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Niacinamide and Retinol Used Together: Benefits & How to Use

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Niacinamide and retinol can be safely used together in the skincare routine. In fact, using niacinamide with retinol can counteract some of the side effects of retinol. You can either use a product that contains both retinol and niacinamide or use separate products with these ingredients.

Benefits of using retinol and niacinamide together.

Let’s talk in detail about what niacinamide and retinol are, why using niacinamide and retinol together is great, and how to include them in your routine.

Table of Contents

Niacinamide for skin

Niacinamide is sprinkled into almost every skincare product these days. You can find it in serums, essences, mists, moisturizers, sunscreen, and even face cleansers. Most people don’t have any issues with niacinamide since it is very well tolerated.

Benefits of niacinamide

It can benefit our skin in numerous ways.

  • It is a great anti-oxidant and can protect our skin from free radicals and oxidative stress. 
  • It can enhance our skin barrier by stimulating the formation of ceramides in our skin. It can decrease transepidermal water loss and increase the moisture content of the skin. The result is well-hydrated skin.  
  • It can decrease redness and calm down the skin.
  • It can decrease the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and improve texture. 
  • It can decrease the sebum output which can be helpful for acne. 
  • It can improve hyperpigmentation by preventing the transfer of melanin pigment to skin cells.

Niacinamide is such an all-rounder. So, basically, it can help us with the following skin concerns

  • Acne
  • Photoaging
  • Fine lines and wrinkles
  • Post-Inflammatory Erythema
  • Pores
  • Rosacea
  • Hyperpigmentation

Studies showing benefits of niacinamide

  • A 2002 study showed that niacinamide can significantly decrease hyperpigmentation after 4 weeks of use. 
  • A 2006 study showed that a moisturizer with 2% niacinamide can reduce sebum levels on the skin. 
  • A 2005 study suggests that niacinamide moisturizer can be useful for rosacea by enhancing the skin barrier.
  • A 2005 study showed that a 5% niacinamide formulation when used twice daily for 12 weeks can improve fine lines and wrinkles, dark spots, redness, and yellowish appearance of skin (sallowness).

Niacinamide at 4% concentration has been compared to 1% clindamycin gel for the treatment of inflammatory acne vulgaris in two studies.

  • One done in 1995 showed that 4% nicotinamide gel and 1% clindamycin gel are of comparable efficacy in treating acne. 
  • The second study was done in 2013 and showed that both were effective in treating inflammatory acne. Nicotinamide was more effective in oily skin types and clindamycin in non-oily skin types.

Side effects of niacinamide

Niacinamide is a very well-tolerated ingredient. However, some people with damaged skin barriers or with rosacea flare may feel a stinging sensation. 

In addition, these days we see a lot of skincare products with high concentrations of niacinamide which can cause sensitivity and redness in some people. If you look into research, most studies used a concentration of 2-5%. So, you don’t need high concentration to get its benefits.

If you are able to tolerate a higher concentration of niacinamide, well and good. Otherwise, look for a product with a concentration of around 5% or less. 

Retinol for skin

Retinol is a synthetic form of Vitamin A and falls under the group “retinoids”. Retinol is the most commonly available over-the-counter retinoid. There are many skincare products you can choose from.  

Why does everyone recommend retinol? The simple answer is we have data that shows that it can benefit our skin in numerous ways.

Benefits of Retinol

Retinol once inside our skin cells gets converted to the active form, all-trans-retinoic acid. This eventually affects the genes responsible for cell differentiation. All this results in an increased turnover of cells.

This can benefit our skin in numerous ways:

  • It prevents the plugging of our pores with dead skin cells and can decrease acne.
  • It increases the flow of oxygen into our pores which prevents the growth of bacteria Cutibacterium acnes.
  • It speeds up the removal of pigment from our skin, fading dark spots.
  • It improves the texture of the skin
  • It gives a refined look to pores, meaning pores look small.

