Nature heals – Skin Benefits of Vitamin B
As we began thinking about the possibility of creating a Facial Serum, there were so many ways we could go about choosing ingredients. We’ve been looking into this for over a year. Trying to stay as close to nature as possible and avoiding the “technological wonders” which contain synthetics and genetically modified ingredients was not an easy task. The cosmetic industry prides itself on “creating” new emulsifiers, moisturizers, and anti-inflammatories with new formularies that are often synthetic, and therefore cheaper to produce in mass.
So much is not known about the inter-relationship and reactions between all these different classes of ingredients. We do not feel that enough research has been done on what happens when some of these modern ingredients come together. For that matter, little research has been done on mixing essential oils with synthetics and we know from organic chemistry, that some reactions are less than friendly to the skin. Just another reason, we have decided to stay simple raw materials and those which have definable research behind them.
Niacin is Vitamin B3
Niacin is one of eight water-soluble B vitamins that act as an anti-oxidant. It’s also known as nicotinic acid, niacinamide, and nicotinamide. In the medical world, niacin is a major constituent of NADP and NAD, two co-enzymes involved in cellular metabolism. (hint…..skin care benefit!!). Furthermore, niacin participates in repairing DNA and cell signaling.
There are very few board-certified clinical studies on most cosmetic ingredients overall. However, I did find one in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science from 2004. (Which is about the time that Vitamin B started showing up in cosmetics). Researchers had 50 women between the ages of 40 & 60 and broke them into two test groups. The first 25 used a serum containing 5% niacinamide and the second 25 used a placebo serum. They used the moisturizer for 12 weeks. At the end of the trial, the group using the niacinamide serum showed good to excellent improvement in fine lines, wrinkles and age spots.
Niacinamide’s anti-inflammatory properties make it a treatment worth considering for certain skin conditions marked by inflammation, like rosacea and acne. In two double-blind studies, one in 2004 and one in 2013, both written up in the International Journal of Dermatology, a niacinamide solution treated moderate acne as successfully as a well-known acne antibiotic. In addition, the niacinamide solution was less irritating to the skin and a better option for people with very sensitive and dry skin.
Skin Benefits of Vitamin B are apparent.
The multiple benefits for the skin both externally and internally is what made us make the choice for our niacinamide facial serum. Next month, we will explore Hyaluronic Acid, a natural substance produced by the body, with the highest concentration being in the skin. Stay tuned!
- NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2012. PubMed online scientific bibliography data. http://www.pubmed.gov.
- EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry.
- FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) 2006. Food Additive Status List. Downloaded from http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/%7Edms/opa-appa.html, Oct 16, 2006.
- https://www.self.com/story/what-niacinamide-can-do-for-your-skin
- CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review). 2006. CIR Compendium, containing abstracts, discussions, and conclusions of CIR cosmetic ingredient safety assessments. Washington DC.
- FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). 2008. EAFUS [Everything Added to Food]: A Food Additive Database. FDA Office of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.
