Body & Beauty / Compounds / Niacinamide (Vitamin B3)

Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) on your skin: a safety profile

Low risk

(People-specific data is limited; this page draws from human adult context.) Vitamin B3; flushing reaction at high oral doses (>500mg); generally well-tolerated at 2-5% in skincare; trending active ingredient

What is niacinamide (vitamin b3)?

Also known as: nicotinamide, niacinamide, 3-Pyridinecarboxamide, pyridine-3-carboxamide.

CAS number
98-92-0
Molecular formula
C6H6N2O
Molecular weight
122.12 g/mol
SMILES
C1=CC(=CN=C1)C(=O)N
PubChem CID
936

Risk for people

Low risk

Vitamin B3; flushing reaction at high oral doses (>500mg); generally well-tolerated at 2-5% in skincare; trending active ingredient

Regulatory consensus

1 regulatory bodyhas classified Niacinamide (Vitamin B3).

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
Regulatory Framework—Regulated under dietary supplement frameworks (DSHEA in US, EU Novel Food)

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where you encounter niacinamide (vitamin b3)

  • Personal Care — moisturizer, serum, sunscreen
  • Consumer Products — supplements, energy drinks

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Niacinamide (Vitamin B3):

  • Food-based nutrient sources; Whole food diet
    Trade-offs: Alternative approach; specific tradeoffs depend on application context, scale, and regulatory requirements. Full hazard assessment of alternative recommended before adoption to avoid regrettable substitution.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×

Frequently asked questions

What products contain niacinamide (vitamin b3)?

Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) appears in: moisturizer (Personal care); serum (Personal care); supplements (Consumer products); energy drinks (Consumer products).

See Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) in the body app

Look up products containing niacinamide (vitamin b3), compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

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Sources (1)
  1. PubChem Compound Database (2026) — database

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →