Can Niacinamide and Azelaic Acid be Used Together?
When it comes to layering certain ingredients, you’ll often find that certain ingredients work together to make skin look and feel as healthy as possible. Niacinamide and Azelaic Acid are two powerful ingredients that work effectively on the skin, targeting different areas of the skin. However, the question that arises is: how can Niacinamide and Azelaic Acid be used together?
Before we dive in, let’s briefly remind ourselves what these ingredients are and what benefits they have for the skin.
What is Azelaic Acid?
It is derived from barley, wheat, and rye and is naturally found in yeast in the skin.
Azelaic acid, often mistakenly considered a member of the alpha-hydroxy acid or beta-hydroxy acid family, exfoliates the outer layer of the skin.
Fights the accumulation of dead skin cells, dirt, debris, and other environmental influences that can clog pores and cause blackheads and other skin imperfections.
Azelaic acid is rich in antimicrobial properties and can effectively fight the acne-causing bacteria Propionibacterium acnes.
Helps reduce inflammation, i.e. it fights rosacea and other skin inflammations, including acne and other breakouts.
Targets areas of hyperpigmentation and dark spots for an overall improved, more radiant complexion.
Azelaic acid is rich in antioxidants that fight damage caused by the action of free radicals, such as: B. environmental pollution, UV radiation and central heating, that occurs on the skin.
Azelaic acid concentrations typically vary between 15% and 20%, with lower percentages found in over-the-counter formulas.
If you would like to learn more about azelaic acid, read our dedicated blog post.
What is Niacinamide?
Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3 that can be sourced naturally from things like brewer’s yeast and grains.
Helps stimulate collagen production for plumper, more youthful-looking skin and reduced signs of fine lines and wrinkles.
Targets signs of hyperpigmentation, sun damage and age spots. It does this by blocking melanosome transfer, which inhibits the formation of further hyperpigmentation on the skin’s surface.
Regulates and balances sebum production, making it an effective ingredient for those prone to acne and breakouts.
Rich in antioxidants, it protects the skin from oxidative stress on the face.
Contains anti-inflammatory properties that reduce redness, blotchiness, and uneven texture on the skin’s surface.
Increases cell turnover rates, ensuring a more even, radiant complexion.
Read our blog post to learn more about Niacinamide.
How to Use Niacinamide and Azelaic Acid Together?
The easiest way to determine how to use Niacinamide and Azelaic Acid together is to consider the ingredients’ formula. What I mean by this is that you need to be mindful of the order in which you use your skincare products for the best results. It’s generally considered best to start with the dilute concentration and work your way up to the thickest.
You’ll often find Azelaic Acid mixed into products like toners and serums. Niacinamide is usually found mostly in serums, where it provides extra hydration to the skin, especially after using an exfoliating toner like Azelaic Acid.
Can Azelaic Acid be mixed with Niacinamide?
Yes, you can! Supposedly, mixing Niacinamide and Azelaic Acid is an easy way to help the skin and counteract any possible dryness caused by a chemical peel.
Due to the effectiveness of the combination of both ingredients, there are few side effects when stacking these active ingredients. However, everyone’s skin is different, and you should keep this in mind if your skin is irritated. Therefore, I recommend that you always consult your doctor or dermatologist to find the formula that best suits you and your skin’s needs.
Should I use azelaic acid or niacinamide first?
This depends on the consistency of the formula in which the ingredients are mixed. You will find azelaic acid often found in products such as exfoliating toners or cleansers. These are applied to the skin at the beginning of your skincare routine. A serum rich in niacinamide can then be used, which draws moisture from around the face into the skin and holds it there due to its moisturizing properties.
The skin’s lipid barrier needs moisture to stay strengthened and protect the skin from free radicals such as pollution, UV rays, central heating and other environmental influences.
What not to mix with niacinamide?
There are several outdated studies that suggest that niacinamide should be avoided in combination with vitamin C. As I mentioned, this is the result of outdated research that explains that vitamin C is too unstable as a skin ingredient. Niacinamide and Vitamin C, both of which contain a lot of antioxidants, are also thought to counteract each other, rendering these powerful energy sources useless.
Despite this, the beauty industry has made incredible progress, and new formulas containing stabilized versions of Vitamin C are constantly emerging. You will also find some brands and their formulas that contain a powerful blend of Niacinamide and Vitamin C.
When should you use Azelaic Acid on a regular basis?
Once you have built up a tolerance to Azelaic Acid, you can use Azelaic Acid twice a day in your daily routine. Depending on the formula containing Azelaic Acid will determine when you should use it in your daily routine. As I mentioned, the thicker the consistency, the later you should use it in your daily routine. The reason for this is that you want to avoid forming a physical barrier on the skin that prevents other active ingredients from penetrating the skin.
Fortunately for many of us, Azelaic Acid is suitable for all skin types and can be easily incorporated into your daily routine. If you are concerned, though, you can do a 24-hour patch test on your skin before applying the solution to your entire face. This way you can avoid unwanted side effects and find the product that works best for your daily routine.
That’s it. I hope I’ve answered all of your questions about using niacinamide and azelaic acid together. If you have any additional questions, feel free to visit me on Instagram.
