Old me, meet new me.

After what seemed like an eternity, but was a mere 12 years or so, I got my ears re-pierced so I can wear earrings again. For some reason, I’d stopped wearing them after almost 30 years and the holes closed up.

(Psst…I told the story of my initial ear piercing in last week’s blog article here.)

Long story short, I’d gotten one lobe pierced during my freshman year of college on a trip back home to Connecticut. Looking back on it, I recognize it as a declaration of independence of sorts. Independence from my parents, from my childhood and the small-town, sheltered mentality I grew up with.

The simple act of piercing an ear was a signal – and a symbol – that I was on my own and free to make independent choices in my life. For years, a cross had dangled from my right ear screaming I’m Carmine and I’m doing me!

Then, when I moved to Los Angeles after graduation, I had the other ear pierced. I guess it must have been soon after I moved to New York to work for Kiehl’s that I just stopped wearing earrings entirely. It became trite, I guess. Or I got bored with it. The exact reasoning is a blur to me now.

Harkening back to that initial piercing, I see it as an awakening. And that’s precisely what drew me to do it again now. After a long pandemic hibernation, I’m searching for myself. Re-piercing my ears feels like a symbol of my reawakening – post-Covid.

I’m back and I’m gonna do me!

That was about mid-week. On Friday, I went to my favorite spa for a facial. Two, actually.

Pre-pandemic, on just about every Friday, I would take the afternoon off and head to the Lower East Side of Manhattan to this cool, new-age spa called the Kollectiv NYC. They offer all sorts of out-there services like an infrared sauna, ajna light therapy and IV vitamin drips. I used to love getting infusions of antioxidants like vitamin C and glutathione. I felt invigorated for days and somehow my skin seemed to glow brighter, too.

In addition to conventional facials, the Kollectiv offers cryofacials — treatments that dramatically cool down the skin in something reminiscent of jumping into a frozen lake in the middle of Iceland. Not that I’ve jumped into a frozen lake in Iceland (or anywhere!) — but I have been to Iceland and I can imagine the pure exhilaration!

So, I got a conventional facial from an amazing facialist, a die-hard New Yorker who grew up in the Lower East Side just a few minute’s walk from the Kollectiv! She did extractions and a deep-moisture infusion. But before the mud mask, I popped out of the treatment room for a cryofacial.

It was pure exhilaration and I glowed for hours. In fact, I’m still glowing…

The skincare stuff starts here.

If you’re looking to light up your complexion each day, Niacinamide should be your best friend. Sure, there are numerous active ingredients that have the power to brighten skin – among them the multiple forms of Vitamin C.

But most of the best brightening serums and face creams on the market today contain Niacinamide. There’s simply nothing as effective — and as broadly beneficial for optimizing the healthy of your skin.

In fact, one of my latest product discoveries for brightening the complexion and fading dark marks and hyperpigmentation is powered by upwards of nine brightening actives. Nine!

The Topicals Faded Serum for Dark Spots & Discoloration is infused with Niacinamide, Tranexamic Acid, Azelaic Acid, Alpha-Arbutin, Glutathione, Kojic Acid, Licorice Root Extract, Melatonin and Turmeric Root Extract — in that order. Yes, Niacinamide is the first ingredient in the formula, at the highest concentration — for a reason.

Niacinamide is the real game changer. The form of Vitamin B3 is perhaps the most under-appreciated of all skincare ingredients. It happens to be the most extraordinary and versatile, with the broadest range of skin benefits, including: antioxidant protection, clarifying and unclogging pores, retexturing the skin’s surface layer, strengthening the skin barrier and, yes, brightening the complexion.

My most recent deep dive on Niacinamide was published as 2020 came to a close. Titled Niacinamide Is the Game Changer You Need to Defend Against Skin Damage and Maintain Optimal Skin Health, the piece featured five of my favorite Niacinamide serums.

NIACINAMIDE IS THE GAME CHANGER YOU NEED TO DEFEND AGAINST SKIN DAMAGE AND MAINTAIN OPTIMAL SKIN HEALTH

Read Article

If you aren’t employing a Niacinamide serum in your daily skincare routine, you’re missing a vital opportunity to up your game and defend your skin against the aging forces of time, stress and the environment.

