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Niacinamide. If it sounds familiar, that’s probably because it’s been buzzy in the skin care world forever. A form of Vitamin B3, niacinamide is a nutrient that is required by the body to maintain healthy cells and helps turn the foods you eat into energy. But beyond its effects on your body from the inside, niacinamide has major benefits for your skin too. Read on to learn more about the ways this vitamin can help your skin care and whether it’s right for you. 

What Is Niacinamide?

In the context of skin care, niacinamide is a topical version of Vitamin B3. Used as an active ingredient in many products, this water-soluble vitamin has a number of functions: It helps lock in hydration, minimizes large pores, improves the look of uneven skin tone, softens the appearance of fine lines, brightens skin, regulates oil production, strengthens a weak barrier and boosts cell-building proteins in the skin. In other words, it’s the multitasking jack-of-all-trades of the skin care world. 

Thanks to the wide variety of benefits it offers your skin, niacinamide is a perfect complement to just about any skin care routine. Besides the extensive list mentioned above, it is also helpful in boosting collagen production, plus the gentle anti-inflammatory nature of the niacinamide can potentially decrease the risk of irritation from other active ingredients you may be using, including conventional retinol and AHAs like glycolic acid. 

What Does It Do For Your Skin? 

Some ingredients are true skin care powerhouses and niacinamide is definitely on that list. Let’s explore it in more detail and see how adding this skin care superstar to your routine can help with your specific skin concerns. 

Boosts Hydration 

Niacinamide helps renew and restore skin’s surface against moisture loss and dehydration. 

When key fatty acids in the skin’s barrier gradually deplete, skin is left vulnerable to all sorts of problems, from dryness and flakiness to extra sensitivity. Niacinamide does an effective job of balancing the skin’s natural lipids to ensure this doesn’t happen.

Applying niacinamide has been shown to boost the hydrating ability of other moisturizing ingredients like hyaluronic acid, so the skin’s surface can better resist the moisture loss that leads to dryness and flaky texture. While it locks in moisture, it can simultaneously help keep pollutants out, making the skin both more hydrated and less sensitive. 

Supports The Skin Moisture Barrier

Niacinamide helps bolster the skin barrier by increasing the amount of key lipids, called ceramides, in the skin’s outer layer. Ceramides improve moisture retention to help keep skin cells hydrated and plump, and better barrier function means less irritation from outside factors. This is why people with dry skin may benefit from regular topical application of niacinamide. Research shows that niacinamide may help the skin form a lipid barrier which can aid in moisture retention. 

Evens Out And Brightens The Look Of Skin Tone

Board certified dermatologist Dr. Anar Mikailov says: “Niacinamide brightens your skin by inhibiting melanosome transfer. In some studies, it’s been shown to be only slightly less effective at skin brightening when compared to hydroquinone …. Niacinamide is much less irritating and more tolerable to most skin types as well.”

Excess melanin (skin pigment) can show up on the skin’s surface (stemming from sun exposure, pregnancy and aging, among other things), creating unwanted dark spots. Not only does niacinamide help inhibit the appearance of new discolorations, it can also lighten the look of existing ones. And because it plays so well with different ingredients, it can be used with other discoloration-reducing products, including all forms of Vitamin C, licorice root, conventional retinol and bakuchiol.

Minimizes The Appearance Of Pores

Niacinamide may minimize the appearance of pores by helping keep your skin smooth and clear. It may also help regulate the amount of oil your glands produce, which can prevent breakouts and clogged pores. 

Refines The Appearance Of Texture And Fine Lines

Niacinamide also reduces the impact of environmental damage because of its ability to improve the skin’s barrier (its first line of defense). It also plays a role in helping skin to repair signs of past damage. Ignoring this type of daily damage can make skin appear older, dull and less radiant.

How To Incorporate Niacinamide Into Your Skin Care Routine

Niacinamide can be used twice daily on cleansed and moisturized skin. It can also be mixed with a serum and applied to the face and neck, because it pairs well with so many other ingredients. In many cases, niacinamide can actually amp up the benefits of other skin care ingredients, including antioxidants like Vitamin C, glycolic acids, conventional retinol or bakuchiol.

We created the new Bakuchiol + Niacinamide Collection with the versatility and benefits of niacinamide in mind. Featuring two products, the Bakuchiol + Niacinamide Moisturizer and the Radiant Protection SPF Fluid, this collection hydrates, minimizes pores and targets uneven texture to maintain luminous skin. To find out more about how to incorporate bakuchiol and niacinamide into your routine, visit your nearest Eminence Organics Spa Partner. 

