Ingredient Spotlight: Niacinamide vs. Azelaic Acid for Reducing Redness

Skin redness might not seem like a big deal – but to anyone who’s tried countless over-the-counter cures to get rid of those blotchy patches of rosy skin, it really is. Skin redness – or Rosacea – can be a stubborn condition to treat, but fortunately with the help of MiQuest personalised skincare it is possible to tame it. In this article, you’ll discover -

• The two skincare ingredients that will be your new best friends
• How they work differently
• How you can easily weave them into your skincare routine so they can get to work

When treating skin redness it’s important to take things gently. Skin that is prone to developing red patches is often highly sensitive and can be triggered into reacting when using harsh skincare products.  

With that in mind, MiQuest has developed a personalised skincare routine that will calm and soothe this skin condition.

Understanding Niacinamide

At MiQuest, our specialist skincare scientists work hard to formulate prescription-grade treatments that are tailored to your own specific skin concern. For skin redness and rosacea, one of the main ingredients we use is niacinamide.

Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3. When used in skincare products it can help to keep moisture locked into the skin so that any potential damage caused by a person’s environmental surroundings are kept at bay. It’s also great at boosting proteins within the skin. Further benefits include -

• Calming redness
• Minimising the appearance of pores
• Helping to tackle signs of ageing including fine lines, dark spots, and wrinkles
• Increasing skin cell turnover which can help to brighten your skin

If you’re looking to build a skincare routine that’s both kind to your skin and the environment, niacinamide is a must-try ingredient. That’s because this little secret skin weapon derives from nicotinic acid which you’ll find in various cereals and brewer’s yeast. It’s natural, gentle and has no added nasties.

Azelaic Acid: A Redness-Reducing Champion

Azelaic acid is another name to remember when it comes to reducing skin redness. It’s a dicarboxylic acid – which might sound a little scary but really isn’t as it’s a naturally-occurring acid you’ll find in cereal grains. However, when azelaic acid is used as a skincare ingredient it’s most usually engineered in a lab so that its effectiveness and stability is set to maximum.  

Azelaic acid works almost like a mild exfoliant which you can happily leave on your skin. Whilst on, it works to refine the surface of your skin, whilst at the same time unclogging pores. Another great plus point about azelaic acid is that it’s a powerful antioxidant and helps calm the skin of any sensitivity. So, when it comes to its benefits, there are multiple. The main ones being that it can -

• Work to decrease the appearance of skin imperfections such as acne marks and discolouration
• Help to refine the skin so that it achieves a more even tone
• Help to soothe the skin
• Work to reduce skin sensitivity that might cause redness or rosacea
• Azelaic acid is also antibacterial. Because of this it helps to cut down the growth of spot-causing bacteria
• Azelaic acid also works to return any skin cells that are growing abnormally in the follicle to normal

How They Work Differently

As you can appreciate, both niacinamide and azelaic acid are powerful ingredients in the battle against skin imperfections. They work wonderfully together and when used in tandem can really help to speed up the skin’s healing. While niacinamide works to repair the skin’s barrier and minimise pore size, azelaic acid calms any skin sensitivity and gets busy tackling post-blemish discolouration.

Choosing the Right Ingredient for Your Skin

If you’re considering incorporating azelaic acid and niacinamide into your skincare routine or you’re interested to find out which ingredient is the right one for your skin, then consider these pointers -

1. It needn’t be a case of azelaic acid vs niacinamide because both these skincare ingredients work well together and are generally excellently tolerated by all skin types
2. If you have overly dry skin, you might decide to plump for niacinamide over azelaic acid. This is because it’s such a gentle ingredient and works wonders on the skin’s protective barrier
3. If you do only want to use one, then in general azelaic acid is best if your skin is prone to bouts of acne, while niacinamide is good for dry or dull skin as it can help boost the protective barrier

However, if you’re looking to combat signs of redness or rosacea then using both ingredients together can accelerate the healing process and really maximise the benefits of these gentle yet powerful ingredients.

If you’re still unsure, then with MiQuest it’s easier than ever to find the right answer for your own specific skin concern. Our AI-empowered dermatologists provide tailored, personalised prescriptions that are designed just for you. With our products, there’s no trial and error – we use state-of-the-art scanning technology to profile your skin and match it up with the ingredients it needs to look its best.

Incorporating Niacinamide and Azelaic Acid into Your Skincare Regime

It’s easy to build niacinamide and azelaic acid into your skincare regime with MiQuest. That’s because we’ve got rid of any guesswork. When you choose MiQuest, you’ll receive your prescription treatment direct to your door.  

In the morning, you cleanse, moisturise and apply your SPF. In the evening, you cleanse, moisturise, and then apply your Q Stick (which contains your personalised formulation). It couldn’t be easier!  

What’s more, because you’ll be using a formulation that’s been customised just for you, you can rest assured you’re getting exactly what your skin needs, when it needs it.

Conclusion

If redness and rosacea are getting you down, don’t sit there and suffer. Turn to the best skincare heroes for the job: niacinamide and azelaic acid.  

Featuring bacteria-busting, skin soothing, and moisture-locking properties, plus skin cell boosting benefits, they’re a must if you’re looking to calm redness and keep it at bay.  

For a treatment that’s uniquely designed for you, discover MiQuest’s impressive, personalised skincare solutions that come straight to your door when you need them.