If niacinamide isn’t on your skincare ingredient watchlist, it needs to be—STAT. Dermatologists, estheticians and influencers of all skin types and tones praise its incredible (and multiple) benefits. If you’ve been asking, “What is niacinamide used for in skincare?” we’re here to help.

What is niacinamide?
Also known as vitamin B3, niacinamide is an essential nutrient skin needs to function and look healthy. Niacinamide is not niacin, despite the similarity in names.

What is niacinamide used for in skincare?
The question is: what isn’t niacinamide used for in skincare! You’ll find it in products for all skin concerns and all skin types.

Niacinamide has been shown to help visibly improve the look of pores—an amazing benefit for those with oily-prone skin. In addition to refining skin texture, niacinamide enhances surface cell turnover to improve the look of uneven skin tone while reducing the look of dark spots—three prominent skin concerns experienced by various kin types and tones.

Niacinamide also targets key signs of aging, like fine lines and wrinkles, making it an all-star ingredient in rejuvenating skincare formulas. If you’re looking for a way to target visible age spots, niacinamide proves to be an efficacious alternative. When used at a specific percentage over 8 weeks, niacinamide was shown to help reduce the look of age spots.

What can I use with niacinamide?
Niacinamide plays really well with other ingredients. When served as a cocktail with vitamins like B5, B6, B9 and E, it alleviates dryness, helps reduce appearance of wrinkles and soothes skin. Niacinamide also complements vitamin C’s brightening powers to help enhance radiance over time.

Niacinamide has promising prospects when it comes to fighting the visible effects of stress on skin. And, when paired with caffeine, it helps relieve the look of expression lines, dullness, and loss of vibrancy.

Now that you can answer the question, “What is niacinamide used for in skincare?”, it’s time to start shopping some of our favorite Murad products featuring this clinically proven powerhouse.