I’ve been using some form of Niacinamide in my own daily routines both AM and PM for about five years now. My journey began with what I consider the OG Niacinamide serum, the Paula’s Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster. With a 10% concentration of the active, it’s hands down the best anti-aging serum available today.

PRODUCT REVIEW: PAULA’S CHOICE 10% NIACINAMIDE BOOSTER – THE BEST NIACINAMIDE SERUM

Read Article

What Is Niacinamide and What Does Niacinamide Do for the Skin?

I found a comprehensive article on the form of Vitamin B3 written by the skin experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team, titled simply, How Niacinamide Helps Skin. That doesn’t do it justice! They should have titled the article, Niacinamide is the Game Changer You Need to Maximize Your Skin Health in One Step.

An excerpt from the article:

How Niacinamide Helps Skin
Niacinamide is a skin care ingredient worthy of your attention and your skin will love you for using it. Among a handful of other amazing skin care ingredients such as retinol and vitamin C, niacinamide is a standout because of its versatility for almost any skin care concern and skin type.
As many of you know about us, but for those who don’t, the conclusions we make about any ingredient are always based on what the published research has shown to be true—and the research about niacinamide unanimously demonstrates how special it is. New research keeps showing it’s one of the most exciting skin care ingredients around.
What is Niacinamide?
Also known as vitamin B3 and nicotinamide, niacinamide is a water-soluble vitamin that works with the natural substances in your skin to help visibly minimize enlarged pores, tighten lax pores, improve uneven skin tone, soften fine lines and wrinkles, diminish dullness, and strengthen a weakened surface.
Niacinamide also reduces the impact of environmental damage because of its ability to improve skin’s barrier (its first line of defense), plus it also plays a role in helping skin to repair signs of past damage. Left unchecked, this type of daily assault makes skin appear older, dull, and less radiant.
Why You Should Use Niacinamide
As you might have gathered, we’re very impressed with all that niacinamide can do for skin when applied via skin care products like toners, serums, and highly concentrated leave-on treatments. Niacinamide is uniquely compatible with any of the products in your skin care routine, including those that contain retinol, peptides, hyaluronic acid, AHAs, BHA, vitamin C, and all types of antioxidants.
You can use multiple niacinamide-containing products in your routine, and it will still be non-sensitizing as this ingenious B vitamin is well tolerated by all skin types. It’s even suitable for use by those with sensitive or rosacea-prone skin.
Other helpful benefits of niacinamide are that it helps renew and restore the surface of skin against moisture loss and dehydration by helping skin improve its natural production of skin-strengthening ceramides. When ceramides become depleted over time, skin is left vulnerable to all sorts of problems, from persistent patches of dry, flaky skin to increasingly becoming extra-sensitive.
If you struggle with dry skin, topical application of niacinamide has been shown to boost the hydrating ability of moisturizers so skin’s surface can better resist the moisture loss that leads to recurrent dry, tight, flaky skin. Niacinamide works brilliantly with common moisturizer ingredients like glycerin, non-fragrant plant oils, cholesterol, sodium PCA, and sodium hyaluronate.
How does niacinamide help pores? Great question, although the answer here isn’t certain. Simply put, research hasn’t come to a full understanding about how this B vitamin works its pore-reducing magic, but it does! It seems that niacinamide has a normalizing ability on the pore lining, and that this influence plays a role in keeping debris from getting backed up, which leads to clogs and rough, bumpy skin. As the clog forms and worsens, the pores stretch to compensate, and what you’ll see is enlarged pores. By helping things get back to normal, niacinamide use helps pores return to their normal size. Sun damage can cause pores to become stretched, too, leading to what some describe as "orange peel skin". Higher concentrations of niacinamide can help visibly tighten pores by shoring up skin’s supportive elements.

With a full understanding of the indispensable benefits of Niacinamide to a healthy skincare routine, let’s take a look at three of my latest discoveries…

First Aid Beauty | Facial Radiance Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum

I have tremendous appreciation for First Aid Beauty. It’s simply one of the most effective skincare brands for people with sensitive skin. FAB uses tried-and-true, soothing ingredients like Colloidal Oatmeal, Oat Kernel Extract, Shea Butter, Feverfew Extract, even honey, at active levels.

And nary a drop of denatured alcohol, fragrance or fragrant plant oils in any of their products.

