Tuesday, August 16, 2011

DIY Skincare: Niacinamide Rosewater Toner

I decided to try out this DIY Niacinamide Rosewater Toner recipe which I took down ages ago.

Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) is good for treating acne inflammation, giving oil control and skin lightening. I thought it would be good to try out for my oily, acne-prone skin as I grew to love Niacinamide after trying out the Watsons Green Tea mask which (contains it and) is effective for soothing any swollen and inflamed acne I have.


Things to prepare:
Bottle of Rosewater Toner (I use Guardians rosewater toner)
1g of Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) powder
An empty bottle for storage

The proportion I was recommended to mix for Niacinamide to Rosewater toner was 1g : 25ml so that the percentage of Niacinamide is 4%. Since the glass bottle I have is able to contain 30ml, I just poured close to its brim and poured the 1g of Niacinamide in. After that, just shake the bottle well. It is not necessary to use rosewater toner if you can't find it. Any neutral toner (without all the fanciful benefits and ingredients) will do. Another tip I was told was to add in Witch Hazel toner as it can act as preservative. Or you can just buy the Guardians Rosewater and Witch Hazel toner which saves the extra step. I skipped the witch hazel step as I could finish the mix fast due to the small storage bottle.

I would apply this DIY Niacinamide Rosewater toner with a cotton pad after cleansing my face. Didn't feel anything special initially except the rosewater helps to hydrate the skin really well. After some time, I noticed my skin would produce less oil. There was slight improvement to my skin though it did not stop breakouts entirely. My existing pimples appear less inflammed and I also did notice my skin seem a little brighter.

I would actually continue using this. It's just so easy to make and I like the oil control it gives. The niacinamide in it helps to reduce the rate at which sebum is produced so there's less tendency for clogs (blackheads, whiteheads) to happen, in turn causing less breakouts. It's a little hard to obtain the Niacinamide powder though. I purchased mine from Milagro Trading (Singapore), which seems to only sell it in 1g packets. I would probably recommend purchasing from other websites (if you can find any) in bigger portions for more cost savings. :\