Niacinamde ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is a water-soluble skin-conditioning active used to support barrier feel, tone-evening claims, and oil-control positioning in leave-on formulas. It also functions as a supportive humectant-adjacent ingredient in aqueous serums, creams, and lotions.
What does Niacinamde do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is a water-soluble skin-conditioning active used to support barrier feel, tone-evening claims, and oil-control positioning in leave-on formulas. It also functions as a supportive humectant-adjacent ingredient in aqueous serums, creams, and lotions.
Is Niacinamde clean?
This ingredient is widely accepted in clean-beauty frameworks and is not a common restricted-list concern. It is generally well tolerated, though higher-use leave-on formulas can cause temporary stinging or flushing in some users.
Is Niacinamde sustainable?
This material is typically made by chemical synthesis, sometimes from petrochemical-derived starting materials and sometimes through more renewable routes. It is water soluble, not expected to bioaccumulate, and has a more favorable environmental profile than persistent conditioning polymers or silicones.
Is Niacinamde COSMOS-approved?
It may be permitted in COSMOS-natural and COSMOS-organic formulas when the grade meets the standard’s origin, manufacturing, and documentation requirements. From a Green Chemistry view, it scores best when made with cleaner synthesis or fermentation-linked inputs, and less strongly when conventional fossil-derived feedstocks dominate.
How does Niacinamde work chemically?
The molecule is a small, polar pyridine carboxamide that dissolves readily in water and is commonly used in leave-on skin care around 2% to 5%, with some formulas going higher. It is generally stable around mildly acidic to neutral pH, but very low or high pH and excessive heat can increase conversion to related acidic species that may raise flushing potential.
Last updated 2026-05-14