I love that about First Aid Beauty and it’s one of the reasons that I trust them to offer some of the best skincare for sensitive skin. How many times have I seen a product claim it’s ideal for sensitive skin only to find fragrance in the INCI? Too many!

Among my favorite of the brand’s products is FAB’s Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner — a milky hydrating toner with the consistency of heavy cream.

The Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner is infused with the kind of skin-replenishing actives that I love to see in any type of skincare product — but are somewhat unusual for a toner.

Beyond ingredient number one, water, there’s lots of goodness — including high levels of replenishing Squalane, anti-bacterial honey, and Honey Ferment Filtrate.

If you deal with sensitivity, the Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner was made for you! (Read my full review of it here.)

I’m also a fan of the First Aid Beauty Eye Duty Niacinamide Brightening Eye Cream — despite the fact that it’s housed in a jar.

Regrettably, once that super well-formulated cream inside is exposed to air (and potentially bacteria from your fingers!), it begins to break down. The solution is to use it up quickly — in a matter of four weeks. A good rule for products in jars is to use them within a month of opening. After that, much of the antioxidant (and anti-aging) potency has degraded and all that’s left is a moisturizing benefit. That’s not a bad thing, of course, unless you paid for more than moisture.

The Eye Duty Niacinamide Brightening Eye Cream is infused with a concentration of about 5% Niacinamide — a healthy dose of the antioxidant power brightener. The inclusion of a truly active level of antioxidant Niacinamide for the eye area is perhaps my favorite thing about Eye Duty. But, I also like its strikingly iridescent orangish hue that helps to instantly minimize the look of under-eye dark circles.

If you’re in the market for a clean eye cream to help brighten dull skin around the eyes and to help treat dark circles, the Eye Duty Niacinamide Brightening Eye Cream is an excellent option.

So, I was naturally excited to try out the brand’s new Facial Radiance Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum. I had long hoped First Aid Beauty would introduce a Niacinamide serum for sensitive skin.

Sure, there are other Niacinamide serums that sensitive skins can tolerate. But I don’t trust anyone but First Aid Beauty to get sensitive skin right. (Ahem, about that fragrance in the INCI’s!)

Like the brand’s Ultra Repair Wild Oat Hydrating Toner, the First Aid Beauty’s Facial Radiance Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum has a unique milky texture.

In fact, it’s the only Niacinamide serum I’ve come across like it. Most have a translucent pulpy or watery texture. The benchmark for pulpier Niacinamide serums is The Ordinary’s Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%; for watery ones, it’s the OG Paula’s Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster. They’re both light enough to layer, though my preference is for watery serums.

BRANDS I LOVE: FIRST AID BEAUTY AND THE BEST FACIAL SKINCARE FOR SENSITIVE SKIN

Read Review

FAB’s Facial Radiance Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum is a pretty solid brightening serum with perhaps a 10% concentration of Niacinamide. That’s paired with Licorice Root Extract, a botanical active popular in K-beauty formulations that also happens to be one of the more popular ingredients in traditional Korean Hanbang herbal medicine.

If you’re not familiar with Hanbang herbs and the philosophy behind them, check out this terrific article titled, What Is Hanbang & Why You Need It in Your Skincare Routine.

According to the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team, Licorice Root Extract has both skin-soothing and brightening properties. Notably, “one of its components, known as glabridin, is a potent antioxidant and skin-soothing ingredient, which is why licorice often shows up in products meant for sensitive, reddened skin.”

What Is Licorice Root Extract and What Does Licorice Extract Do for Skin?

Of course the star active in FAB’s Facial Radiance Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum formula is Niacinamide, but I think its sidekick Licorice Root Extract deserves a bit of attention, particularly given the brand’s focus on formulating for sensitive skin. I found an insightful piece on all things licorice on the Byrdie website titled, Licorice Extract Can Fade Dark Spots, According to Dermatologists.

