Niacinamide!
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free skin care · Thu Oct 30, 2008 11:36 am

With all the talk about how great niacinamide is for skin, I ordered some from garden of wisdom. I ordered 1 oz of niacinamide powder.

Is anyone making stuff using niacinamide? What are your experiences and recipes?

free skin care · Thu Oct 30, 2008 11:49 am

This was a fairly active thread a while back that might be of interest;

http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewtopic.php?tid=29720

I believe 'Keliu' has made some creams with niacinamide, so maybe she'll chime in.

free skin care · Thu Oct 30, 2008 4:14 pm

Does anyone know the difference between niacinamide, nicotinamide, and nicotinic acid?

The Nia24 patented Niacin is nicotinic acid, and it is supposed to be able to penetrate the stratum corneum, while the other forms supposedly can't.
http://www.nia24.com/science/molecule.cfm?p=1

Is it even worthwhile to use another form? I have no idea, which is why I am asking. Confused

free skin care · Thu Oct 30, 2008 5:01 pm

I definitely don't know... That's Nia24's marketing materials, and of course they're biased. Also on page 9 where they have the graphs of pro niacin vs. niacinamide, pro niacin is much higher, but niacinamide isn't at zero. So then there must be some penetrarion of niacinamide.

Niacinamide powder is really cheap, but NIA24 products are not. So I thought it wouldn't hurt to buy some and experiment.

bethany wrote:

Does anyone know the difference between niacinamide, nicotinamide, and nicotinic acid?

The Nia24 patented Niacin is nicotinic acid, and it is supposed to be able to penetrate the stratum corneum, while the other forms supposedly can't.
http://www.nia24.com/science/molecule.cfm?p=1

Is it even worthwhile to use another form? I have no idea, which is why I am asking. Confused

free skin care · Thu Oct 30, 2008 6:09 pm

Vitamin B3 is found in basic form as niacinamide, which is the same as nicotinamide, and in acidic form as nicotinic acid. Pro-Niacin (myristyl nicotinate) is the form of vitamin B3 that is found in the NIA24 products. It breaks down to nicotinic acid, according to information from the blog Futurederm.com.

It seems like we cannot trust the claims from the manufacturer of NIA24 that their form of vitamin B3 is better than the ordinary niacinamide. According to futurederm.com, many independent studies have shown that topical application of niacinamide is highly effective. There is no independent research suggesting that Pro-Niacin is more beneficial for the skin.

Quote:

The advantage of NIA24 skin care products with Pro-Niacin over Olay products with niacinamide therefore may actually not be the form of niacin at all, but in its other established anti-aging ingredients.

http://futurederm.wordpress.com/2007/11/16/product-review-nia24-skincare/

free skin care · Thu Oct 30, 2008 9:53 pm

Septembergirl wrote:

Vitamin B3 is found in basic form as niacinamide, which is the same as nicotinamide, and in acidic form as nicotinic acid. Pro-Niacin (myristyl nicotinate) is the form of vitamin B3 that is found in the NIA24 products. It breaks down to nicotinic acid, according to information from the blog Futurederm.com.

It seems like we cannot trust the claims from the manufacturer of NIA24 that their form of vitamin B3 is better than the ordinary niacinamide. According to futurederm.com, many independent studies have shown that topical application of niacinamide is highly effective. There is no independent research suggesting that Pro-Niacin is more beneficial for the skin.

Quote:

The advantage of NIA24 skin care products with Pro-Niacin over Olay products with niacinamide therefore may actually not be the form of niacin at all, but in its other established anti-aging ingredients.

http://futurederm.wordpress.com/2007/11/16/product-review-nia24-skincare/

Well, that is definitely insightful...then I am going to go for go for the regular stuff and feel darn good about it. Thanks for sharing!!

free skin care · Fri Oct 31, 2008 8:48 am

Hi Nimue, I put it in my serums or moisturizers as is at 4% (by weight). It dissolves completely and seems to work just fine. HTH.

free skin care · Fri Oct 31, 2008 1:06 pm

Thank vou

. So probably any simple moisturizer would work. When you say you put it in serums, how do you make the serums? (or do you start with ready made serums)

What results, if any, do you have from niacinamide? Is it irritating? Do you put it around the eyes too?

doodles wrote:

Hi Nimue, I put it in my serums or moisturizers as is at 4% (by weight). It dissolves completely and seems to work just fine. HTH.

free skin care · Fri Oct 31, 2008 6:53 pm

Hi Nimue, Any serum or moisturizer would work. I make my own (very) simple serums and moisturizers. I like to DIY so right now my night moisturizer consists of glycerin, triglycerides, and distilled water with something called gel maker added in - just a couple of drops in an ounce of my mixture thickens it up to the consistency of a thick serum. I use this as a moisturizer under my Tazorac at night and it works great. In the morning I use a serum made of 4% niacinamide, sebu-reg (something I bought from one of the DIY places that's supposed to help control oil), distilled water and the gel maker to give it the right consistency and to emulsify the mixture. I mix this serum with my azelaic acid cream and together they moisturize and control oil. I use the niacinamide for oil control, acne, and for barrier repair - I think that when you use a retinoid that you need something to help repair your skins barrier. I use the niacinamide at 4% - 5% seems to be irritating for me. The niacinamide is very versatile and I wouldn't hesitate to add it to a favorite moisturizer or serum. Two of my favorite DIY online stores are lotioncrafter.com and makingcosmetics.com. HTH.

