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Science doesn’t lie. And it confirms that niacinamide (vitamin B3) is effective in dealing with a variety of skin concerns including dryness, fine lines, dark spots, and redness. The best niacinamide creams make it convenient to milk the benefits of niacinamide in the form of a moisturizer. But here’s the thing; niacinamide is not what they call a rare commodity. It’s not an expensive ingredient. In fact, you probably already have it in your products without even knowing it. When that’s the case, it’s difficult to find a good niacinamide cream that stands out to deliver what it actually promises. We’re here to help!
In case you’ve missed our guide with niacinamide serums, here’s the gist. Niacinamide is a water-soluble form of vitamin B3. It has gained popularity because it offers an array of skin benefits. It reduces oil production, minimizes pores, reduces acne, and even brightens the skin.
But the fact that niacinamide is a multi-tasker does not mean that one formulation will work for everyone. Niacinamide is a tool that can be utilized in many ways. But the “sidekicks” are what makes a niacinamide cream work better for your individual skin type and concerns.
For example, if you’re looking for a niacinamide cream for its barrier-improving benefits, make sure it also contains other skin-restoring ingredients like ceramides and lipids.
Or if you want to use niacinamide for acne and pores, make sure the cream has an oil-free base with additional anti-bacterial and anti-acne ingredients.
The Best Niacinamide Creams
To help you narrow things down, below are the best niacinamide creams for all skin types and issues.
1. Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Stress Repair Face Cream
Powered by niacinamide along with an impressive number of superfoods and adaptogens, this moisturizer is multi-tasking at its best. Because superfoods like kiwi, avocado, and turmeric pack incredible nutrients with antioxidant benefits. And they help tackle several skin issues like dryness, dehydration, and free radical damage.
The adaptogens in the cream promote more resilient skin and reduce signs of aging like rough skin and fine lines. The lightweight daily moisturizer absorbs easily and plumps up the skin instantly. Whether you’re dealing with dryness, dullness, or wrinkles, this one is an overall great niacinamide cream to add to your daily skincare routine for smoother, brighter, and even skin no matter your skin type.
Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, avocado extract, squalane
Size: 2 oz/ 60 ml
Good To Know: Hypoallergenic, vegan, cruelty-free, non-comedogenic
2. Estee Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+ Night Intensive Restorative Creme
Nighttime is the best time to infuse the skin with moisture enhancers that’ll work all night to repair the skin barrier. A healthy skin barrier is better able to retain moisture and stand against wrinkle-causing elements. And this one packs just the right ingredients to repair the skin barrier and prevent transepidermal moisture loss.
And, it’s amazing for aging skin as well. It contains niacinamide topped with moisturizing oils like soybean and sweet almond as well as antioxidant-rich grapeseed oil. Additional goodies include neuropeptides to smooth wrinkles and vitamin E to reverse free radical damage.
Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, neuropeptides, grapeseed oil
Size: 1.69 oz/ 50 ml
Good To Know: Contains fragrance
3. SkinCeuticals Metacell Renewal B3
Boasting 5% niacinamide, this one is ideal to manage signs of aging like sun spots, fine lines, and loss of elasticity. With a high concentration of the super humectant glycerin, the lightweight cream instantly fills in wrinkles by increasing hydration.
Moreover, it has peptides to firm up the skin for a more youthful and smoother complexion, which makes it suitable to use as an anti-aging neck cream as well. The niacinamide moisturizer helps strengthen the skin barrier, reduce hyperpigmentation, and soften the look of fine lines.
Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, peptides, glycerin
Size: 1.7 oz/ 50 ml
4. First Aid Beauty Eye Duty Niacinamide Brightening Eye Cream
If you’re suffering from dark circles and hyperpigmentation around the eyes, niacinamide is definitely an ingredient you might want to consider having in your eye cream. It’s an amazing skin-brightener. But to amplify the effects, this eye cream contains caffeine and licorice extract, both of which are perfect for reducing the look of dark circles.
Besides, it contains anti-inflammatory green tea and feverfew extract to calm the skin around the eyes and reduce puffiness. The hyaluronic acid in the formula helps plump up the skin and diminish fine lines and wrinkles. Plus, the eye cream has a subtle peach tint to it to also give you color correction benefits that’ll reduce the look of dark circles instantly.
Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, caffeine, feverfew extract
Size: 0.5 oz/ 15 ml
Good To Know: Cruelty-free, vegan, fragrance-free
5. CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion With SPF 30
Still unrivaled, this gem is one of the best drugstore niacinamide creams you can get your hands on. It’s formulated with hydrating hyaluronic acid and barrier-restoring niacinamide and ceramides. Plus, it has your daily mineral sun protection with SPF 30.
And the light lotion form is non-comedogenic, making it ideal for all skin types. The affordable cream is fragrance-free, provides long-lasting moisture, eliminates dry and flaky skin, and gives daily protection against free radical damage.
Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, ceramides, hyaluronic acid, SPF 30
Size: 3 oz/ 89 ml
Good To Know: Oil-free, fragrance-free, non-comedogenic,
6. EltaMD AM Therapy Facial Moisturizer
This one is an oil-free daily moisturizer formulated with niacinamide to provide all the benefits without irritating the skin or causing breakouts. It replenishes the skin and prevents dehydration to stop excess oil production at its tracks. It also packs willow bark extract, which contains salicylic acid.
Salicylic acid is anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory. And it prevents the formation of breakouts and improves the look of enlarged pores by unclogging them. Additionally, the moisturizer contains vitamin C to help with acne scars and pigmentation. The fragrance-free niacinamide cream is amazing for moisturizing oily and acne-prone skin without the greasy feel.
Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, salicylic acid, vitamin C, caffeine
Size: 1.7 oz
Good To Know: Oil-free, fragrance-free, non-comedogenic, vegan
7. Caudalie Vinoperfect Instant Brightening Moisturizer With Niacinamide
Besides niacinamide, this one contains viniferine. Just like resveratrol, viniferine is a polyphenol with mad brightening and antioxidant skills. It’s effective in treating hyperpigmentation, which translates to an even skin tone.
The oil-free moisturizer with its gel texture brightens the skin and reduces dark spots. It’s formulated with hydrating hyaluronic acid and squalane to boost moisture and plump up the skin. And it leaves the skin soft, supple, and naturally radiant.
Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, viniferine, hyaluronic acid
Size: 1.6 oz/ 50 ml
Good To Know: Oil-free, contains fragrance
8. Cosmedix Humidify Deep Moisture Cream
This one is a perfect combination of humectants and emollients to hydrate and moisturize dry skin. Vitamin-rich olive oil and moisture-boosting shea butter keep dry skin soft and flake-free.
Meanwhile, ceramides and vitamin E help keep a healthy skin barrier to prevent further dryness while skin-soothers keep redness at bay. It’s an overall great moisture-boosting niacinamide cream for calming and replenishing dry skin and restoring the damaged skin barrier.
Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, shea butter, ceramides, colloidal oatmeal
Size: 2.6 oz
Good To Know: Cruelty-free
9. Necessaire The Body Lotion
This one is a super restorative body lotion to moisturize all over and eliminate dry and flaky skin. Besides niacinamide, it’s formulated with softening emollients like shea butter and jojoba oil to lock moisture in.
And it has antioxidant-rich botanicals like green tea and apple extract to infuse the skin with phytonutrients post-shower. Additionally, the formula has peptides to firm and tighten the skin, making this one a potent niacinamide body lotion.
Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, green tea extract, peptides
Size: 6.8 oz/ 200 ml
Good To Know: Hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic, fragrance-free, cruelty-free, vegan
10. La Roche Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer
This one is ideal for sensitive and reactive skin. The minimal cream is formulated without fragrance or oil to prevent irritation and redness, making it work for people with rosacea too.
It replenishes the skin without elevating redness or breakouts. All you get is niacinamide, ceramides, and mineral-rich thermal water to keep the skin hydrated and repair compromised skin barrier function.
Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, ceramides, glycerin
Size: 3.38 oz/ 100 ml
Good To Know: Oil-free- fragrance-free, non-comedogenic
This completes our list of the best niacinamide creams on the market. Remember, it’s all about utilizing it for your specific concern. If you’re not sure about niacinamide creams or serums, you can also try niacinamide toners for balanced, and brighter skin.
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