I had success using a niacinamide serum on my face. My skin seemed to respond well to it, less redness, less acne, and a more even tone. So, I decided to shell out the big bucks for Nia 24's Intensive Recovery Complex, a pricey (but maybe worth the price) skin cream that is supposed to work miracles. The reviews are compelling.
For those who aren't familiar w/ Nia24, its a skin cream w/ a lipophilic version of niacin (myristyl nicotinate) that is supposed to penetrate deeper into the layers of the skin.
Since using Nia24, I've noticed a small increase in energy levels. I've used both nicotinic acid and niacinamide before as supplements and experienced something similar, although it is difficult to say whether or not this is a placebo effect.
My questions are:
- Will myristyl nicotinate be absorbed into the blood and circulate to other areas of the body?
- What kind of effects will a lipophilic niacin have compared to regular nicotinic acid and/or niacinamide? Will it have a longer half-life? Enhanced penetration across the BBB?
- Have lipophilic niacin derivates (dodecyl or myristyl nicotinate) ever been used orally?
I've searched online and the research seems to be limited to topical myristyl nicotinate's effect on skin.
But, consider how much niacin you are applying to your skin:
The Intensive Recovery Complex is a 5% cream.
The box doesn't list volume (50mL/1.7 fl oz) but let's say the weight is 100 grams.
That's 5 grams of myristyl nicotinate in 100 grams cream.
Molecular weights
Myristyl Nicotinate = 319.5 g/mol
Nicotinic Acid = 123.11 g/mol
So that's roughly 1.9 grams of niacin in 100 grams of cream.
If you use 1 gram on your skin every day that's about 19 mg of niacin every day.
If you assume all of that is absorbed into your body, that's almost 120% of your RDA for Niacin!
This is still a small amount compared to how much niacin is in B-vitamin complexes. But, what if lipophilic niacin is more biologically active? Maybe this could have a strong effect on the body/brain too, not just skin.
