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Dry skin is really common, but many people don’t know how to properly care for it. When dealing with dry skin, you need a strategic beauty routine that addresses the root problem – usually a lack of both water and oil in the skin.
When you see a skincare product that makes claims like “prevents breakouts” or “brightens skin tone,” these benefits aren’t 100% guaranteed for every skin type. These products simply contain ingredients that can do those things.
The truth is, if you have more reactive and sensitive skin, popular products can often do more harm than good. Basically, even if an ingredient has shown to be beneficial, it may just dehydrate and irritate dry skin types.
To form an intentional and effective skincare routine, you need to understand what ingredients are good for dry skin. You’re probably familiar with the benefits of hyaluronic acid, aloe vera, shea butter, and oats for skin dryness – but what about niacinamide? It seems so popular, but is it any good?
Is niacinamide good for dry skin? how it helps and how to use it
Niacinamide is one of those skincare ingredients that seems to be everywhere – and for good reason. It has a long list of potential positive effects, which is why so many products include it. It’s also super easy to formulate with.
But, as I said, some skincare ingredients are great for oily and combination skin types, but can be rubbish for dry skin. Instead, you need formulas that focus on hydrating your skin to put some life and glow back into it.
In this post, I’ll describe what niacinamide is, what it can do for your skin, and give you a definitive answer on whether it’s good for your skin concerns.
What is niacinamide?
Though niacinamide can sound like a scary, lab-made chemical, it’s actually just vitamin B3. It’s an essential nutrient for our skin that our bodies can’t produce on their own.
That means niacinamide has to come exclusively from food, supplements, and topical products like serums, moisturisers, and toners.
This powerful ingredient is gentle, versatile, and great for dry skin. It helps restore and strengthen the moisture barrier, which is absolutely essential for balanced hydration and healthy-looking skin.
What does niacinamide do?
Supports skin barrier lipids
Your moisture barrier is the outermost layer of skin. Its job is to keep hydration locked in, draw in moisture from the air, and shield your skin from environmental damage.
It’s made up of lipids like ceramides, cholesterol, and fatty acids. And when the moisture barrier is weak, it needs more lipids to rebuild it. This is where niacinamide comes in. It can bolster the skin barrier lipids to help your face naturally rehydrate and glow.
Supports natural moisturising factors (NMFs)
Natural moisturising factors (NMFs) are compounds in the skin that attract and hold onto water. They’re key to managing dry skin.
These molecules are naturally occurring and include things like amino acids, urea, and lactic acid. When our skin is dehydrated we are usually lacking in NMFs.
Enhances keratin, collagen, and elastin production
Keratin, collagen, elastin, and other proteins make up the structure of your skin. They’re responsible for the youthful, tight, and plump face you see in the mirror.
Some studies have shown niacinamide can help boost the production of these proteins, but it is not as powerful as retinoids or sunscreen at synthesising collagen and pro-actively preventing collagen breakdown.
Over time, increased collagen and elastin help maintain firmness and elasticity. This makes niacinamide mildly anti-ageing as it can reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, but I wouldn’t rely on it as a core part of your anti aging routine.
Reduces inflammation
Dry skin and sensitive skin often go hand in hand. When your face is dehydrated, the outer barrier becomes weak, leaving the deeper, more reactive layers exposed and unprotected.
As a result, you may notice more inflammation, redness, and irritation. Fortunately, niacinamide helps by reducing the release of inflammation-causing proteins and calming overactive immune responses in the skin.
It also strengthens the skin barrier and reduces oxidative stress—two key factors that help prevent irritation and make your skin less reactive over time.
Inhibits excess melanin production
Melanin is the pigment that gives our skin and hair their colour. When the body produces too much, it can lead to uneven skin tone, texture and hyperpigmentation.
Niacinamide helps prevent this by blocking the pigmentation process reducing excess pigmentation. The result? Often a naturally brighter, more even complexion.
Does niacinamide help with dry skin?
Overall yes it can help. Niacinamide can boost hydration for dry skin in several ways. It can prevent water loss, draw moisture in, increase natural moisturising factors, strengthen the skin barrier and even out your skin tone.
What are the benefits of niacinamide for dry skin?
Strengthens skin barrier
Many people with dry skin struggle with a damaged moisture barrier. And if you use a lot of harsh products or skincare practices, your routine could be making things worse. Plus, if your skin naturally lacks hydration, it is probably losing a lot via trans epidermal water loss (water evaporating out of your skin because it can’t effectively trap it in).
A skincare routine for dry skin must address the moisture barrier. And that’s what niacinamide does -replenishing the skin with essential compounds, lipids, and other nutrients to fortify the barrier.
Boosts hydration
Of course, if dryness is your primary skin concern, hydration is the answer. However, moisturising dehydrated, irritated skin is easier said than done. Once you’ve added in the hydration you also need to keep it trapped in there too, which is what moisturisers are designed to do.
Sensitive skin can even react to creams and serums meant to moisturise. So, to keep your skin hydrated, you often need to layer on multiple moisturising products and be really intentional with your skincare ingredients.
Niacinamide can tackle hydrating gently from multiple angles. It helps draw water from the air, lock it into the skin, and prevent moisture loss throughout the day. This multifaceted approach is important when trying to heal and manage chronic dry skin.
May improve skin texture, although not significantly
Dryness can leave your skin feeling rough, tight, and uncomfortable. Niacinamide can help smooth skin texture mainly by boosting hydration. However, it won’t work nearly as well for smoothing as chemical exfoliants or retinoids (just to keep your expectations reasonable!).
For dry skin, moisturising is still the most important step to achieve soft, smooth skin. The other benefits of niacinamide, such as evening out skin tone, usually don’t address roughness caused by dryness.
