Science Debunks Rumors!
Niacinamide and Vc Can't Be Used Together?
Summer is coming, isn’t it that many friends are starting to look for ways to whiten, and there must be many bloggers who are telling you about various whitening products, are they still saying: “Dear babies, when choosing products You should pay more attention to the ingredients, many products cannot be used together, such as niacinamide and vc, they are good whitening ingredients alone, but mixed together will irritate the skin and cause allergies or even rotten face.”
This kind of statement can be seen everywhere on the Internet, but in fact this statement is wrong. Niacinamide and VC can be used together, and the combination of the two has an excellent whitening effect. But what we need to pay attention to is that the time interval between the two should be half an hour, because using them together will affect the activity of vc. Niacinamide can prevent the precipitation of melanin into keratinocytes, accelerate metabolism, the molecule of nicotinamide is very small and can be well absorbed by epidermal cells, accelerate the synthesis of collagen, inhibit the precipitation of melanin, and achieve whitening effect.
Vitamin C is an antioxidant that can inhibit melanin synthesis, prevent fat oxidation, and prevent lipofuscin deposition.
Many people say that they cannot be used together because both are irritating, and they think that niacinamide will produce niacin in an acidic environment, and niacin is very irritating to the skin, but in fact, niacinamide itself is a very safe ingredient. Niacin is only produced at a very high temperature, and it is difficult to convert it into niacin. So when we usually use the two, we only need to have an interval of more than half an hour. However, high-concentration niacinamide cannot be used with other acids, such as salicylic acid, fruit acid, etc., because some people’s skin is not tolerant, and high-concentration niacinamide may cause skin allergies and redness.
Therefore, in daily whitening, we choose the concentration of niacinamide and vc that suits us. Especially those who are new to this ingredient must start using it at a low concentration, slowly build up tolerance for the skin, and increase it little by little. In addition, no matter what product we use, as long as it is applied to the face, we need to try it behind the ear when we first use it to see if it is allergic.
In fact, the most important thing for whitening is to pay more attention to sun protection and stay up late, because the human body will secrete a hormone called melatonin, which can inhibit the body’s melanin production. Darkening of the skin occurs. Finally, eat a healthy diet and eat more vegetables that contain vitamin C.
We can pursue whitening, but we can’t over-pursuit of whitening. Excessive whitening may lead to the inability to produce melanin and cause skin cancer, white spots and so on. The skin is darkened due to the increase of melanin due to ultraviolet rays, inflammatory stimulation, endocrine disorders and other reasons. But the melanin produced by the skin has a protective effect on the skin.
Niacinamide--The King of Skin Care
One of the principles of skin moisturizing is to enhance its own barrier function, thereby reducing the loss of epidermal water. Niacinamide has small molecules and can be directly absorbed by cells to regulate skin metabolism, thereby improving the skin’s barrier function and reducing the skin’s transepidermal water loss (TEWL), thereby increasing the skin’s water content and moisturizing effect .
As the skin care effect that most Asian women pursue, it has always been a hot topic in the cosmetics industry. The coloring substances in human skin are melanin, hemoglobin and carotenoids. The content and distribution of melanin determine the color of the skin. Only when the melanin is delivered to the keratinocytes, the skin will look black. In the experiment with Japanese women as the research object, niacinamide emulsion with a concentration of 5% and sunscreen products containing 2% niacinamide were used respectively. After comparison with the blank experiment and computer data analysis, the results showed that niacinamide has inhibitory effect on The function of melanin transfer from melanocytes to keratinocytes. At the same time, niacinamide can accelerate the shedding of melanin-containing cells in the epidermis due to the promotion of skin metabolism. Although nicotinamide cannot fundamentally control the production of melanin, it can intervene in its transport channel to make it difficult to reach the epidermis, and at the same time accelerate the shedding of already formed melanin, thereby reducing excessive pigmentation.
Exuberant sebum secretion has always been considered the main cause of clogged pores and acne. Effective control of sebum secretion can prevent pore clogging. An experiment with Japanese and Caucasian subjects showed that topical application of niacinamide at a concentration of 2% could effectively reduce the level of sebum secretion and reduce the risk of clogged pores. In addition, niacinamide also has anti-inflammatory effects and has been used in anti-acne skin care products worldwide.
It has been found in long-term clinical studies that topical niacinamide can alleviate skin aging. In a study of Caucasian women with photoaging features, the subjects used a 5% concentration of niacinamide applied to the face. The experimental results show that the skin condition of the subjects has been significantly improved after using niacinamide, including the reduction of fine lines, the reduction of pigmentation and spots, the relief of yellowing of the skin, and the further improvement of skin elasticity. These improvements may be due to the small molecule niacinamide being absorbed by the skin, which accelerates the synthesis of epidermal proteins. Therefore, it is not unreasonable that niacinamide is used as an anti-aging ingredient in skin care products.
