There are three primary forms of vitamin B3 that have found utility in skin care products: niacinamide (aka nicotinamide), nicotinic acid, and nicotinate esters (e. g., myristoyl nicotinate, benzyl nicotinate).
Figure 4 Effect of topical 0.05% trans-retinoic acid on skin barrier as determined by transepidermal water loss (TEWL). Although the skin becomes more tolerant of topical retinoic acid, even after 12 months of treatment there is still significant elevation of TEWL above baseline.