Active Ingredients: Vitamin B

Up next on the ABCs of vitamins is Vitamin B, an ingredient umbrella that has quite literally become the holy grail for many skins out there.

You might already be aware of Vitamin B but never realized it. One of the most popular ingredients in the skincare market now is a type of Vitamin B, and it is called Niacinamide or also known as Vitamin B3. The Vitamin B family tree can be quite intimidating due to the how many different types there are. A total of 8 Vitamin B varieties to be exact. Something special about the Vitamin B varieties is that they work and benefit our body and our skin in different ways, which is what makes them even more intimidating and confusing. Vitamin B can be derived from our diet, supplements and topical applications for cosmetic purposes.

Although there are a range of benefits, we’ll only be talking about skincare benefits of Vitamin B. In skincare, Vitamin B is largely used as an antioxidant to mainly treat concerns like anti-aging and soothing sensitive skin. The most commonly used Vitamin B are B3 (niacinamide) and B5 (panthenol).

Benefits

We’ve provided a short summary of the benefits of all 8 Vitamin B types.

B1: AKA Thiamine. Suitable for sensitive, dry and acne-prone skin. It can also reduce fine lines and wrinkles.

B2: AKA Riboflavin. More suitable if you’re looking to improve your complexion and balancing the skin’s sebum production.

B3: AKA Niacinamide. Support the skin’s barrier, protects against environmental threats and balancing oil production. It is also antibacterial which makes it great to prevent breakouts. Suitable for all skin types. Click here for more info on Niacinamide.

B5: AKA Pantothenic acid. Balances the skin, increases moisture levels, and soothes redness and inflammation due to its wound healing properties.

B6: AKA Pyridoxine. Great for skin concerns related to hormonal imbalances like hormonal acne and inflammation.

B7: AKA Biotin. Revitalizes the skin, great for those concerned with dullness and aging skin.

B9: AKA Folic acid. Purifies the skin, great for those with congested skin.

B12: AKA Cobalamin. Works to diminish pigmentation and even out the skin, contributing to radiant skin.

Common benefits

Very stable

One of the reasons why Vitamin B is a favorite choice in skincare is that they aren’t easily compromisable, unlike Vitamin C which easily destabilizes when in contact with water or UV rays.

Protects the skin

All Vitamin B variants are rich in antioxidants that protects the skin from free radicals and environmental stressors which often lead to premature aging, a weakened skin barrier and dehydration. Making it a great ingredient for all skin types, even dry and eczema skin.

What to note?

Vitamin B can be used in conjunction with almost all ingredients but at low concentrations. If mixing with acids like AHAs, BHAs, PHAs, Vitamin C and etc, all ingredients should be at lower concentrations to prevent skin irritation. It is important to start slow and small, you can slowly build your skin’s tolerance and increase potency over consistent use.
As with all new ingredients and products, we advise people to conduct a patch test 24-48 hours prior in any case of any allergic/sensitive reaction.

Products we recommend and where to find them

Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide)

Vitamin B5 (Panthenol)

Hair Care

Dr.FORHAIR Folligen Series utilizes Vitamin B as one of its main ingredients that helps to prevent hair loss, thickens the hair and strengthen the hair by revitalizing the roots. It is also free from silicone, parabens and sulphates.

Bottom line is that Vitamin B is a truly versatile ingredient that can be found in an array of skincare products. It is key to helping support and maintain your skin’s health, as well as benefitting the skin in more than one way such as balancing, brightening, hydrating and importantly being suitable for virtually almost all skin types. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment down below.

The Conversation