Best Niacinamide serums (2026)

Key takeaways

• Niacinamide is a form of Vitamin B3. In the studies a 2021 review collects, 4% and 5% formulas improved the look of pores, texture, dark spots, and redness over eight to 12 weeks, and the review calls it well tolerated at the concentrations normally used, which it puts below 5%.

• Our top pick is The INKEY List 10% Niacinamide Serum: 10% Niacinamide with 1% Hyaluronic Acid, Squalane, and Panthenol, labeled fragrance-free, for $13.

• For oily skin on a budget, Geek & Gorgeous B-Bomb pairs 10% Niacinamide with Zinc PCA for $8.90. For visible dark spots, La Roche-Posay Mela B3 and Anua’s Niacinamide 10 TXA 4 add a second brightening ingredient.

• A higher number on the label isn’t proof of a better serum. Most research uses 5% or less, so sensitive skin can start low.

• Most Niacinamide serums can be used morning and night. Brands disagree on pairing it with Vitamin C, so follow the label.

Niacinamide is in nearly every serum aisle now, usually at 10%, sometimes at 12% or 20%, and often with Zinc or a second ingredient for dark spots. The eight below cover the main styles: plain 10% formulas, Zinc blends for oily skin, dark-spot formulas, and one serum that doubles as a highlighter. Prices run from $6 to $53.

What to look for in a Niacinamide serum

Niacinamide is a form of Vitamin B3, and it’s one of the better-studied ingredients in skincare. A 2021 review in the journal Antioxidants gathers the clinical work. In one split-face study it describes, 4% Niacinamide reduced the look of pores and uneven-looking skin after eight weeks and improved the look of wrinkles after 12. In another, a moisturizer with 5% Niacinamide used for 12 weeks improved the look of fine lines, texture, dark spots, red blotchiness, and sallowness. The review calls it well tolerated at the concentrations normally used, which it puts below 5%, and notes that 10% applied to skin caused no stinging or flushing in testing.

Cleveland Clinic’s Niacinamide guide says the ingredient may help regulate how much oil your glands produce, and it’s blunt about pores: “Nothing has been proven to reduce the actual size of your pores.” Niacinamide may help them look smaller by keeping skin smooth and clear, which is the same idea our guide to minimizing the look of pores covers. Cleveland Clinic also notes that most skincare products contain 5% Niacinamide or less, and suggests starting with a low concentration if your skin is sensitive.

When you compare serums, check four things:

• The percentage. 10% is the common shelf strength. Nothing we found shows it outperforming the 4% to 5% used in the studies above.

• What it’s paired with. Zinc PCA is the usual partner for oily skin. Tranexamic Acid, Arbutin, Melasyl, and Vitamin C derivatives show up in serums aimed at visible dark spots. Hyaluronic Acid and Panthenol add hydration.

• Fragrance. Most here are fragrance-free. Two list fragrance.

• The brand’s pairing advice. Some brands say to keep Niacinamide and Vitamin C apart; Cleveland Clinic lists Vitamin C and Retinol among the ingredients it pairs with.

At a glance

1. The INKEY List 10% Niacinamide Serum: best Niacinamide serum overall

2. Geek & Gorgeous B-Bomb: best budget Niacinamide and Zinc serum

3. Paula’s Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster: best for dullness and post-blemish marks

4. Naturium Niacinamide Serum 12% Plus Zinc 2%: best for oily skin

5. La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Dark Spot Serum: best for visible dark spots

6. Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops: best glowy, highlighter-style serum

7. Anua Niacinamide 10 TXA 4 Serum: best with Tranexamic Acid

8. Good Molecules Niacinamide Serum: best minimal formula

How we compared these Niacinamide serums

We compared these serums on paper rather than on skin, using the product pages and ingredient lists brands published in October 2026. Five things mattered:

• Niacinamide strength, as the brand states it, and where it sits on the ingredient list.

• Partner ingredients: Zinc PCA, brightening ingredients, and hydrators.

• Fragrance: any fragrance or perfume ingredient on the list, and what the label claims.

• Directions and pairing advice: morning, night, or both, and what the brand says about Vitamin C, acids, and Retinol.

• Price and size on the brand’s site when we read it.

Niacinamide serums compared

1. The INKEY List 10% Niacinamide Serum: best Niacinamide serum overall

The INKEY List pairs 10% Niacinamide with 1% Hyaluronic Acid, Squalane, Panthenol, and Allantoin, so the serum hydrates as well as delivering the main ingredient. It’s labeled fragrance-free and costs $13.

The brand is also unusually clear about layering. It says the serum can be used with Vitamin C and Retinol, with a caution against stacking it with Vitamin C above 10% L-Ascorbic Acid or with exfoliating acids in the same step.

Key features:

• Hydrating extras: Hyaluronic Acid and Squalane help if Niacinamide alone feels drying.

• Fragrance-free: per The INKEY List.

• Clear layering advice: how to fit it around Vitamin C and Retinol.

