Niacinamide, Tea Tree Oil, and Japanese Root Extract: The Three Hero Ingredients to Combat Acne

Niacinamide: The Skin Saviour

What Is It?

Niacinamide, a derivative of Vitamin B, embodies multitasking and resourcefulness. It is a multi-faceted active ingredient which is water soluble and can be mixed with other ingredients for the maintenance of your skin’s health, strength, and oil regulating mechanisms.

What Are Its Main Benefits?

Niacinamide is a versatile ingredient that helps the skin in multiple ways, like minimising enlarged pores, regulating sebum production, strengthening the epidermal barrier, controlling acne, alleviating the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, reducing dullness, and replenishing damaged skin cells with vitamins and nutrients. This superhero ingredient is safe for all skin types and is pretty resourceful for people dealing with stubborn skin issues. Niacinamide has a plethora of skin benefits, and some have been penned down below:

1.Regulates the production of sebum and oil: Skin has sebaceous glands which are responsible for producing sebum and keeping the skin lubricated. However, if the production of sebum goes into overdrive, it plugs the pores with oil, dirt and other bacteria and result in acne.

2.Minimises the appearance of pores: Pores are tiny openings that hold hair follicles on the surface of the skin. Underneath them are sebaceous glands responsible for keeping the skin soft and moisturised. However, an excess of oil/sebum could create havoc and result in acne. Pimples, white heads and black heads crop out of these pores. Whiteheads and pustules are filled with pus - a white, sticky substance, causing inflammation and redness around their circumference. Larger pimples could lead to the enlargement of pores, where the pores keep getting bigger giving the whitehead or pustule some space to sit. Niacinamide has moisture retaining properties that minimise the appearance of these enlarged pores and bring them back to their original size.

3.Delays the signs of ageing: Our skin is perpetually working overtime to protect itself from oxidative stress, harmful UVA rays, pollution, dust, etc. In spite of your best efforts to fortify your skin, its elasticity, strength and composition is still constantly compromised. Niacinamide has the capability to stimulate collagen production, repair damaged skin cells, replenish skin with healthy nutrients and vitamins, and retain moisture. In its endeavour to stimulate the production of skin cells, it produces keratin, a skin protein responsible for keeping the skin tight and firm. It also produces lipids and ceramides, known as the skin’s natural defence, shielding it from external stressors. This in turn, softens the skin, diminishes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and brings skin back to its original glory.

4.Reduces redness, irritation and inflammation: This multifaceted ingredient has the chemical capacity to reduce redness and inflammation caused around acne marks due to its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.

5.Keeps the skin soft and moisturised: Niacinamide has moisture retaining properties that lock in water molecules inside the skin and supply hydration to the overall epidermal layers to keep them soft and supple.

6.Treats hyperpigmentation: Dark spots and pigmented patches are a side effect of our forced attempts to pop pimples. However, our impatience results in skin scarring that’s hard to get rid of. Enter niacinamide with its moisture-retainting ability that builds cells capable of diminishing pigmentation and simultaneously brightening the skin.

Tea Tree Oil: Nature's Antibacterial Agent

Tea tree oil is a popular household name known for its antibacterial properties in treating acne. This oil is used in almost every composition of anti-acne creams and lotions. But why the craze? What is the buzz about? And what really is tea tree oil?

What Is It?

Tea tree oil is indigenous to the Australian southern coastal region, where the oil is extracted from the steam distillation of the leaves of Australian trees, termed as tea trees. This tree/oil is also known as melaleuca by origin, and during ancient times was used by the traditional aboriginal Australian natives to treat infections, scars, and fungal spots as an antiseptic, germ killing medicine.

Tea tree oil has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties beneficial for treating acne. Advertised profusely as an aromatic and therapeutic essential spa oil, this southern coastal oil has a lot of skin care benefits too.

