Niacinamide: the quiet overachiever

Niacinamide rarely headlines a product, yet it appears in a striking share of the moisturizers, serums and sunscreens on the awarded shelf. Its evidence base is one of the more solid in cosmetic dermatology.

The study

In a 12-week controlled study, women applied 5% topical niacinamide to one side of the face and placebo to the other. The treated side showed measured improvements in fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmented spots, elasticity, and skin yellowing. Split-face designs like this are well suited to skincare because each person is her own control.

Bissett DL, Oblong JE, Berge CA. Niacinamide: A B vitamin that improves aging facial skin appearance. Dermatologic Surgery, 2005. PubMed 16029679

The honest caveats

Effects are real but modest — measured improvements, not transformations — and concentration matters: the trial evidence sits around 5%, while products range from a fraction of that to double digits, where irritation can outpace benefit.

In the record

The awarded products that name niacinamide — from drugstore staples to prestige serums, one of the few ingredients that spans the entire price range of the record.