In addition, it has antioxidant properties and can protect our skin from free radicals and oxidative stress. It also decreases inflammation which can help with acne.

Collagen is the main protein in the dermis (the layer just beneath the epidermis). It provides strength to our skin. Retinol can protect this collagen from UV rays and at the same time stimulate the formation of collagen. This can improve fine lines and wrinkles.

Studies that show the benefits of retinol

Studies suggest that it is effective for aging, acne, hyperpigmentation, and improving skin texture just like retinoic acid but with a better tolerance profile.

  • In one 8-week study, a stabilized 0.1% retinol-containing moisturizer when used once daily improved lines and wrinkles, pigmentation, elasticity, firmness, and overall photodamage.
  • One study compared retinoic acid (0.1%) with retinol (0.1%) and found that they both produce similar changes in the skin, gene expression, and collagen synthesis. So, although retinol is not as strong as prescription retinoid – retinoic acid or tretinoin, it can still benefit our skin.

Side effects of retinol

With all the numerous benefits of retinol, there are some side effects associated with it. 

As our skin adjusts to retinol, there is a phase where it can cause dryness, redness, stinging, and peeling. This is often referred to as retinol uglies or retinol peeling. In people with sensitive skin, these symptoms can be more prominent.

Introducing retinol slowly in the skincare routine can help with these side effects.

Benefits of using them together

The discussion above shows us that both retinol and niacinamide can do the same things for our skin – like improve texture, refine the appearance of pores, help acne, fade dark spots, and help with fine lines and wrinkles.

The way they both do that is different. Niacinamide is easily tolerable, can soothe the skin, and enhances the skin barrier.

Retinol is not easily tolerated by everyone and can cause some barrier disruption, especially when you start using it. Although, as time goes by it can actually strengthen your skin.

So, combining both these can help us tolerate retinol better and in fact, the results will be enhanced as we have two great ingredients working in the same direction.

I am just not saying it, we also have some studies and research data that show it.

Research data

Below are the studies which show the benefits of using niacinamide and retinol together.

A study from 2008 done on cultured skin cells suggests that pre-treating skin with niacinamide before using retinoic acid can protect our skin barrier and help us tolerate retinoic acid better.

As I mentioned before, retinol once inside our skin cells is converted to retinoic acid, the active form (aka tretinoin). So, in a way, niacinamide can help us tolerate retinol as well.

Now the next study is the one most commonly mentioned when we talk about using retinol and niacinamide together.

This is a study from 2006, which evaluated two moisturizers for a total of 10 weeks. The study was divided into two phases: first 2 weeks and then the next 8 weeks.

Of the two moisturizers – one was a plain moisturizer while the second was a moisturizer with vitamins: niacinamide, panthenol, and tocopheryl acetate. 

The patients were told to apply one moisturizer to one half of the face and a second to the other half of the face for the first two weeks. These two weeks were called pre-conditioning.

After two weeks, tretinoin cream 0.025% was introduced into the routine. They used tretinoin cream on the full face and around 5 minutes later, they used the designated moisturizer on each half of the face. 

The results showed:

  • The side using a moisturizer with niacinamide was able to tolerate tretinoin better. 
  • In addition, using tretinoin with niacinamide-containing moisturizer led to superior results – improvement in superficial fine lines/wrinkles, mottled pigmentation, blotchiness, and cheek texture/roughness.

One thing that is often overlooked is that in this study, the niacinamide moisturizer also had panthenol. Panthenol is a great ingredient and can enhance our skin barrier as well. So, probably panthenol and niacinamide both helped the skin barrier and led to superior results in this study.

But if you look into the first study which was done on cultured cells – that gives us more convincing evidence that niacinamide can help us tolerate retinol better, since in that study niacinamide was the only barrier-repairing ingredient.

There are two more studies where retinol and niacinamide were used together along with other ingredients.

