Anyone who is interested in skin care ingredients, in recent years, it is estimated that they have heard the name of niacinamide, which is not only the indispensable handle of the whitening industry (as shown in the figure below), but also firmly occupies the C position in the field of yellowing, anti-aging, antioxidant and other effects.
So what exactly is niacinamide? Are there really so many magical effects?
niacinamide
Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3, and there is another form called niacin.
In fact, the origin of niacinamide is relatively humble, the earliest used in animal feed, chicken and duck poultry feed must add nicotinamide, because they are mainly corn food, and the content of vitamin B3 in corn is very small, which will cause poultry feathers to be dull, or even not feathers.
Two properties of niacinamide
The reason why niacinamide can counterattack, from the feed additive gorgeous turn, occupy the C position on the skin care stage, and its two characteristics are inseparable: the first is stable in nature, not easy to change color and deteriorate, and the second is to participate in the energy metabolism process.
In 2002, researchers published a paper on the ability of niacinamide to inhibit melanin transfer, which became the starting point for the creation of gods. The whitening effect of niacinamide is a bit special, it is not to reduce the synthesis of melanin, but not to allow the synthetic melanin to transfer to the stratum corneum. Although niacinamide is not the most central and important in the whitening mechanism, it gives people a refreshing feeling.
Most of the previous whitening ingredients, whether it is ascorbic acid, kojic acid, or hydroquinone and light licorice, are unstable, either to see light decomposition, or to be easily oxidized by air. The niacinamide does not change color and does not deteriorate, and it is easy to match, not to pick the dosage form, so it is deeply loved by R & D personnel.
Whitening alone is not enough to make niacinamide the brightest cub on stage.
The reason why niacinamide can attract much attention is more important because it is involved in the energy metabolism process. It is converted in the body into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, which is then converted into reduced NADH in the citric acid cycle, which then enters the mitochondria, causing energy to be released in the form of ATP.
With energy, of course, there is everything, so the efficacy of niacinamide from nutrition to whitening, from yellowing to oil control, from anti-aging and wrinkle to barrier repair, and even involved in hair growth, genetic beauty... An originally ordinary vitamin was thus crowned and certified as an almost omnipotent "mythical" ingredient.
Put the role of niacinamide in perspective
In fact, back to the essence, niacinamide is a vitamin whose efficacy stems from maintaining and improving the function of cells through energy metabolism. In addition, it does have a whitening effect, and the chemical properties are stable, and it is not easy to deteriorate.
As for whether it has so many magical effects, we do not need to exaggerate the efficacy of niacinamide, and consumers should also correctly understand and use products containing niacinamide.