All About Hyaluronic Acid and Niacinamide

What Is Niacinamide?

Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3. It is safe to use for all skin types. This vitamin is an excellent option for improving the skin’s surface structure, smoothing out wrinkles, and inhibiting photocarcinogenesis in aging skin. Niacinamide can also provide you with an even skin tone and texture for a flawless complexion. Compared to hyaluronic acid, niacinamide offers very extensive benefits. This water-soluble vitamin can do magic as an active ingredient in your skincare routine. It helps to visibly minimize enlarged pores, tighten skin and reduce fine lines and wrinkles. It improves uneven skin tone, diminishes dullness, and strengthens your skin surface. This vitamin can also reduce the impact of environmental damage through its ability to improve the skin's barrier. It also helps repair the signs of past damages. Here are the key benefits of incorporating niacinamide into your skincare routine:

• Helps to reduce the skin’s pore size.
• Provides an even tone and texture and also brightens your skin.
• Reduces inflammation and redness.
• Reduces excess sebum production and prevents acne formation <4>.
• Restores natural lipids.

What Is Hyaluronic Acid?

While not a jack-of-all-trades like niacinamide, hyaluronic acid is the ultimate hydrating sugar-like agent for your skin. This is a polysaccharide naturally found in the skin, eyes, joints, and connective tissues. A clear sticky gel-like substance, it has impressive moisturizing properties. Hyaluronic acid naturally forms in your body and helps the skin to retain moisture, making your skin smoother and plumper. The production of hyaluronic acid in your skin naturally declines with age. You then need to apply it topically to reduce aging signs like wrinkles and fine lines. It is easy to use hyaluronic acid at home as a topical gel, serum, or mask. This substance is safe to use on all skin types, including sensitive skin. Hyaluronic acid is much more efficient in keeping your skin hydrated than niacinamide. It can retain up to one thousand times its molecular weight in water. Being such an efficient humectant (a component that helps the skin retain moisture), hyaluronic acid draws moisture from the dermis to the epidermis and keeps it there. As a result, one can have a more hydrated and youthful complexion. The key benefits of hyaluronic acid are:

• Eliminates dryness and dullness
• Helps to maintain a plump, youthful glow
• Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
• Prevents free radicals that can cause premature aging and irritation

Hyaluronic Acid Vs. Niacinamide – Which Is Better?

Both hyaluronic acid and niacinamide are beneficial skincare substances. Both are great for anti-aging treatments and moisturizing benefits. Hyaluronic acid and niacinamide are suitable for all skin types, support a healthy skin barrier, and help hydrate skin. Besides similarities, there are considerable differences between the two. Chemically, hyaluronic acid is a sugar compound that is naturally produced in the human body. On the other hand, niacinamide is a B vitamin that enters the human body through foods like meat, fish, mushroom, etc. There are differences in their functionality as well.

How to Do Hyaluronic Acid & Niacinamide Work Together?

While both niacinamide and hyaluronic acid are efficient ingredients for hydrated and young-looking skin on their own, they can also work wonders together. A well-measured combination of these two ingredients can promote healthy, moisturized, and young-looking skin. Niacinamide can influence the synthesis of ceramides, fatty acids, and cholesterol in the outermost layer of the epidermis. It also helps to decrease transepidermal water loss and stops dehydrating your skin. Hyaluronic acid in your skincare solution helps the skin to absorb moisture from inner layers and keep the upper skin layer hydrated. This combination can provide a powerful moisturizing and anti-aging duo along with even skin tone.