niacinamide usage for the night and vitamin C for the morning.
Niacinamide vs hyaluronic acid
Niacinamide boosts long-term hydration and barrier strength, while hyaluronic acid is more of an immediate hydrating agent. Day-to-day when your skin needs moisture, HA is ideal, but for long-term benefits, you’ll want niacinamide.
Niacinamide is a no-brainer
When an ingredient can do so much with pretty much no side effects, we can’t think of a good reason not to use it! It won’t work for everyone (nothing in skincare will), and high percentages of it can be irritating.
But in 2%-5% concentrations, it’s a gentle dream of a molecule that addresses every concern and supports the other elements of your skincare routine.