In the quest for flawless skin, few things are as problematic as dark spots. Be they from sun damage (this is why it's so important to wear sunscreen daily, people!), hormonal conditions such as melasma, or a leftover reminder of massive pimples past, nothing mars complexion perfection as much as discoloration. When it comes to fading spots, hydroquinone is the often-recommended derm favorite, available both by prescription and in lower concentrations over-the-counter.
But there are numerous drawbacks to the highly potent ingredient, which is why more and more products now rely on natural alternatives.
One of the best among them? Licorice extract, which, incidentally enough, works in a very similar way to hydroquinone.
Here, dermatologist Rita Linkner, MD, of Spring Street Dermatology in New York City and dermatologist Jennifer Chwalek, MD, of Union Square Laser Dermatology in New York City explain exactly how this natural standout gets the job done, and what else you need to know about it. Read on and see spots run.
What is Licorice Extract?
Like the sweet treat, it all comes back to the licorice plant (scientific term: Glycyrrhiza glabra...we'll just call it the licorice plant). The root of the plant has been used for medicinal purposes for years, and is where black licorice the candy comes from, but it's also the source of licorice extract used topically for skin. This extract is filled with a variety of beneficial compounds, which do everything from deliver antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects to help fade dark spots.
It's this latter effect that makes it a choice ingredient in many skin-brightening products.

In addition to soothing Licorice Root Extract, First Aid Beauty’s Facial Radiance Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum contains healthy levels of other soothing actives, including Panthenol, Chrysanthemum Parthenium (Feverfew) Extract, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, and Allantoin. Its milky texture just blankets the skin so well, whether you’re sensitive or not.

The serum’s only drawback is that it’s not entirely clean by the industry’s clean beauty standards. There are both Disodium EDTA and Tetrasodium EDTA in the formula. As with many “clean beauty” no-no’s, the jury is out on them. Disodium EDTA is used to stabilize a formula and enhance penetration of actives.

According to Credo Beauty, “Calcium Disodium EDTA, Tetrasodium EDTA, Trisodium EDTA, etc, are chelating agents, meaning that they bind to metal ions, which inactivates them. These ingredients are not linked to consumer health issues, but they might be a problem for aquatic life since they don't break down in the environment and have been found in waterways.”

If you’re not a strict clean beauty adherent and you struggle with sensitivity, FAB’s Facial Radiance Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum is a superb option and one of the best Niacinamide serums for sensitive skin.

SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum for $42 here.

BUY FIRST AID BEAUTY FACIAL RADIANCE NIACINAMIDE DARK SPOT SERUM

PRODUCT REVIEW: FIRST AID BEAUTY ULTRA REPAIR OIL-CONTROL MOISTURIZER – BEST FACE CREAM FOR OILY SKIN

Read Review

SHOP THE BLOG:

**First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum**
**Glossier Super Pure Niacinamide + Zinc Serum**
**Beauty Bay SkinHit Soothing Serum With Niacinamide And Copper**

WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW

BRANDS I LOVE: FIRST AID BEAUTY AND THE BEST FACIAL SKINCARE FOR SENSITIVE SKIN

ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE

SUBSCRIBE TO SKINCARMA ON YOUTUBE!

Glossier | Super Pure Niacinamide + Zinc Serum

I’ve kind of been admiring the Glossier brand from afar for a long time now. Even though I somewhat recognize a product’s quality (or lack thereof) by scanning the INCI, the brand just wasn’t speaking to me. It’s clearly targeted to women, which is fine. Unless you’re not a woman.

It reminds me of that television network, Lifetime. Every once in a while, a few years back, I would catch a Lifetime movie. Until they revamped and decided their TV fare was for women only. Their slogan became Lifetime, television for women. And so, I tuned out.

But I’ve recently jumped into the world of Glossier and, as suspected, I like what’s I’m seeing. In particular, the Glossier Solution Exfoliating Skin Perfector is one of my favorite exfoliating acid toners — even though it can sometimes be too harsh for my sensitive-ish skin.

PRODUCT REVIEW: GLOSSIER SOLUTION EXFOLIATING SKIN PERFECTOR – BEST SALICYLIC ACID TONER

Read Review

The Salicylic Acid in Glossier’s Solution pairs well with a healthy dose of Niacinamide for what I term “pore maintenance” — effectively flushing out and unclogging pores to optimize skin health and prevent the occurrence of acne blemishes. I firmly believe that with regular pore maintenance, pores are healthier and less visible. So for daily pore maintenance, Glossier’s Solution is good stuff.

