The good thing about topical niacinamide solution in water is that this product is very very stable against heat, light and oxygen. You can make large batches of this thing without worrying about product degradation unlike topical ascorbic acid. This thing works like topical curcumin but topical niacinamide does not stain your skin and it is not very messy to make. Topical niacinamide is an anti-inflammatory agent, skin lightening agent and a light moisturizer. You can get niacinamide capsules or tablets at your local health shop. GNC sells niacinamide as 100mg tablets. If you want to make a 5% niacinamide solution then you need to dissolve 5grams of niacinamide or 50 tablets of GNC 100mg niacinamide in 100mL of water or in a hydroalcoholic base ( 70% ethanol 30% water).

You can use rubbing alcohol as a hydroalcoholic base, just make sure it is ethyl alcohol. The hydroalcoholic base is ideal for oily skin but it is not good for dry skin. Clean first the area where you want to apply the topical niacinamide solution using soap and water to remove oil and dirt. Apply the niacinamide solution using a cotton ball.

References:

• Niacinamide: A B vitamin that improves aging facial skin appearance.Bissett DL, Oblong JE, Berge CA. The Procter & Gamble Company, Miami Valley Laboratories, Cincinnati, Ohio 45252, USA. bissett.dl@pg.com
• A. Chiu, A.B. Kimball (2003) Topical vitamins, minerals and botanical ingredients as modulators of environmental and chronological skin damage British Journal of Dermatology 149 (4), 681–691. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2133.2003.05540.x

Page last modified: December 07, 2007