That said, once your hydration is under control, these extra benefits are a welcome bonus, helping you achieve a smoother skin texture and improved complexion.
May even out skin tone
An improved skin tone is definitely a secondary benefit of niacinamide for dry skin. This effect isn’t directly related to hydration, but it can make a noticeable cosmetic difference.
Whether you’re dealing with dark spots, redness, or other types of discolouration, niacinamide can help even things out.
It works by soothing inflammation and reducing excess melanin production, which over time can lead to a brighter, more uniform complexion.
Can calm irritation and redness
As I’ve mentioned, without a skin barrier, dry skin can be extremely reactive. This means constant irritation and redness wherever you have dehydrated patches.
To truly fix dry skin and a damaged skin barrier (if you have it, which not all dry skin has) you need to soothe this irritation. A simple moisturiser is unlikely to help on its own, if this has been an ongoing problem. As long as your skin stays sensitised and unhappy, you will probably battle dryness, discoloration, and a rough skin texture.
Niacinamide directly addresses irritation by cutting off inflammatory signaling to the immune system. This calms the skin and makes it much less reactive.
On top of that, it strengthens the skin barrier and supports overall skin structure. These effects not only soothe your skin but also prepare it to hold layers of moisture more effectively – a key part of what the skin barrier is designed to do, and what you might be lacking.
How to use niacinamide serum for dry skin
Choose the right niacinamide serum
The first step to adding niacinamide to your routine is choosing the right product. Even though niacinamide is a naturally gentle ingredient, that doesn’t mean products with it can’t be harsh. Some go up to 20% and I think this is far too much to start with!
Remember, there are other ingredients in the formula, too. These may not be suitable for dry skin.
When looking for niacinamide serums, look for concentrations of 2-5% and the inclusion of other moisturising ingredients (like panthenol, centella, or squalane). Avoid fragrances, harsh acids, or anything with high alcohol content.
Here are some of my favorites for dry skin:
- PURITO Centella Unscented Serum
- Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum Propolis + Niacinamide
- Dermatica Daily Hydration 5HA+Cica Serum
Start with a double cleanse if applying at night
When applying serums at night, start with a double cleanse. If your skin hasn’t been cleaned properly prior to applying actives, you may not see the full effects of the serum.
Neglecting your double cleansing routine is like mopping the floor without sweeping it first – there’ll be microscopic bits of leftover sunscreen, sebum and makeup that get in the way!
If you’re unfamiliar with the process, here’s my guide for how to double cleanse your face.
Consider to skip cleansing if applying in the morning
When using a niacinamide serum in the morning, you could consider skipping morning cleansing. As long as your pillowcase is clean and you cleansed before you went to bed, your skin shouldn’t be dirty. Though I do appreciate some skin types might feel really oily.
Cleansing in the morning has few benefits for dry skin types and can worsen irritation. Why scrub already clean skin? Even if your cleanser is gentle, cleansing is a form of exfoliation and disturbs the skin barrier, which is just another aggravator when your skin is already dry. You may notice an improvement in just a couple of weeks!
To get the most out of your serums in the morning, rinse your face with some warm water OR spray a hydrating mist and apply it as the first step to your skincare routine. Personally I don’t even apply a mist or splash of water, I just apply my serum directly to my face, but I understand that can feel odd at first!
Apply just a drop of niacinamide serum
Many people use way too much of their skincare products. You don’t get a bigger effect from using an excessive amount of product it’s just wasteful and can cause irritation, if anything.
For niacinamide serum, apply roughly a single, large drop onto dry or slightly damp skin. Spread it evenly across your face, and instead of rubbing, gently pat the serum in to help it absorb. Most niacinamide serums spread quite far, I’ve found!
This gentle, minimal approach is ideal for dry skin, hydrating without causing irritation.
Seal in hydration with a rich moisturiser
Niacinamide serum won’t fix dehydrated skin on its own. As mentioned, you need layers of moisture to address the problem – a mist, serum, less cleansing and an occlusive moisturiser to seal everything in is ideal.
So, after you apply your niacinamide serum, follow it with a rich moisturiser. These will help hydrate the skin, lock in moisture, rebuild the skin barrier, and balance oil production long term. Rich moisturisers tend to be better for dry skin because they can contain more oils and occlusive, but some gel moisturisers can also be very hydrating.
Apply the moisturiser in gentle, upward motions. Press it lightly into your skin rather than rubbing, focusing on the driest areas. Give it a few minutes to fully absorb before layering other products. Consider doing a second layer if you need it, especially before bed.
Here are my recommendations for dry skin types that can also work well for acne:
Finish with your daily SPF or eye cream
At the end of your morning routine, always apply SPF. Sun damage can trigger inflammation, contribute to water loss, and damage your moisture barrier – all bad for dry skin. Use SPF 30+ or higher and cover your whole face and neck.
Here are some of my favorite sunscreens. They should all be relatively safe for dry or sensitive skin, as well as acne prone skin.
And, if you’re doing your evening routine, don’t apply SPF. The evening routine is the part where you can use actives that work a little harder – retinoids for example. Luckily, niacinamide can pair well with retinoids and most other actives, since it’s kind to the skin barrier.
Eye cream isn’t always necessary, but I do recommend it for dry skin types. The skin around the eyes can be particularly sensitive and dry, and if you don’t keep it hydrated it will crease more. Also, makeup won’t apply as well the following day.
Use your ring finger to gently tap a small amount of eye cream around the orbital bone, avoiding rubbing or pulling. This adds extra hydration and helps protect the delicate skin while you sleep.
Niacinamide is an effective and gentle solution for dry skin types but not a fix-all cure
Niacinamide hydrates, soothes, and strengthens the skin barrier. Additional moisturising products are still necessary, but niacinamide can make your routine work harder and smarter.
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