You’ve seen them everywhere, but have you ever wondered whether tools like jade rollers and gua sha actually provide face lifting results that last? These two tools are popular with both professional beauty experts and at-home beauty trend followers alike, but the question is: What do these facial tools do, and do they even work? Read on to learn about these skin-enhancing tools, how to use them and the numerous benefits they provide — from facial massage and lifting to lymphatic drainage and skin plumping.

What Are Jade Rollers & Gua Sha Tools?

Jade rollers and gua sha are are tools that date back to seventh century China. They have been used for hundreds of years to help ease facial tension, reduce eye puffiness and improve lymphatic flow (aka moving stagnant waste fluids away from a tense or puffy area to be expelled from the body using massage and gentle pressure). These days, gua sha tools are commonly made of jade, as well as other high quality, pure and natural stones like rose quartz, green aventurine and amethyst, as well as other materials that are cooling and smooth against the skin like stainless steel and porcelain. The gua sha tool has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for hundreds of years for the aforementioned therapeutic benefits, as well as more recently for cosmetic benefits such as contouring and lifting the face and plumping the lips.

A jade roller is another face lifting device that dates back to ancient China. Made of jade like the name suggests (though they can be made from other stones as well), these tools are very accessible and easy to use. Simply move the natural face lift tool to the point on the face or neck you want to massage and roll it along the area. Several passes in one spot (under your eye toward your temple, for example) can help achieve the benefits. In comparison, gua sha requires more technique, so we’ve mapped out the steps below so you can learn which tool is best for you and how to get the most out of it.

Prepare Your Skin To Use A Gua Sha At Home

Before starting, prep the skin by applying a facial oil on the areas you want to massage, like your face and neck. Use a generous amount of oil, warming it up in your palms before pressing it into your skin. The Rosehip Triple C+E Firming Oil is a great choice for facial massage — it provides the “glide” you’ll need while also smoothing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles with essential fatty acids that improve the look of the skin’s texture. One happy customer, Lali P., reviewed the oil online saying: “Rosehip Firming Oil is one of my favs! Packed with great vitamins, it smooths and repairs the skin, making it look glowing and healthy.”

Another luxurious option is our Facial Recovery Oil, which is suitable for all skin types. Often referred to as “liquid gold” by happy customers, this formula contains clary sage oil, olive oil and sage leaf extract, which improve the look of the skin while providing deep hydration. For a soft and bright complexion, the Camellia Glow Solid Face Oil with pink tourmaline gemstones is another highly moisturizing oil option. Marula oil and hemp seed oil hydrate the skin so that it appears smooth and supple. 

Tutorial: How To Use Your Gua Sha & Jade Roller

You can learn to use these tools in the comfort of your own home by performing a self-guided face massage.

For The Jawline

To release any facial tension along your jaw and cheek area, glide your jade roller or gua sha tool along the jawline and across the cheeks. The gua sha tool might look a little more tricky to use because of its shape, so simply use the wider part to glide up from the base of the jawline to the top of the cheekbone. Repeat roughly five times on the first spot and then do the same on the other side of the face. You’re likely to feel relaxed, so you’re welcome to continue applying pressure for as long as you’re comfortable. Getting blood flowing is the ultimate goal, so if it feels good, keep going!

For The Neck

Many people experience neck strain thanks to office jobs and from too much time staring down at handheld devices. To help ease that tension, hold the tool of choice at an angle on your neck and slowly move up from the bottom of your neck (by your collarbone) toward your jawline. To help lymphatic drainage, work the tool from the ear all the way down the neck to the collarbone. Repeat until you feel tension release. The purpose of these repeated movements is to stimulate blood flow and relieve tightness in your neck. 

For Puffy Eyes

To assist with puffiness around the eyes, gently glide the tool across the undereye area up to the temple until you reach the hairline. As with all of these techniques, repeat five to eight times, or until you feel relaxed. You can also cool the gua sha and jade roller in the freezer for a few minutes before you slide it over the area to further help reduce puffiness, swelling and inflammation.

For The Forehead

Now it’s time to move onto the forehead. For the gua sha tool, place the narrow end of the stone between the brow bone and the eyebrow and sweep from your eyebrows up until your hairline. Do the same for the jade roller repeatedly, gliding through from the corner of your eye to the temple to relieve the tension in the forehead. You can hold the tools still with some pressure on spots of tension before sweeping up to the hairline too.

For further instruction on all these techniques, watch our Lead Skin Care Trainer Natalie Pergar demonstrate a facial gua sha and jade rolling tutorial. .

Have you tried using these facial techniques and reaped the benefits? Let us know in the comments below or on social media! Or visit your nearest Eminence Organics Spa Partner and book an appointment for a gua sha facial! 

This article was first written in July 2021.