It's said that a spotless face is like air beneath your wings. But if you have oily skin, you are probably weighed down by acne marks, breakouts, and excess oil production.
Skin produces natural oils that help in nourishment and hydration.
But as your skin starts producing excess oil, (something that people with oily skin deal with), it attracts dirt, leading to breakouts, hyperpigmentation, and skin damage.
As a result, although glowing, your skin is rarely spotless and mostly irritated.
Due to its seemingly counterintuitive properties, niacinamide for oily skin is a beloved choice of dermatologists.
This active ingredient regulates oil production while hydrating your skin- an absolute edge when treating oily skin problems.
In this blog, know everything about using niacinamide for oily skin! We have broken down everything from its benefits to its combinations for you!
Is niacinamide good for oily skin?
A hero in many skincare regimens, this water-soluble form of vitamin B3 penetrates deep into the skin, targeting every issue from layers within. Being anti-inflammatory, it is extremely soothing to the skin and helps strengthen the skin barrier by boosting ceramide production.
Trust us, when we say niacinamide benefits your skin in multiple ways:
-
As a master oil regulator, it restores balance in your skin's oil production. So now, there is only limited oil for that dewy goddess glow!
-
As a hydrating ingredient to your skin, it does not compromise on the moisture level. Skin dryness? Not a chance!
-
As a collagen-boosting agent, it fights all signs of aging and hyperpigmentation. Goodbye, fine lines and stress signs!
-
As a UV filter, it gives you all-round protection from the sun. Now you're ever screened from the sun!
-
As an antibacterial ingredient, it reduces the frequency of breakouts on your skin. Till one day they're out of sight and out of your mind!
Niacinamide for oily skin- the maintenance routine
Active ingredients are ideal for both everyday skincare routines and targeted treatments. If you have oily skin, you can benefit from this simple routine below that will keep your skin on the flick.
Morning/ Nighttime Skincare:
- Step 1: Waking up and going to bed with a layer of oil on your face is common for anybody with oily skin. Start by washing your face with a gentle cleanser. Plum's 2% Niacinamide & Rice Water Simply Bright Face Wash cleanses your face, removing dirt, excess oil, and dead skin cells. The formula penetrates deep into the skin and unclogs your pores, giving it a deep clean from layers within.
- Step 2: Often underrated, the toner is quite an essential product in your routine. Spritzing a generous amount of toner on your face and neck after cleansing brings your skin back to its normal pH level. It also improves your skin's acceptability to the active ingredients next in line. Toners with a regulated dosage of niacinamide in them, like Plum's 3% Niacinamide Face Toner with Rice Water preps the skin's barrier while the rice water leaves a detox glow! AM or PM, toner's a close friend!
- Step 3: Unless you're dealing with more specific concerns like redness, visible pores, or inflammation, oily skin primarily requires oil control to maintain its health. Since serums are the most concentrated form of topical use, a few drops of Plum’s niacinamide serum curbs excess oil on your face. In the morning, the niacinamide serum strengthens the skin’s barrier, preparing it for the day ahead, while at night, it supports the skin’s natural repair process as you rest. Being a hydrating agent, it also ensures that the skin never dries out. Finally, its skin brightening and anti-inflammatory properties reduce acne spots and irritation effectively.
- Step 4: After using a serum with an active ingredient, it is best to lock in its potency with a nourishing and hydrating moisturizer. Sometimes, when adding a new ingredient, your skin might not react as positively in the early days. Sticking to a regulated use and then layering it with a good moisturizer is the way to avoid purging! Plum's Oat & 1% Ceramide Barrier Love Face Cream is a unique formulation that doubles up as a night cream, boosting ceramide production that enhances barrier and moisture retention of your skin.
- Step 5: There's no substitute for sunscreen and more is less! Wear broad-spectrum sunscreen with 35 SPF or more, even when you are indoors. Choosing active ingredients with UV filter properties only enhances your sun protection. Plum's 2% Niacinamide & Rice Water SPF 50 PA+++ Hybrid Sunscreen is a handy sun protection that leaves the skin with a flush of hydration and not white cast!
