What is it?
Niacinamide, also called nicotinamide, is one of the two main forms of vitamin B3; the other is niacin (nicotinic acid). Niacinamide occurs naturally in foods, is added to some foods and is sold as a dietary supplement. In cosmetics it is used in skin moisturizers, cleansers, shampoos and hair tonics, where it works as a skin and hair conditioning agent.
Key information
- Niacinamide (nicotinamide) is a form of vitamin B3 that, unlike niacin, does not cause skin flushing.
- The CIR Expert Panel concluded in 2005 that niacinamide is safe as used in cosmetics.
- In clinical tests it caused no irritation at up to 5 percent and was not a skin allergen.
- It is also used as a food additive and a dietary supplement.
More information
Niacinamide and niacin are both vitamin B3, but they act differently. Niacin taken as a supplement in amounts beyond nutritional needs can cause skin flushing, and very high doses are used as a cholesterol medicine. According to the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, niacinamide does not cause flushing because of its slightly different chemical structure, and it does not have niacin’s effect on blood cholesterol. Concerns about niacin therefore don’t automatically carry over to niacinamide.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel assessed niacinamide and niacin together in 2005 and concluded that both are safe as used in cosmetics, where niacinamide was then used at up to 3 percent. In clinical testing, niacinamide caused no stinging at concentrations up to 10 percent and no irritation in use tests at up to 5 percent, and it was neither a skin sensitizer nor a photosensitizer. The panel found no significant toxicity at levels considerably higher than people get from cosmetics, and it judged animal studies in which very high doses of niacinamide altered the effects of known carcinogens not relevant to cosmetic use. A 2014 dermatology review likewise described niacinamide as well tolerated and often used in cosmetics.
Reality check: niacinamide is not the same as niacin, and it does not cause niacin flush. Very high oral doses of niacinamide, around 3,000 mg a day, can cause nausea, vomiting and signs of liver toxicity, but that concern applies to high-dose supplements, not to cosmetics. On labels, look for “niacinamide” or “nicotinamide.”
Sources: Cosmetic Ingredient Review (International Journal of Toxicology, 2005): Final report of the safety assessment of niacinamide and niacin; NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Niacin fact sheet for health professionals; Skin Pharmacology and Physiology (2014): Niacinamide, mechanisms of action and its topical use in dermatology
