Do you or somebody you know suffer from both oily skin and acne? If so, it's important to treat it properly. In my practice, I have used topical niacinamide (also known as nicotinamide) for many years, and a new study is backing up my belief in its efficacy. I first became aware of topical niacinamide when my younger son was suffering from both acne and oily skin as a teenager. I was impressed with its results, and this study reveals just how effective it can be.
Researchers compared topical 4% nicotinamide and 1% clindamycin gel. Clindamycin gel is a type of antibiotic that doctors commonly use for acne. But if you have oily skin, I think nicotinamide is a better choice. At the end of this trial, the researchers agreed.
They conducted a double-blind trial on patients with moderate inflammatory acne. The participants applied either the nicotinamide or the clindamycin gel twice a day. The researchers subdivided each group into those who had oily skin and those who did not, creating four groups. The researchers evaluated their acne at week four and week eight.
For those taking nicotinamide overall, the acne grade started at an average of 5.93, decreased to 4.03 at week four, and dropped to 2.08 in week eight. The clindamycin gel group went from 5.70 to 3.85 to 2.03. But for those with oily skin, nicotinamide was more effective. Those without oily skin fared better with clindamycin gel. Neither group experienced any major side effects.
So if you're prone to acne, make sure you take your skin type into consideration when choosing a product to clear your acne. If you have oily skin, I definitely believe nicotinamide and niacinamide are the way to go. Give that a try first to see if it clears your skin.
To your health, naturally,
Janet Zand
Source:
Int J Dermatol. 2013 Aug;52(8):999-1004. doi: 10.1111/ijd.12002. Epub 2013 Jun 20.