4 replies to this topic

[samstersam]

I had purchased bulk niacinamide for oral ingestion to help with NAD+ pools as a supplement to my nicotinamide ribose regimen.

 

Upon further research I found that niacinamide inhibits SirT1, Beccause of this, I have chosen not to use it anymore for oral ingestion. However, I have read in multiple studies on the internet that as a topical, niacinamide is great for the skin. I also have some astaxanthin powder I'd like to include as well.

 

What would be good to use as a vehicle to mix with the niacinamide powder? Would it work if I mix it with Argan oil? Any other suggestions for other carrier oils? Maybe a little bit of ethanol for skin absorption?

 

Appreciate any suggestions...thanks

Edited by samstersam, 13 July 2016 - 02:37 PM.

[aconita]

You have to realize a very basic chemistry reality: usually compounds are or hydrophilic or lipophilic.

 

Hydrophilic means they dissolve in water, lipophilic means they dissolve in oils (usually in alcohols, hexane and similar solvents too, all solvents able to dissolve oils).

 

You have no game in trying to dissolve an hydrophilic compound like niacinamide in an oil as you'll have no way to try dissolving any lipophilic compound in water, it just doesn't happen (well...not just simply stirring them together at least).

 

Therefore when you think about dissolving a powder your priority is better to be to find out if that is hydrophilic (dissolves in water) or lipophilic (dissolves in oils), a simple rule of thumb that makes things much easier to sort out.

 

There are exceptions to the above and ways to overcome the issue but we try to keep it simple here without needlessly over complicate things for our scope.

 

If you don't have specific reasons to dissolve hydrophilic compounds in oils just leave it alone since there are much easier ways to go.

 

Now, your niacinamide is water soluble therefore you have to look for a water base to dissolve them.

 

I use hyaluronic acid gel which is cheap and easy to homemade, up to 400KDa is able to pass the skin barrier and ends up in the blood stream, above that it will likely only penetrate some of the skin layers, it is a good carrier and I am quite happy with it.

 

Glycerol is another carrier you might use since its consistency is a bit thicker than just water (to be diluted in water about 20%) and enhances absorption. 

 

DMSO would work too, diluted in water and with some urea added is a great absorption enhancer but the consistency is like water (maybe not the more comfortable to use as a "cream") and not everybody likes DMSO in the first place, DMSO would carry your niacinamide in the blood stream, if you don't want that to happen don't use it. 

 

Astaxanthin is generally lipophilic (oil soluble) but it comes as water soluble too, you have to check out what is the kind you have got, topically it might leave you with yellow/orange skin.

 

[samstersam]

 

I use hyaluronic acid gel which is cheap and easy to homemade, up to 400KDa is able to pass the skin barrier and ends up in the blood stream, above that it will likely only penetrate some of the skin layers, it is a good carrier and I am quite happy with it.

 

 

 

 

Would this product be able to be a good carrier for the nianimacide powder? It says 100% hyaluronic acid. Its a premade topical. 

 

https://www.amazon.c...ZXZC35G2FXXFE7V

 

You mentioned you make it homemade? What do I need? Sounds like I could save some money by making a hyaluronic acid carrier at home rather than purchase it from amazon.

 

Thanks for your help. Appreciate it.

Edited by samstersam, 14 July 2016 - 12:13 PM.

[aconita]

In my opinion to buy hyaluronic acid gel is a nonsense, it is way better to homemade your own.

 

The hyaluronic acid in the link you provided is largely over expensive and misleading, in facts it is impossible to have a 100% hyaluronic acid gel (by the way since it comes with a pipette cap it is not even a gel but a serum or a very low percentage hyaluronic acid).

 

First, what is called hyaluronic acid is actually not an acid but a salt (sodium hyaluronate would be more appropriate of a term) and as far as my knowledge goes proper hyaluronic acid is not to be found on the market and not desirable too, anyway it comes in a powder form which is never 100% pure as almost all compounds, a 98-99% is already more than satisfying. 

 

Second, in order to get a gel a maximum 2% of hyaluronic acid powder can be mixed with water, more than that leads to a solid mass impossible to handle and undesirable for other reasons too.

 

Third, unless very small amounts are made (no more than 30 days supply) and kept in the fridge a preservative is needed in order to avoid bacteria and molds formations in the gel since the environment is quite inviting for those unwanted organisms to develop.

 

Claiming 100% hyaluronic acid is therefore quite inappropriate.

 

In order to make your own put 30g of distilled water in a glass container provided with a lid (I use those fake caviar small jars), add 1 drop of SSKI as a preservative (you can make your SSKI adding 14g of potassium iodide in 10g of distilled water in a glass container provided with a pipette cap), add 4% niacinamide powder (1,2g), stir till dissolved, now add between 1% and 2% hyaluronic acid powder (0.5g at 1.5%).

 

The hyaluronic acid powder will not dissolve and float on the surface, stir and it will clump horribly, don't worry, stir a bit, place in the fridge and wait for 12 hours, stir again and you are done, if it is still a bit clumpy leave it in the fridge a bit longer, after 24 hours it will be certainly ready for use: a beautiful crystal clear gel.

 

Keep it in the fridge even if with the add of SSKI it would be safe to keep it at room temperature, 30g of gel would last approximately 30 days of daily use on the whole face.

 

Since the cost of the SSKI and distilled water are negligible you can consider the cost of 30g (slightly more than 1 OZ) as the cost of 0.5g of hyaluronic acid powder which is about 1$ (http://purebulk.com/...ic-acid-powder/).

 

Now you have got the best "pure" hyaluronic acid gel you can possibly get at about 1$/month which can be used by itself or as a base for any water soluble compound you wish.

 

[samstersam]

I will follow this recipe!

 

Thanks for the info!