A 2016 study suggests that combining a retinol cream with niacinamide, hexylresorcinol, and resveratrol can improve skin tone and brightness, and signs of aging.

A 2012 study suggests that using retinol with nicotinamide, and 7-dehydrocholesterol can be effective for acne.

How to use

Another puzzle is introducing them into your skincare routine. There is no right or wrong way of doing this.

Most retinoids are stable at a pH of around 6-7 and niacinamide is stable at a pH of 6. So, they both can work at a similar pH. 

Niacinamide is a well-tolerated ingredient and can be safely used twice every day. Retinol on the other hand is best when used nightly, 

Our skin does the repair work at night and retinol is sensitive to light. So, it may degrade if used during the day unless the product has the stabilized form of retinol.

Using retinol twice every day can be too much for anyone so I would not recommend that.

You can introduce it in the following ways:

1. Start using niacinamide twice daily 2-4 weeks before you plan on introducing retinol into your skincare routine. Niacinamide will strengthen your skin barrier and you will be able to tolerate retinol much more easily. In fact, the research suggests this as well.

2. Introduce your retinol in your night skincare routine and keep using niacinamide both morning and night.

3. If you don’t like layering products, use niacinamide in the morning and retinol at night. Alternatively, if you want to use both together you can look for a product that contains both niacinamide and retinol.

Which one to use first

If your serum has both niacinamide and retinol, that’s it. You don’t need a separate additional niacinamide serum or skincare product.

If you want to layer two products: one with niacinamide and one with retinol. There are two ways of doing it.

One way is going by consistency, thinnest to thickest. Most of the time niacinamide serums have a thinner consistency as compared to retinol serum. So, use your niacinamide serum, let it dry (5-7 minutes), apply retinol serum, and follow with a moisturizer. 

If niacinamide is part of your moisturizer then use it after retinol serum. However, make sure to use retinol on dry skin to decrease side effects. 

The other way to look at it is – how sensitive your skin is!!

If you are new to retinol:

  • Use your niacinamide serum and moisturizer. Let it dry and then apply retinol.
  • Or Use niacinamide serum, let it sink or dry, apply retinol, and then follow with a moisturizer.

In both these cases, your niacinamide serum or moisturizer will act as a buffer and protect from the side effects of retinol.

If your skin is used to retinol, you can use retinol and niacinamide wherever you want in your routine. Just make sure to let them sink in before moving to the next product.

The key point here is – to apply retinol to dry skin, let your niacinamide serum or retinol serum sink in, and then move to the next step. Usually, it takes just 5 minutes for the skin to dry in between steps.

Key points

  • Make sunscreen part of your daily routine and reapply as required.
  • Before starting retinol, start using niacinamide serum or moisturizer (ideally twice daily) 2-4 weeks ahead of time to strengthen your skin barrier.
  • Start using retinol slowly, just 1-2 times per week, and increase as tolerated (use a pea size).
  • Keep using niacinamide twice a day before applying retinol. It will act as a barrier against the side effects of retinol. Let your niacinamide serum sink in (give 5-7 minutes) before applying retinol. 
  • If you are using niacinamide-containing moisturizer, use it after retinol. However, make sure to apply retinol to dry skin. 
  • If you want to use niacinamide just once daily, you can use it either morning or evening. You don’t need to use retinol and niacinamide at the same time. 
  • If you are using a product that contains both retinol and niacinamide, that is adequate. You don’t need to add a separate serum.

Summary

Retinol and niacinamide are two ingredients that can help our skin in multiple ways. In fact, they both do the same things but in their own unique way.

Using retinol and niacinamide together, can not only help us tolerate retinol better but in fact, the results will be enhanced. 

There are many products that already have this combination or you can use two separate products to include these in your routine. Make sure to let one product sink into the skin before applying the next one.

Read more articles on retinoids:

References

Disclaimer: This blog post is for information purposes only and does not replace medical advice.

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