Nicotinamide is the water-soluble amide of nicotinic acid. According to a report in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science, it is involved in numerous oxidation-reduction reactions in mammalian biological systems; essentially it acts as an antioxidant and it increasingly is gaining interest in the prevention and treatment of several skin diseases.
As a component of two coenzymes—nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate—the ingredient currently is established in the care of acne-prone skin, according to the report. Nicotinamide or niacin, also known as vitamin B3 according to Wikipedia.org, is essential to metabolism in the living cell and DNA repair. Severe lack of niacin causes the deficiency disease pellagra, whereas a mild deficiency slows down the metabolism, which in turn decreases cold tolerance and is a potential contributing factor towards obesity.