Which brings me to the Glossier Super Pure Niacinamide + Zinc Serum. In the grand scheme of Niacinamide things, it’s not the most potent, the most effective, or the best Niacinamide serum available. It’s quite a simple formulation — with an INCI that’s just 10 ingredients deep. But it’s a solid formula, a moderate Niacinamide treatment — especially if you’re oily or acne prone.

What makes it ideal for oily, acne prone skin is the same thing that makes The Ordinary’s Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% well suited for oilier skins — the zinc.

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

What Is Zinc PCA and What Does Zinc PCA Do for Skin?

According to the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team, Zinc PCA is “a synthetic skin-conditioning ingredient derived from zinc. Research has shown it has anti-aging benefits due to its ability to thwart destructive enzymes in skin that can damage its surface and lead to an aged, wrinkled appearance.”

There is also some evidence that zinc can have a positive effect on the occurrence of acne breakouts. I found an insightful piece on Coveteur titled, Zinc Up Your Beauty Routine For Clearer Skin that I found supportive of the theory. An excerpt from the article:

For an ingredient that’s been around in beauty for legit centuries, zinc has recently become somewhat of a cool kid on the skin-care block. Known best for its use in sunscreens and anti-dandruff treatments, zinc in all its various forms is now popping up in everything from trendy skin supplements to clarifying ranges and sensitive skin creams, all claiming to help clear up breakout-prone skin, reduce redness, and restore a vivacious glow to your complexion. But is it for real? Well, that depends on who you ask.

First, a quick primer on zinc: It’s an essential mineral for your health that helps boost your immune system and can help with wound healing. Our bodies don’t naturally produce it, meaning we need to eat zinc-rich foods or supplements in order to get our recommended daily amounts—8 mg for women, and 11 mg for men.

Additionally, zinc is known for being anti-inflammatory, which is where its place in skin care comes in. “Back in the early 1970s, doctor J. C. Fitzherbert first recognized an improvement in patients’ acne when treated with zinc,” says Dr. Morgan Rabach, board-certified dermatologist and co-founder of LM Medical NYC. It was used regularly on patients during that time, but eventually fell out of favor with derms, she notes, when more effective treatments were discovered.

That doesn’t necessarily mean zinc is old news—there are actually some promising studies being conducted that show there’s more to zinc than history has shown. “Zinc and acne is an interesting avenue,” says Dr. Kenneth Howe, a Manhattan dermatologist at Wexler Dermatology and assistant clinical professor at Mount Sinai. “There is quite a bit of evidence that both topical and ingestible zinc can be helpful, from studies showing it might be toxic to the bacteria that causes acne, to people with acne [possibly having] lower levels of zinc. But this is all fringe stuff—if you do a standard medical search, you don’t get much.”

Adds Dr. Ted Lain, board-certified dermatologist and chief medical officer at Sanova Dermatology, “The exact method of how zinc helps with acne is poorly understood. However, if zinc does help with acne, it may be related to its effect on sebum production, as an antibacterial agent, and/or as an anti-inflammatory. Zinc is well-known to help a few other inflammatory conditions, like seborrheic dermatitis.”

Again, Glossier’s Super Pure Niacinamide + Zinc Serum is a simple formula. If your skin is sensitive or acne prone, simple is definitely better.

I love nearly everything in the INCI: Aqua/Water/Eau, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Propanediol, Zinc PCA, Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Extract, Citric Acid, Allantoin, Hydroxyethylcellulose.

Honestly, if the level of Niacinamide were twice what it is (10% is ideal), then Super Pure would be among the best brightening serums for oily, sensitive, and even acne prone skin.

But the fact that it’s only got a 5% concentration and no other brightening actives like Licorice or Turmeric Root Extracts, means it’s not the brightening powerhouse it could and should be.

Glossier’s Super Pure Niacinamide + Zinc Serum does a fine job at flushing out pores and perhaps preventing the occurrence of acne blemishes — making it perfect for daily pore maintenance. Interestingly, the two unusual honeysuckle extracts in the formula can help hydrate skin and prevent it from drying out if used in conjunction with harsher acne clearing treatments.

How they came up with honeysuckle but neglected licorice is beyond me. It’s one of the great skincare mysteries of all time…

SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Glossier Super Pure Niacinamide + Zinc Serum for $28 here.

