NiacinamideNicotinamide · Vitamin B3

Niacinamide (also called nicotinamide) is a form of vitamin B3. Applied topically it is one of the more studied skincare actives; taken orally it is a nutrient, and the two uses have quite separate evidence.

It matters because topical niacinamide has clinical-trial support for improving hyperpigmented spots, blotchiness and the look of ageing skin, and for supporting barrier function — modest, real effects in a category full of unsupported claims. Oral nicotinamide has been trialled for skin-cancer chemoprevention, but chiefly in people at high risk under medical supervision, and those findings do not automatically extend to the general population.

In practice, niacinamide is a well-tolerated, sensible addition to a routine, but it sits below the two highest-evidence steps: daily broad-spectrum sunscreen and, for established photo-ageing, retinoids.

Sources

• Mechanistic Basis and Clinical Evidence for the Applications of Nicotinamide (Niacinamide) to Control Skin Aging and Pigmentation (review); PMID 34439563
• Chen AC, et al. A Phase 3 Randomized Trial of Nicotinamide for Skin-Cancer Chemoprevention (ONTRAC). N Engl J Med 2015; PMID 26488693