We all are aware that a surplus of sebum in the sebaceous glands makes the skin oily & greasy, and attracts more bacteria to sit on the surface of the skin, resulting in acne. Tea tree oil is enriched with antibacterial and antimicrobial properties that have the ability to kill the cell walls of these germs and acne building bacteria, inhibiting them from attaching to the surface of the skin.

Propionibacterium, is a bacterium responsible for increasing the amount of acne germs on the skin, causing redness, irritation, and inflammation. This bacterium is stubborn in nature, and strong enough to sit on the surface, creating havoc by growing in size and number, making it difficult to eradicate.

However, tea tree oil is composed of terpen-4-ol, a chemical compound that helps in eradicating and fighting this pathogenic bacteria, giving chemical ingredients like benzoyl peroxide a run for their money with its potency and acne-fighting properties.

Tea tree oil also has hydrating and moisture retaining properties that soothe, calm, and hydrate the skin after healing acne marks. Skin flaking, drying, and itchiness are common after-effects of all anti-acne creams, but due to tea tree oil’s natural composition and hydrating properties, it replenishes damaged skin cells, keeping the skin feeling soft and supple.

Research has shown that people using tea tree oil topically in the form of a gel or a cream have experienced significant differences in their skin. Benzoyl peroxide, an acne-fighting antidote, was once used in an experiment to compare its effectiveness with our natural antibacterial agent, tea tree oil to examine the results.

Both the gels were applied onto the faces of people with acne-prone skin. A week later, it was seen that benzoyl peroxide demonstrated faster results, but showed major side effects like sensitizing skin, as compared to our natural acne healing agent tea tree oil, that had zero side effects with no sign of inflammation or redness, but the results were visible a few weeks later.

Tips on the Safe and Effective Use of Tea Tree Oil in Skincare Routines -

Tea tree oil cannot be used independently. Its concentration is very high, and could be harsh for skin if used incorrectly. One must also never ingest tea tree oil.

Always keep in mind, tea tree oil should be incorporated into your skincare routine by diluting it with other carrier oils or purchasing products like serums, gels or moisturisers that have the ingredient in their formulation.

If you not purchasing this ingredient in a skincare product, but rather using it standalone, first dilute the essential oil with carrier oils like coconut oil, witch hazel oil, etc. Squeeze out 2-3 drops from the bottle, dilute with other carrier oils, and then apply the mixture to your acne spots like a spot treatment. Do not apply the mixture to your whole face. It is a spot fixing antidote, not a pimple inhibition mixture.

If it's in the form of a serum or moisturiser, you could apply in the morning and night 2-3 times a week to balance out excess sebum, inhibit the excessive production of oil, kill the bacteria trying to invade the sensitive surface of your skin, and keep the skin supple.

Japanese Root Extract: Traditional Wisdom for Clear Skin

Clean, natural, healthy, and clear skin has gained more prominence over illusory Instagram filters in the past few years. Japanese root extract helps soothe the skin and calm inflammation and redness, and reduce scarring that’s formed once the breakout has left your skin.. It is a derivative of Vitamin A, that regulates the sebum and oil production underneath the dermal layers of the skin and inhibits pimples from popping out on the outer surface of the skin.

This anti-inflammatory root extract protects pores from the congestion of sebum, oil and dirt and reduces your chances of getting any acne or pimples. It also helps in soothing and calming the inflammation caused by acne. It helps in the disappearance of leftover acne marks and scars as well. Enriched with ‘smart’ prebiotics, this ingredient is capable of sussing out the bad bacteria on your skin and eradicating it, without disrupting your skin’s good bacteria, ensuring a reduction in future breakouts as well.

Incorporating the Ingredients into Your Skincare Routine

Acne is a skin condition that does not leave you even in the corridors of your high school on the onset of puberty. It lives with you till you hit menopause and hovers around like a bee. Waking up to a big red zit on the most visible part of your body, the face or having sprinkles of white heads all around your forehead or having your nose covered in blackheads drilled deep inside your pores are a few situations of life that we all would very ecstatically would like to delete.