free skin care · Fri Oct 31, 2008 6:54 pm

Forgot to add that I have used it around my eyes in the past with no problems!

free skin care · Sun Nov 02, 2008 6:22 am

I make a Glucosamine and Niacinamide serum, the recipe is as follows:

1/2 tsp. Glucosamine
1/4 tsp. Niacinamide
5 tsp. Distilled water
1 tsp. Glycerin

Mix powders with water then add the glycerin. I apply it at night on clean, dry skin before all the other stuff I pile on. It sinks right into the skin. Haven't seen any miracles yet, but am living in hope.

free skin care · Sun Nov 02, 2008 10:20 am

Just chiming in to offer a little 'thickening' tip I found out by accident.. Shock

A few drops of Hyaluronic Acid to 1 oz of liquid will thicken it up to a nice serum consistency.. (I wound up with spackle on my hands one time, when I was a little too enthusiastic with the HA.. Sad

)

Now I just add by drops, rather than by spoonfuls, till I get the consistency I want.. (You also never want *lots* of HA anyhow, because it will dry you out.)

Sun Nov 02, 2008 5:31 pm

Is anyone making stuff using niacinamide? What are your experiences and recipes?[/quote]

"Niapads" is the only formulation I know of that is formulated with Niacinamide for treatment of acne. They claim to have a scientifically designed product suitable also for pregnant women and nursing mothers in treating their acne.

Sun Nov 02, 2008 5:38 pm

"Niapads" is the only commercially available product formulated with Niacinamide (topical application) for treatment of acne - that I know of. They claim it is scientifically formulated for all skin types and is also suitable for safe acne treatment for pregnant women and nursing mothers.

Mon Nov 03, 2008 12:03 pm

I make a once ounce cream by using 1 oz cetaphil lotion as a base.

I put in 1/4 tsp of B3 (to make it 4% niacinamide) I bought from lotioncrafter and 10 drops of Emu oil.

I've only been using it 3 nights for acne. So far I really like it. It is replacing the clyndomiacin the dermatologist is giving me. I still plan on using the Retin A product the derm gave me last month (is working really well).

I have problems with boils on my face and I don’t want to take acutane.

In addition to that for my acne I just started taking (4 days ago) 750mg Pantethine and 250mg of L Carnitine. I got these at the health food store (see below for link and a short paragraph about it). This amount of pantethine is much more realistic than taking 20 pills in divided doses of pantothenic acid.

Reducing or Eliminating Acne with Pantethine and L Carnitine

Using the modified Leung B5 protocol with Pantethine 750 mg with 250 mg of L Carnitine three times a day, we have noted excellent success rates in reducing or eliminating acne. An added advantage is a good cosmetic result with smaller pore size and smoother skin. The vitamins are safe with no adverse side effects noted.

www . jeffreydach . com/2008/09/04/pantethenic-acid-b5-for-acne-by-jeffrey-dach-md.aspx

To view the link above be sure to remove spaces after www and befor jefferydach then again after jeffreydach and before the com. I am not allowed to post links because I am new Sad

free skin care · Mon Nov 03, 2008 4:23 pm

Thanks for the tip! I think I'm going to run with this one. I'm thinking about these ingredients for a serum: water, HA serum, manuka honey and niacinamide. (for the water, I think I'll use some leftover PSF R&R toner that the spritzer can't get to) It's going to be tough, but I'm going to try to control myself with the honey so that it doesn't wind up too sticky.

In the future maybe seamollient (garden of wisdom's version of sea kelp bioferment) would be good to add too.

Kassy_A wrote:

Just chiming in to offer a little 'thickening' tip I found out by accident.. Shock

A few drops of Hyaluronic Acid to 1 oz of liquid will thicken it up to a nice serum consistency.. (I wound up with spackle on my hands one time, when I was a little too enthusiastic with the HA.. Sad

)

Now I just add by drops, rather than by spoonfuls, till I get the consistency I want.. (You also never want *lots* of HA anyhow, because it will dry you out.)

free skin care · Thu Nov 20, 2008 10:17 am

I finally made my serum Smile

. I had a "duh" moment and realized that I shouldn't buy anything new, but just use stuff I had, and that I could simply add a little moisturizer and shake well in order to thicken the serum slightly.

I used niacinamide (5%), green tea extract (5%), and a lot of manuka honey (I didn't measure it, after a while of trying to record how much I was adding I just gave up and kept adding it). I poured in some R&R toner to dissolve the niacianamide and honey. Then I added more R&R toner. In a fit of madness I even added some zinc oxide, and it took a whole lot of shaking to dissolve it, so I'm glad I didn't add too much and I wouldn't recommend trying this. Then I just added all the samples I had on hand, which included a HA serum sample (but it's so small, I don't think % even registered) and a DMAE sample and a bunch of moisturizer (100% pure body cream).

I was mixing everything in a 4 oz bottle, which is how I know the final % of the niacinamide. I think the bottle was 3/4 full before I started adding the moisturizers to it. I'm pretty happy with the final result. It's kinda sticky, but hey that was the point because of the honey. I'm ok with the stickyness, I think it's the maximum stickyness that's still tolerable. The serum is pretty watery but it's just thick enough that I can use it so I'm happy with it.

free skin care · Thu Dec 04, 2008 7:18 am

I am very very happy with my homemade vitamin B serum. I just want to give a little rave for niacinamide here. I think niacinamide is seriously the number 1 ingredient for DIY, even for those who are afraid of hardcore DIY.

Reasons why niacinamide is awesome:

It's stable.
It's easy to formulate with. (it can't get easier than a water soluble powder that you stir in)
It's very effective at a small concentration. (4-5%)
Strengthens skin barrier (great complement to vitamin A) and also great for acne.
It's really cheap. (At lotioncrafter, you can get 4 oz of niacinamide for less than 5$).

free skin care · Fri Dec 05, 2008 9:43 am

I am thinking of crushing some Niacin into some aloe vera gel. Is it foolproof? How long will this stay fresh, and do I need to refrigerate it or protect it from light? I wonder if it will be irritating if I get the % wrong. Im a bit clueless when it comes to DIY. I wonder if a compounding pharmacy could prepare it for me? Thanks.

free skin care · Fri Dec 05, 2008 12:33 pm

I think that it will stay fresh, but you have to be really careful about the %. You don't want the final % of niacinamide to be any greater than 5%. For a lot of people 5% is too much but 4% is perfect.

I bought some niacinamide poweder from garden of wisdom (and there are other sources) so I didn't have to crush pills, but I'm sure it'll be fine. Does the pill have only niacinamide in it?

amonavis wrote:

I am thinking of crushing some Niacin into some aloe vera gel. Is it foolproof? How long will this stay fresh, and do I need to refrigerate it or protect it from light? I wonder if it will be irritating if I get the % wrong. Im a bit clueless when it comes to DIY. I wonder if a compounding pharmacy could prepare it for me? Thanks.

free skin care · Fri Dec 05, 2008 5:21 pm

I also would be more inclined to buy the Niacinamide powder from BulkActives or SkinActives and formulate it as per their instructions.

free skin care · Fri Dec 05, 2008 6:38 pm

OK thanks. I did not have any specific pill in mind. Do you guys know how long it stays fresh? thx

free skin care · Fri Dec 05, 2008 6:55 pm

amonavis wrote:

OK thanks. I did not have any specific pill in mind. Do you guys know how long it stays fresh? thx

Here's the info on BulkActives website;

http://www.bulkactives.com/niacinamide.htm

free skin care · Fri Dec 05, 2008 7:08 pm

Great I will check that. Thanks

free skin care · Thu Dec 18, 2008 9:12 am

Nicotinamide, also known as niacinamide and nicotinic acid amide, is the amide of nicotinic acid (vitamin B3). Nicotinamide is a water-soluble vitamin and is part of the vitamin B group. Nicotinic acid, also known as niacin, is converted to niacinamide in vivo, and though the two are identical in their vitamin functions, niacinamide does not have the same pharmacologic and toxic effects of niacin, which occur incidental to niacin's conversion. Thus niacinamide does not reduce cholesterol or cause flushing,[1] although nicotinamide may be toxic to the liver at doses exceeding 3 g/day for adults.[2] In cells, niacin is incorporated into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP), although the pathways for nicotinamide and nicotinic acid are very similar. NAD+ and NADP+ are coenzymes in a wide variety of enzymatic oxidation-reduction reactions.[3]

Use in medicine

Nicotinamide has demonstrated anti-inflammatory actions which may be of benefit in patients with inflammatory skin conditions.[4] These conditions include acne vulgaris, and the compound can suppress antigen induced-lymphocytic transformation and inhibit of 3'-5' cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase. Nicotinamide has demonstrated the ability to block the inflammatory actions of iodides known to precipitate or exacerbate inflammatory acne

Nicomide (take note the naming similarity), is an acne medication, and in its vitamin supplement form, the most predominant ingredient is 750 mg of nicotinamide, based on this area of research.

Nicotinamide has been reported to restore cognition in Alzheimer's Disease transgenic mice.[8]

Nicotinamide has been reported to increase the endurance of mice.[9]

Nicotinamide, or Vitamin B3, prevents immunosuppression caused by UVA and UVB radiation, and could be added to sunscreen

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotinamide

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