From brightening post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation to controlling excess oil production, niacinamide wears many hats to tackle common skin goals for all skin tones and types.
Niacinamide is one of those ingredients you probably hear skinfluencers and estheticians rave about on social media, but you may not know enough about. From brightening post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation to controlling excess oil production, niacinamide wears many hats to tackle common skin goals for all skin tones and types. This is *exactly* why it is one of the hero ingredients in Youth To The People’s new Retinal + Niacinamide Youth Serum.
Niacinamide may be revered for its brightening properties, but it’s also equally amazing at strengthening the skin’s moisture barrier. For the inside scoop on how niacinamide strengthens the moisture barrier, we spoke to one of YTTP’s estie besties, Brittany Thomas, aka SkinBae, about niacinamide’s role in keeping things glowing.
First things first: what is the skin’s moisture barrier?
“Your epidermis is the top layer of your skin, but the moisture barrier is at the very top part of your skin—it’s the outer layer,” says Thomas. “That’s where you retain your moisture, and it helps in protecting and refracting any type of climatic indifferences, pollution, and UVA/UVB rays.” Thomas compares the skin’s moisture barrier to pouring a cold drink and using a cozy to keep the drink cool—the moisture barrier is that cozy for our skin and body; it holds all the moisture in our skin and protects us from outside elements for optimal skin health.
How can you identify a damaged moisture barrier?
According to Thomas, one of the first things you’ll notice when your skin barrier is damaged is an abrupt change in the skin’s texture. Damaged skin typically feels rougher than healthy skin, and can also experience dullness and irritation.. “For some people, it changes colors,” Thomas says. Though some people may experience redness, some skin tones may experience other colors: “When I get stressed or lack hydration, my skin can actually get gray,” she says. Those with a damaged moisture barrier may also notice that go-to products don’t penetrate the skin as well as usual.
What causes the damage in the first place?
In some cases, the moisture barrier is weakened due to factors like over exfoliation and lack of moisture or hydration.
Now the best part! How does niacinamide strengthen the moisture barrier?
“Niacinamide is an ingredient that can be layered on top of your epidermis in order to improve, enhance, and support the integrity of your skin’s moisture barrier by providing it with the hydration that it needs,” Thomas says. Niacinamide, or vitamin B3, which is known for its hydrating properties and for promoting optimal skin and body health. Niacinamide can also help to prevent congestion in the skin.
If you’ve never used niacinamide before, Youth To The People’s Retinal + Niacinamide Youth Serum is a perfect product to introduce your skin to the hero ingredient. Paired with retinaldehyde, niacinamide promotes a healthy moisture barrier by soothing the skin, minimizes the appearance of pores, and brightens the appearance of uneven skin tones.
If you’re feeling unsure about your skin type, or wondering what other products work best with your skin and can easily be paired with niacinamide, book a skin session to get personalized recommendations from expert Youth To The People skin specialists.
Written by Jasely Molina for Youth To The People