Niacinamide: why did vitamin B3 become the star of modern skincare?

You have probably seen the name

Niacinamide turns up today on serums, creams, toners and many other products.

Behind the complicated name is a form of vitamin B3.

Its popularity is no accident: it is a versatile cosmetic ingredient that can be worked into many different kinds of formulation.

What does niacinamide do in skincare?

In cosmetics it is used above all as an ingredient that supports the skin barrier and improves the look of the skin.

A well-functioning skin barrier matters, because it is where our skin meets the world outside.

So you will find niacinamide in products for younger and for more mature skin alike.

Does a higher percentage always mean a better product?

No.

With cosmetics it is very easy to compare two packages and pick the one with the bigger number.

But formulation is considerably more complex than that.

Concentration matters, yet so does which other ingredients the active is combined with, what the whole formulation looks like, and how pleasant it is to use regularly.

Good cosmetics are not a competition in percentages.

Why did we include it in OSLEA?

The OSLEA formulation contains 3 % niacinamide.

We did not want to use it as the formulation’s lone hero. Its job is to complement donkey milk and the other ingredients.

Alongside it the formulation therefore holds panthenol, hyaluronic acid, glycerin, squalane and shea butter, among others.

The result is a formulation in which different ingredients do different jobs, yet are designed as one whole.

One ingredient is not a whole routine

When choosing cosmetics it is tempting to look for one miracle ingredient.

But skin is complex.

It makes far more sense to think about the balance between moisture, lipid care, support for the skin barrier and a pleasant texture.

And that is exactly where niacinamide shows its real worth, as part of a considered formulation.