It has been found in long-term clinical studies that topical niacinamide can alleviate skin aging. In a study of Caucasian women with photoaging features, the subjects used a 5% concentration of niacinamide applied to the face. The experimental results show that the skin condition of the subjects has been significantly improved after using niacinamide, including the reduction of fine lines, the reduction of pigmentation and spots, the relief of yellowing of the skin, and the further improvement of skin elasticity. These improvements may be due to the small molecule niacinamide being absorbed by the skin, which accelerates the synthesis of epidermal proteins. Therefore, it is not unreasonable that niacinamide is used as an anti-aging ingredient in skin care products.
Be Alert for Adverse Reactions Such as Nicotinamide Allergy
Although most studies have shown that the use of cosmetics containing niacinamide is safe, some consumers have experienced skin redness, allergies, and itching after use. In a comparative trial of niacinamide gel and clindamycin gel, some subjects who used niacinamide experienced mild adverse reactions such as itching and burning. In order to avoid this from happening, consumers are advised to try it on the inside of the arm or behind the ears before using cosmetics containing niacinamide, and then use it on the face if there is no redness or tingling.
The expert group of the American Cosmetic Raw Materials Review Committee determined based on a number of test results that the use of 3% concentration of nicotinamide in cosmetics has no significant irritation, sensitization and photosensitivity to the skin, and nicotinamide itself has no carcinogenic effect, which is generally considered acceptable. long-term use. The side effects of skin care products containing niacinamide mainly come from niacin, a by-product contained in niacinamide. Niacin is irritating to a certain extent. People with intolerance may experience mild burning or itching after using products containing niacinamide. People with sensitive skin should pay special attention to it.
The concentration of niacinamide in skin care products has an important impact on product safety. Cosmetics containing niacinamide are safe for long-term use, but the daily dosage should not exceed 3 grams. Studies have suggested that if the concentration of nicotinamide in cosmetics exceeds 4%, it may cause intolerance reactions in 20% of people. Therefore, people with sensitive skin and patients with dermatitis should use high-concentration niacinamide-containing products with caution.
In addition, some consumers who have used cosmetics containing niacinamide for a long time said that they have experienced side effects of body hair growth. However, there are many controversies about this phenomenon. Some people believe that the hair becomes more obvious after the skin turns white. Meanwhile, studies have shown that topical application of niacinamide inhibits hair growth. This claim is still controversial as there is currently not sufficient scientific evidence that niacinamide can promote hair growth.
Skin care products containing niacinamide can be used for a long time, but the user’s personal skin condition determines their tolerance to niacinamide. It is recommended that when choosing niacinamide products, use a step-by-step method from low concentration to high concentration to gradually improve the skin’s tolerance to niacinamide-containing cosmetics.
Can You Whiten Your Skin By "Eating" Niacinamide?
The ingredient list of a certain beverage indicates that the content of niacinamide per 100 ml of the product is 0.80 mg; the ingredient list of a certain biscuit shows that the content of niacinamide per biscuit is 1.06 mg.
Could eating these niacinamide-containing snacks do anything to improve your skin?
It can only be said that as far as nicotinamide is concerned, it can be said that there is no harm and no effect.
It is pointed out that these amounts are safe, just like vitamin C is added to some beverages, but healthy people do not need additional special additions when they consume a balanced daily intake of nutrients.
In addition, “the current research is based on the topical nicotinamide preparations, and no research is based on oral nicotinamide tablets or oral nicotinamide to achieve whitening, skin repair or oil suppression, acne treatment, etc. effect.”
Cheng Yu, deputy chief physician of the Dermatology Department of Youxi Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, also pointed out that vitamin B3 is found in all kinds of cereals, beans, vegetables, and milk. It is also difficult to define the amount of niacinamide added to snacks and drinks, and how much it needs to be eaten to be good for the skin.”
In addition, from the perspective of the mechanism of oral administration of nicotinamide, it is actually similar to the so-called oral administration of collagen. After eating it, we can’t control whether these ingredients go to the skin and act on the skin. Said: “Its concentration is definitely not up to the effective concentration of topical preparations.”
In this case, if I want to achieve a more obvious effect, can I just eat more? Now there are niacinamide tablets on the market, can eating these improve skin quality?
Answer: no
Pay Attention to the Combination of Niacinamide Ingredients
One of the widely publicized benefits of niacinamide is its whitening power. However, unlike other whitening ingredients, the mode of action of nicotinamide does not directly affect the production of melanin, but intercepts the transportation of melanin from the middle.
After the melanin in the deep layer of the skin is produced, it will be transported to the surface layer of the skin, where it will be deposited in the stratum corneum and cause changes in skin color. Niacinamide will directly cut off the transport pathway of melanin, preventing them from accumulating on the surface, and the skin will no longer turn black.
The advantage of this mode of action is that it is relatively less irritating to the skin, but the disadvantage is that the effects of the ingredients are limited, and at the same time the time for skin whitening changes is relatively long.
Therefore, people who want to use niacinamide skin care products to achieve whitening and brightening skin care effects should pay attention when choosing products. The formula is compounded with ingredients that can reduce the production of melanin from the root, and the skin whitening effect will be more obvious.