BUY GLOSSIER SUPER PURE NIACINAMIDE + ZINC SERUM

SUPER LIGHT SUNSCREENS I'M CRUSHING ON FOR SPRING: BEST SUNSCREENS FOR FACE

Read Article

WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW

NEW SELFCARE TREATS FROM KAT BURKI + FARMACY BEAUTY!

ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE

SUBSCRIBE TO SKINCARMA ON YOUTUBE

Beauty Bay | SkinHit Soothing Serum With Niacinamide And Copper

I haven’t experienced much from the accessible brand, Beauty Bay. So I thought the Beauty Bay SkinHit Soothing Serum with Niacinamide and Copper was a good place to start. They’re a democratically priced brand similar to The Inkey List, The Ordinary and Good Molecules — with a whole range of serums and moisturizers under $10.

Most popular are the $9.50 Skinhit Brightening Serum with Vitamin C and Peptides and the brand’s hilariously named Thirst Class Rich Moisturiser with Oatmeal and Oat Lipid, also $9.50.

Beauty Bay’s SkinHit Soothing Serum with Niacinamide and Copper reminds me very much of the OG affordable Niacinamide serum, The Ordinary’s Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%.

Like that popular serum from The Ordinary, the Beauty Bay version has a 10% concentration of the multi-benefit active.

There’s also Zinc PCA in the Beauty Bay formula — in a rather tight INCI list. It’s as if the marketers at Beauty Bay said, “What can we do to improve on The Ordinary’s Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%?” Trust me, those conversations go on in marketing departments at big beauty companies every day. I know because I’ve been in them!

But even with its 10% Niacinamide, Zinc PCA, and affordable price point, I wouldn’t say that Beauty Bay’s SkinHit Soothing Serum with Niacinamide and Copper is an improvement on The Ordinary’s Niacinamide serum. It’s just different.

What makes it unique is both good and bad. To start, there’s an added mineral. In addition to Zinc PCA, Beauty Bay infused their serum with Copper PCA. That’s intriguing to me. Minerals can and do help to balance hydration levels in the skin. And both zinc and copper can be anti-inflammatory and even help to mitigate oil production. If you’re oily, you’ll love that.

What Is Copper PCA and Is Copper PCA Good for Skin?

According to the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team, Copper PCA is “a synthetic skin-conditioning agent composed of the copper salt of PCA (Pyrrolidone Carboxylic Acid).”

That’s not saying much coming from the experts. I was curious, so I went digging and came across a cool piece on the benefits of copper in skincare on Into the Gloss titled, Ingredient To Know: Copper.

Today's ingredient, copper, is nowhere near new. In fact, for thousands of years—all the way back to the ancient Egyptians—the element has been heralded as a “fountain of youth' of sorts. Now with the science to prove it, copper has more recently blossomed into the realm of modern skincare as the heavy hitter in various night creams, SPFs, serums, and hair restoration, mostly thanks to biochemist Dr. Loren Pickart.
Pickart was studying the effects of human aging when he discovered that the main difference between younger blood and older blood was that the healthier “youth' activity found in the former was caused by a small copper-binding peptide called GHK. “Things change with age, you know?” Pickart said. “Further studies established that GHK-copper improved the healing of skin wounds. As for cosmetic skincare, studies on women in their 50s found that GHK-copper improved skin elasticity, firmness, and thickness while reducing wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and photo-damage.” It can also be found in copper PCA, to combat inflammation. Yes, these are effective selling points.

So while the blend of Copper PCA and Zinc PCA can help address issues unique to oily skin, Beauty Bay’s SkinHit Soothing Serum with Niacinamide and Copper is no “skin hit” for sensitive skin. Regrettably, the last two ingredients in the INCI are Tea Tree Leaf Oil, and Peppermint Oil — both fragrant plant oils and proven skin sensitizers.

So, if you’re sensitive, this one’s not for you. If you’re not so sensitive that your skin can’t handle a small amount of essential oils, then you may enjoy SkinHit Soothing Serum with Niacinamide and Copper.

SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Beauty Bay SkinHit Soothing Serum With Niacinamide And Copper for $8 here.

BUY BEAUTY BAY SKINHIT SOOTHING SERUM WITH NIACINAMIDE AND COPPER

That’s it, guys! I hope this helps you find your go-to Niacinamide serum. It’s so important that you do. Niacinamide is everything when it comes to your skin health.

See you next week!

💟 SKINCARMA