Consistency, determination and dedication are the key aspects and the building blocks for achieving clear, pimple-free and glowing skin. It is imperative that we work out a skincare routine that works for us and treats the acne while stopping it from throwing us into the vicious cycle of recurring pimples. Narrow down the ingredients, products and a workable skincare routine that will cure acne, regularise the sebum production and soothe inflammation on the skin. Niacinamide, tea tree oil, japanese root extracts, salicylic acid, are the key ingredients that play a huge role in combating acne and stubborn pimples marks.

Calm Your Zits, your skin saviour is an non-irritant, antioxidant-rich, gentle anti-acne gel that will pave the way for bidding a farewell to all those unwanted breakouts, pesky pimples and stubborn acne. It is a potent gel that has been backed by scientifically proven research and powerful luxurious ingredients that will clear out the existing acne marks and also refrain the skin from producing excess sebum and avoid future pesky breakouts.

It is an efficient spot treatment gel that can be applied in the AM and PM to see efficient and quick results.

Here’s an efficient, easy-peasy workable skincare routine that will help break-up with the breakouts and patch-up with clean, clear and glowing skin.

a. Cleanse your face diligently with a gentle cleanser that has been formulated with acne-combatting ingredients like salicylic acid, hyaluronic acid, tea tree oil and niacinamide and does not leave a desert-dry feeling on your face post wash. Find yourself a face wash that eradicates all the impurities, dirt, oil and hidden residue without stripping off the skin’s natural oils. Micro Detox Face Wash infused with tea tree oil essential, activated bamboo charcoal and lactic acid removes out all the toxins embedded deep into the pores, exfoliates the skin and tightens the pores to inhibit the sebaceous glands from going into a sebum production overdrive and control the acne from popping out:Microdetox Face Wash

b. Moisturiser is holy! Always remember that! Never fall under the fallacy of not using a moisturiser after cleansing your face. People believe that moisturiser brings in more oil to the face and gives a greasy, oil appearance which invites acne. Moisturization and hydration is needed to lubricate the face with essential oils and nutrients and also balances out the natural oil production. Use a non-comedogenic, light-weight and hydrating moisturiser that gives your skin sufficient lubrication to keep it looking and feeling soft and supple. Moongleam Previous Gel restores the skin’s luminosity, locks in the moisture without giving the skin a greasy appearance:Moongleam Precious Gel Cream

c. Apply the spot treatment anti-acne gel, cream or any acne combatting product that will erase your acne marks, calm inflammation and primarily, boost your confidence with clean, clear and healthy skin.

d. Make SPF your BFF, and never break-up! Never forget to apply your sunscreen, as the harmful UVA rays can damage your skin and exacerbate skin consequences like hyper pigmentation, acne, dark spots, fine lines and wrinkles. Sundaze, a light-weight everyday sunblock that gives you broad spectrum protection from both UVA and UVB rays without leaving a white cast on your skin. Formulated with Niacinamide, green tea and berry complex, this sunscreen glides effortlessly on your skin due to its creamy texture and leaves a comforting, soft and smooth feeling.

e. In the PM, always wash your face to remove all the dirt, oil, impurities, dust and makeup that accumulates on the skin throughout the day. Incorporate a cleanser that deeply cleans the face and removes all the gunk that gives your skin a rejuvenated experience. Fresh Forward Deep Hydrating Cleanser deeply removes all the toxins congested into the pores, regulates the sebum production and reinforces pristine skin:Fresh Forward Deep Hydrating Cleanser

f. Coming on the last step, give yourself a good night kiss with a cell regenerating, plumping, cell rejuvenating and hydrating serum or light-weight moisturiser to put your skin cells to work while slumbering off into your fantastical dreams.

Dear Acne, I Hate you”. Something we will never have to say ever again with the right products. Acne, a skin condition as small as it may seem, has huge consequences and plays with your mental health. Traumatic I must add! Eat healthy, be healthy and life will take a turn you will never want to leave hold of! Till then happy skin!