Generations come and go and many doctors and dermatologists have come up with treatments and products when it comes to answering the old age question, “what’s the best way of maintaining a beautiful smooth face and keeping it flawless?” Up to this day, many men and women continue to ask this question. However, there is a product that just may be the answer to this lifelong question we all have. The product is called Ironpower’s Acnessential Niacinamide Cream and it can work just as well as any expensive skin care brand that’s in the market today. What sets it apart is a unique ingredient that has been recently tested and proven to have a bounty of benefits for the skin – Vitamin B3.
What exactly is Vitamin B3 and why is it so special?
Vitamin B3, also referred to as Niacin, Niacinamide, Nicotinamide, or Nicotinic acid, is one of the nutrients that the body needs to function efficiently. Vitamin B3 is important because it helps prevent heart disease and helps with the management of cholesterol as well. It can also reduce the risk of diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, cataracts, and osteoarthritis. Our body receives the Niacin it requires from various green leafy vegetables, eggs and different kinds of meat as well. Apart from this, many studies have also shown that when using Vitamin B3 as a topical face cream or serum, it can yield a variety of positive benefits for the skin. It can moisturize, heal and promote the skin’s overall health. This is why the main active ingredient in Ironpower’s Acnessential is Niacinamide (a very effective form of Vitamin B3 that can be used for treatments or skin care products).
The many advantages and benefits of using Vitamin B3 creams for your face
Now let’s talk about what are the different uses of niacinamide (may also be called nicotinamide) cream for your face and skin:
- Niacinamide cream is most commonly referred to as a “Super Moisturizer” – Many studies have shown (these studies will be presented in a later part of this article) that Vitamin B3 has a remarkable property of keeping the skin hydrated in a much better way that some other chemicals and substances can. Moisture is paramount to the health of any person’s skin. Dryness has been linked to many skin conditions, leading this list are wrinkles, sagging skin and blemishes. Niacinamide fights all these problems and provide your skin with the necessary nutrients it requires to function at its best.
- Helps fight acne and signs of acne growth – Aside from being a powerful moisturizer, niacinamide has also the ability to reduce inflammation. This is especially helpful when it comes to pimples and other signs of acne complications. One of the most common of these complications is acne vulgaris which typically hits the average teenager during puberty. Some even suffer from this condition into adulthood. By using Acnessential every day, you reduce the redness and other signs of inflamed skin and mitigate the symptoms of acne vulgaris. Through regular use, you’ll be able to prevent any additional acne problems and be rid of it completely.Aside from acne, niacinamide cream is also effective on other inflammatory skin conditions. Skin scarring from wounds is a good example. By using niacinamide cream on scars, it will be able to help the skin first by moisturizing the scar to promote a more even healing of the skin cells and avoid any bumps on the skin. Secondly it will reduce inflammation of the scar to faster healing.
- Effective skin whitener for blemishes and skin discolorations – Research has also gone into the skin whitening effects of vitamin b3 when used as a topical skin cream or serum. Skin diseases like Melasma, rosacea, freckles, sun spots and even the remnant scars of healing pimples all leave your skin with dark and dull spots all over your face. If you use Acnessential, every day on these uneven spots you’ll start to notice a glow returning to your skin. This is due to the evening out of your skin tone which brightens your whole face.
- Anti-aging properties reduce wrinkles and fine lines – With its ability to moisturize, reduce inflammation and whiten the skin, Vitamin B3 cream also reduces visible fine lines and wrinkles that are commonly caused by dryness, scars and poor overall health of the skin through time.
- All natural product that’s better than many other skin products that use chemicals – Niacinamide is simply a derivative of vitamin b3 which is naturally needed by the body. This guarantees that products like Acnessential (skin cream) and NiaSerum (skin serum) do not make use of chemicals and other active ingredients just to get the results that other products are promoting to the public. Research studies have also proven just how safe it is to make use of niacinamide cream for everyday use.
Studies across the years have proven the skin benefits of Vitamin B3 face cream
The many benefits of niacinamide cream are not just all talk without the proper research to back up its claims. As a matter of fact, there have been several significant research studies that have been done in order to prove the validity of the many features of the cream. Some of the most prominent studies include:
- In January 2006, Niren NM of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center noted that in the past, many of the skin conditions with inflammatory characteristics are often treated through the use of injections like steroids or an oral antibiotics. The problem with this is that long term use of these treatments can put undue strain on the liver and have harmful side effects which hypertension, diarrhea, immunosuppression and many more. This study goes to show the many reports published in over 5 decades that prove oral and topical use of niacinamide is the better and safer treatment for skin inflammations.
- In June 1995, Shalita AR, Smith JG, Parish LC, Sofman MS and Chalker DK of the University of New York College of Medicine published a study in the International Journal of Dermatology entitled, “Topical nicotinamide compared with clindamycin gel in the treatment of inflammatory acne vulgaris.” Their study concluded that at 4% concentration, the nicotinamide was just as effective in treating acne as a 1% clindamycin, but without the chance microorganisms developing a resistance like with clindamycin.
- In July 2002, Hakozaki T, Minwalla L, Zhuang J et al. conducted a study called “The effect of niacinamide on reducing cutaneous pigmentation and suppression of melanosome transfer.” Their study proved that niacinamide is an effective skin lightening compound which achieves its results by essentially inhibiting the transfer of melanosome which is responsible for the creation of skin color and pigmentation.
- In July 2011 Navarrete-Solis J, Castanedo-Cazares JP, Torres-Alvarez B et al. researched on “A Double-blind, randomized clinical trial of Niacinamide 4% versus Hydroquinone 4% in the treatment of melasma.” The research ended by stating that indeed, Niacinamide is able to decrease skin pigmentation. The research ended by stating that indeed, Niacinamide is able to decrease skin pigmentation. The research ended by stating that indeed, Niacinamide is able to decrease skin pigmentation, reduce inflammation and damage to the skin cause by prolonged sun exposure. It is a much better alternative to Hydroquinone due to the fact that this chemical has been linked to potentially harmful and deadly side effects.
The above pictures show that after 8 weeks of topical 4% niacinamide treatment
there is an excellent decrease in pigmentation.
Clinical Study
A Double-Blind, Randomized Clinical Trial of Niacinamide 4% versus Hydroquinone 4% in the Treatment of Melasma
Josefina Navarrete-Solís, Juan Pablo Castanedo-Cázares, Bertha Torres-Álvarez, Cuauhtemoc Oros-Ovalle, Cornelia Fuentes-Ahumada,
Francisco Javier González,Juan David Martínez-Ramírez, and Benjamin Moncada
- In July 2005, Bissett DL, Oblong JE and Berge CA spearheaded a study named “Niacinamide: A B Vitamin that improves aging facial skin appearance.” The study acknowledges the many different studies conducted on how effective it is for inflammation, moisturizing and whitening. However, the study also confirms the additional effects of the topical use of vitamin B3 cream for skin. Their results showed that as their subjects continued to use the cream for a prolonged time, physical and visual improvements to the skin can be seen which includes reduced visibility of fine lines and wrinkles, lightening of hyperpigmented areas, skin sallowness or yellowing, and an improvement in the elasticity and smoothness of the skin.
- A study published by the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology in 2012 have shown that niacinamide is a key ingredient in providing the skin with rapid and lasting dry skin benefits versus any other conventional moisturizers available in the market today.
- A study by Proctor and Gamble headed by Tracy L. Grosick, JF Nash, Sarah Tozer and Kevin J. Mills has demonstrated the safety of using niacinamide in various cosmetic products which includes skin creams. The study goes to say that when formulated correctly, niacinamide creams are safe to use by any skin types and safe to use regularly every day.
- To contribute and further prove niacinamide’s anti-aging properties, a study by by JJJ Fu, GG Hillebrand, P Raleigh, J LI et al. on March 2010 was in The British Journal of Dermatology. The study tested niacinamide cream against tretinoin, which is considered the benchmark prescription topical therapy when it comes to reducing wrinkles. The study came to a conclusion that niacinamide is just as effective as tretinoin. However, niacinamide had less side effects and was tolerated much better by their subjects.
Niacinamide (5.0%) 89% Of Participants Reported A ‘Noticeable’ Or ‘Significant’ Decrease In Hyperpigmentation
Source: Research & Development Dept, Proctor & Gamble, Kobe Japan (May-July 1998)
When it comes to research and testing of the topical application niacinamide, there is no shortage of proof to the validity of its claims. Even the popular Dr. Oz has also given his recommendation for vitamin b3 creams when it comes to skin health and fighting aging. This is why Acnessential only requires niacinamide as its active ingredient in its facial skin cream.
Is there a reason why some of today’s skin care products have not touted or made use of vitamin B3?
There is no clear answer for this question. Initially, niacinamide was used as an oral supplement to help reduce inflammation, lower cholesterol and many other health benefits. In the recent decade or so, studies have started coming out on using niacinamide as a topical agent – which means simply applying it on the skin. This is when further studies started producing more surprising benefits of a topical niacinamide skin product. In recent years even big name brands in skin care have started noticing and acknowledging the benefits of niacinamide.
Are there any side effects or warnings when using vitamin B3 cream?
In general Acnessential Niacinamide Cream is completely safe for any skin types even if used every day. It is often recommended that the cream is used twice a day. However, every person’s skin varies and some may be more sensitive than others. Other skin types, especially those who have been using a specific product for many years may have some reaction to a new product. Having said that, even in all the various studies conducted throughout the years, the side effects noticed from making use of vitamin b3 for long periods of time was only some sensitivity and minor irritation which passes.
Since vitamin b3 is a naturally occurring substance and one that is generally needed by the body, it is one of the best ways to treat your skin for a variety of skin conditions if safety is of great concern to you.
How long does it take for an average person to see results from using niacinamide face cream?
Studies have noted that results are usually seen in the first few weeks. For visible and truly noticeable changes, make sure to use the face cream for at least 3 to 4 weeks every day. It keeps on working after to the first two months. You can even replace any other moisturizing face lotion that you use and simply switch to products like Acnessential for the niacinamide benefits.
For faster results and for those with severe cases of acne problems, Ironpower also provides NiaSerum which makes use of the same niacinamide as an active ingredient but has been formulated as a serum. This extremely light viscous liquid is also applied topically but is absorbed much more quickly by the skin making it fast acting and more effective. NiaSerum is also good for deep scars and heavy skin pigmentation.
Vitamin B3 cream – your answer to a healthier, radiant and flawless skin
It has become obvious that vitamin B3 is the new cure all for common skin complications and achieving youthful glowing skin. It is obviously the answer many individuals have been waiting for and solve their problems with acne, dryness and skin discoloration. With all the studies backing the many properties of vitamin b3 skin cream there is little else to say than you should go out and try it for yourself.