Earlier this month, OLAY, the global skincare leader brand of P&G, released a breakthrough in scientific research on niacinamide and its application - niacinamide can efficiently repair cell DNA light damage and combat photoaging.

Research history of niacinamide

In 1994, OLAY started the study of niacinamide

In 1996, for the first time, the clinical demonstration of niacinamide's "universal boost" effect officially started the study of niacinamide +

In 2001, niacinamide was first proposed to promote collagen synthesis by increasing the level of NAD+, and finally applied to anti-aging effect

In 2002, OLAY officially started the era of niacinamide whitening, revealing for the first time that niacinamide as a skin care ingredient can improve skin color by inhibiting the mechanism of melanin transport, and the research on the four major pathways of whitening was officially started

The efficacy of nicotinamide as a barrier repair was first discovered in 2003

In 2004, it was found that 5% nicotinamide had the characteristics of the best efficacy, concentration, mild and non-irritating, ending the concentration competition

2005 for 5% niacinamide and anti-aging, whitening full efficacy of clinical evidence

It was first proposed in 2006 that nicotinamide has the effect of inhibiting oil secretion

In 2009, for the first time, the four whitening pathways were introduced to the market

In 2013, UV exposure to mitochondrial DNA damage of skin cells was first revealed, and the relationship between NAD (P) and skin aging was first explored through non-invasive clinical studies

In 2014, OLAY systematically summarized and published research progress on the relationship between niacinamide and NAD+, revealing the important role of niacinamide as a precursor fragment of NAD+ in maintaining skin homeostasis

In 2016, the study on the relationship between niacinamide and aging in human skin keratinocytes was officially launched

In 2017, the study on the mechanism of niacinamide prevention of photoaging was officially started

In 2019, it officially published the application of niacinamide in the field of anti-aging in the homeostasis effect of regulating proliferation and differentiation in skin cells

In 2020, the anti-sugar and anti-yellowing era will be opened, and it will be found for the first time that yellowing caused by skin glycation is one of the important factors affecting skin color, and it will be innovated to study glutin and reveal its application in skin care product formulations

The autophagy function of niacinamide epidermal keratinocytes was first discovered in 2020

In 2022, the anti-photoaging ability of niacinamide was officially published, further revealing the anti-aging related research of niacinamide in the skin layer

In 2022, the theory of the four major whitening pathways will be broken through, and the research on the melanin mother will be carried out for the first time, bringing the research of whitening science to the cell level

In 2023, the new function of tranamine acid was first discovered and innovatively applied to nicotinamide formulation

1, many people still stay in the impression that niacinamide whitening effect is significant. In fact, at the very beginning, P&G scientists studied the effects of nicotinamide on tyrosinase activity, melanin production, cell number, and so on, and found no effect. The whitening principle of niacinamide can only be explained from the aspect of inhibiting melanin transport.

2. P&g explained that the whitening principle of niacinamide was to inhibit the transfer of melanin from melanocytes to keratinocytes, but did not answer how to inhibit melanin and where the inhibited melanin ultimately went, leading to the emergence of the statement that "stopping niacinamide will return to black". Until a study by Kao in 2013 showed that melanin can be digested and broken down by autophagic lysosomes in keratinocytes, and niacinamide, as an autophagy activator, can accelerate this process.

3, Based on the research of many scientists at home and abroad, it has been proved that niacinamide has moisturizing, oil control, whitening, repair, anti-aging and other effects, can be described as a versatile player.

4. There are two intercepting lines for the addition ratio of niacinamide. One is 2%, the most cost-effective, the efficacy curve will rise rapidly with the increase of content; One is 5%, with the best efficacy, concentration, mild and non-irritating characteristics.

5, many brands will mention the purity of nicotinamide, which is very important. The main problem is that niacin as an impurity of niacinamide, the current process can not be completely avoided, can only reduce the content of niacin as much as possible. The higher the content of niacin, the stronger the irritation, the more allergic reactions.