As a skincare enthusiast, you’ve probably already heard of the irritation potential of heavy-hitting active ingredients such as retinol and glycolic acid. Niacinamide, on the other hand, gets touted as a highly efficacious yet vanilla, and gentle ingredient. But! When it comes to any ingredients, dose makes the poison… and the elixir. Most active ingredients have a tested effective range. Within that range, the ingredient should deliver those long-term benefits they promise without causing intolerable side effects. When you go way way way over that range, however, your skin can absolutely suffer from a case of “too much of a good thing”. Niacinamide is no exception.
How much niacinamide is too much in skincare?
It seems like niacinamide really hit superstardom level with the Ordinary’s 10% Niacinamide serum. Because of this, most people tend to think of 10% as the standard when it comes to niacinamide. However, niacinamide is actually clinically tested at 2% to 5%. That is all you need to get all the sebum-reducing, brightening, barrier-supporting benefits of niacinamide.
A natural next question is, “Wouldn’t 10% niacinamide be twice as effective as say a 5%?” When it comes to skincare ingredients, efficacy can correlate with percentage. However, there’s a bit of a balancing act involved. First of all, the same ingredient works on the same skincare pathways so bumping it up infinitely will only get you diminishing returns. Secondly, higher doses will always increase the risk of skin irritation even for the most seemingly vanilla ingredient.
Is niacinamide the cause of my skin rash?
Now, most people can tolerate niacinamide well even at 10% twice daily. But if you have a mysterious skin rash or unexplained irritation, it could be time to take a closer look at your niacinamide levels.
One of the biggest issues of overdoing niacinamide isn’t necessarily the one 10% product you may have. Here’s a chemist secret - from a formulation perspective, niacinamide is super duper easy peasy. Unlike your retinoids and vitamin Cs, niacinamide is stable, non-fussy, and goes into most formulas very easily. This is why you’ll find it in almost EVERY skincare product out there. Your toners, cleansers, serums, and moisturizers may all have a potent dose of niacinamide. That’s right - even products that don’t claim niacinamide may be using a potent dose of this beloved active.
If you’re scratching your head at a recent bout of skin irritation, we’d recommend taking a quick scan of all your products’ ingredient lists. If niacinamide shows up in the top 3, 5 spots in 3 or more of your products, there’s a solid chance that you’ve been overdoing it on niacinamide all along.
What to do if your skin has a reaction to niacinamide
Skin irritation to niacinamide may come in many different forms. You may experience redness, and itchiness. Or you might feel like your skin is all of a sudden drier and more sensitive than usual. If you suspect niacinamide is the source of your mystery skin rash, the best thing to do is go cold turkey on all things niacinamde. We’d recommend taking a break from your non-niacinamide actives as well! For about a week or so, just dial back to a basic cleanse - moisturize - SPF routine niacinamide-lessly. Once your skin barrier is back to normal, you can slowly re-introduce actives.
If your skin has had a reaction to niacinamide, it doesn’t necessarily mean you need to swear off it for forever. It could be a case of using too much niacinamide, or it could be that your skin has a niacinamide allergy. Regardless of the cause, the best way to test after a niacinamide reaction is to switch to using just one lower dosed niacinamide product.
Best Low(er) Dose Niacinamide Products
If you’re worried about niacinamide overload, the best course of action is to just keep a basic, lower-dose product in your routine. Remember, 2% to 5% twice daily comes with plenty of efficacy and there’s no need to always go for that super high percentage! Here are some lower-dose product you can consider adding to your routine:
- Chemist Confessions Mr. Reliable: our very own lightweight layer-able moisturizer contains just 2% niacinamide – perfect for simple daily maintenance twice a day
- COSRX Galactomyces 95 Toner: this toner is 95% galactomyces ferment filtrate in conjunction with 2% niacinamide. A good option for those with oily, sensitive skin looking for a mild toner to try out.
- Skinceuticals Metacell Renew B3: this silicone gel cream combines 5% niacinamide with peptides. This can be used as a lightweight moisturizer for those with oily skin, or a hydrating layering piece for those with dry skin
TL;DR Optimal Niacinamide Percentage
While there’s nothing inherently wrong with using higher levels of niacinamide, too many products and too many brands seem to be in a competition pummeling as much niacinamide as possible in their products. Remember - all you need is just 2% to 5% of this ingredient to get all of its benefits. If you’re experiencing unexplained skin irritation, this is definitely something to keep a look out for.
For more on this topic, check out our Chemist Confessions Podcast Episode #89