Niacinamide for oily skin- the treatment routine
Oily skin may exhibit aggravated symptoms like skin redness, regular breakouts, inflammation, itchiness, and more. The reasons could range from uninformed skincare to a poor lifestyle. In such aggravated cases, a combination of active ingredients can help you better.
Niacinamide and salicylic acid
Niacinamide and salicylic acid, as a pair, have proven to be extremely effective in treating most oily skin issues. Being an active exfoliator, salicylic acid unclogs the pores, cleansing your skin of its impurities while its oil regulatory properties support niacinamide to balance excess oil secretion.
This cycle of oil regulation and active exfoliation prevents frequent breakouts. Meanwhile, niacinamide's anti-inflammatory properties ensure that your skin doesn't adversely react to a targeted treatment.
Beyond the basics, niacinamide also reduces sun damage, hyperpigmentation, signs of aging, and acne spots on your skin.
How to use niacinamide and salicylic acid together?
-
When combining niacinamide and salicylic acid, introduce the niacinamide to your routine first in the form of a serum or a moisturizer. Begin with a patch test on the inner side of your elbow or wrist. If there is no irritation, you can slowly introduce the salicylic acid. Begin with alternate days of use and if your skin signals green, you could start using it every day.
-
In the early days, do not exceed 5% concentration of niacinamide and 1% for salicylic acid. Plum's 2% Niacinamide & Rice Water Gel Cream uses a buffered formula in a gel base that ensures deeper absorption and is gentle even on the most sensitive skin.
-
Since, serum is ideal to target specific issues, use the salicylic acid in the form of a serum and incorporate niacinamide in the remaining steps of your routine. An aggravated skin needs cleansing first, followed by oil control. By targeting the excess oil production and breakouts first, you soothe your skin so that it can start accepting treatments without reacting adversely. Once that is achieved, the combination of salicylic acid and niacinamide works on issues like inflammation, redness, signs of aging, skin dryness, hyper-pigmentation, and acne spots to give you a healthy glow.
-
Depending on your skin’s tolerance level, you can try both the actives in serums, layering the niacinamide first. Plum’s 2% Encapsulated Salicylic Acid Face Serum actively fights acne and smoothes out your skin. Make sure you give a gap of a few minutes between layering the two serums for better absorption and activation.
-
Layer it up with a hydrating moisturizer to lock in the actives' potency. You can opt for Plum’s Oat & 1% Ceramide Barrier Love Face Cream, which boosts ceramide production while locking in all the benefits of your skincare routine.
-
Since salicylic acid can sometimes increase your skin’s sensitivity to the sun, finish your morning skincare routine with a broad-spectrum sunscreen, 35 SPF and above, even when indoors. At night, after the salicylic acid serum, finish the routine with Plum’s Oat & 1% Ceramide Barrier Love Face Cream as your night cream. You can also restrict the use of salicylic acid in your nighttime regimen to avoid sun exposure.
Keeping up with oily skin can be challenging. However, with the right routine and products, it can be well managed.
With niacinamide, the oil is no longer a foe! With a little bit of science into a minimalistic but effective skincare routine, clear flawless skin is everything but a dream!
FAQs
Can we use niacinamide for oily skin?
Yes, niacinamide is one of the best additions to your oily skin care routine owing to its oil-regulatory, anti-inflammatory and hydrating properties.
Which is better for oily skin niacinamide or salicylic acid?
Niacinamide and salicylic acid give the best results for oily skin when used in combination. The active exfoliation properties of salicylic acid clean your skin and unclog the pores while helping niacinamide further to regulate the oil on your face. In combination, they only increase each other’s efficiency.
Is niacinamide better for oily or dry skin?
Niacinamide is a great caretaker for both oily and dry skin.
How much percentage of niacinamide is good for oily skin?
If you are newly adding niacinamide to your routine, begin with up to lower concentration, followed by a higher concentration, once your skin is tolerant enough.