Best for: people building a routine around Niacinamide plus other active ingredients.

Tradeoff: it contains egg-derived phospholipids, so it isn’t vegan.

Price: $13 for 30 ml.

2. Geek & Gorgeous B-Bomb: best budget Niacinamide and Zinc serum

B-Bomb is an 11-ingredient serum with 10% Niacinamide second on the list, Zinc PCA fifth, and Sarcosine sixth. Geek & Gorgeous pitches it at combination and oily skin with enlarged-looking pores, oiliness, and blemishes, and labels it free of fragrance and essential oils.

It can be used on its own or mixed into a moisturizer as a Niacinamide booster, morning, evening, or both.

Key features:

• 10% Niacinamide and Zinc PCA: the classic oily-skin pairing.

• Short ingredient list: 11 ingredients, no fragrance.

• Mix-in option: a few drops into your moisturizer or a Hyaluronic Acid serum.

Best for: oily and combination skin on a tight budget.

Tradeoff: it has few hydrating extras beyond Glycereth-26 and Butylene Glycol, so drier skin will want a moisturizer on top, and it comes in a single 30 ml size.

Price: $8.90 for 30 ml.

3. Paula’s Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster: best for dullness and post-blemish marks

Paula’s Choice combines 10% Niacinamide with Ascorbyl Glucoside (a Vitamin C derivative), N-Acetyl Glucosamine, licorice root extract, and Allantoin. You can use it on its own or mix a few drops into any product that doesn’t contain sunscreen.

Key features:

• Niacinamide plus a Vitamin C derivative: Paula’s Choice says the two can be used together, and this formula combines them.

• Mixes into other products: it doesn’t have to be a separate step.

• No fragrance on the ingredient list.

Best for: dullness and post-blemish marks.

Tradeoff: at $53 for 0.67 fl oz, it’s the most expensive serum here, both by price and by volume.

Price: $53 for 0.67 fl oz.

4. Naturium Niacinamide Serum 12% Plus Zinc 2%: best for oily skin

Naturium raises both numbers slightly over a typical 10% serum, with 12% Niacinamide and 2% Zinc PCA, plus Sodium Hyaluronate. Naturium says it’s appropriate for sensitive skin and reports results from an eight-week clinical study.

Key features:

• More Zinc: 2% Zinc PCA, the highest stated Zinc level here.

• Fragrance-free: per Naturium.

• Jumbo size: a 2 fl oz bottle if you use it twice a day.

Best for: oily skin that wants a little more Zinc.

Tradeoff: at 12%, it’s the highest Niacinamide strength here, so sensitive skin may do better starting with a lower-strength serum.

Price: $17 for 1 fl oz, or $31 for 2 fl oz.

5. La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Dark Spot Serum: best for visible dark spots

La Roche-Posay’s Mela B3 serum pairs 10% Niacinamide with Melasyl, La Roche-Posay’s ingredient for dark spots. La Roche-Posay reports that 90% of subjects showed a reduction in the look of dark spots after eight weeks, as assessed by expert graders, and cites a 10-week study of 73 women across skin tones.

Key features:

• Made for dark spots: Niacinamide plus a dedicated brightening ingredient.

• Tested across skin tones: per La Roche-Posay’s study description.

• Clear routine advice: if you use the brand’s Vitamin C serum, it suggests Vitamin C in the morning and Mela B3 at night.

Best for: people whose main concern is visible dark spots and uneven-looking skin.

Tradeoff: it contains fragrance, which may not suit sensitive skin, and at $44.99 for 30 ml it’s one of the pricier picks.

Price: $44.99 for 30 ml, or $60.99 for 50 ml.

6. Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops: best glowy, highlighter-style serum

Glow Recipe’s Dew Drops is a Niacinamide serum built to leave a sheen. Niacinamide is fifth on the ingredient list, after water, Propanediol, Glycereth-26, and Glycerin, with watermelon extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, and moringa seed oil further down. Glow Recipe suggests one pump before moisturizer, morning and night, and says it can also be applied on top of makeup as a highlighter or used as a primer.

In a clinical study of 30 people, Glow Recipe reports that all of them showed a reduction in the look of pore size.

Key features:

• Serum and highlighter: under moisturizer, or on the high points of the face for a dewy look.

• Hydrating base: Glycerin and Sodium Hyaluronate with the Niacinamide.

• Two sizes: 40 ml and a 15 ml mini.

Best for: normal or dry skin that wants Niacinamide and a dewy-looking finish in one step.

Tradeoff: the Niacinamide percentage isn’t on the label, and the ingredient list includes Fragrance/Parfum and Benzyl Benzoate, which the brand says make up less than 0.5% of the formula.

Price: $36 for 40 ml.

7. Anua Niacinamide 10 TXA 4 Serum: best with Tranexamic Acid

Anua’s serum combines 10% Niacinamide, 4% Tranexamic Acid, and 2% Arbutin, which the brand calls a concentrated trio for the look of dullness, dark spots, and enlarged pores. On the ingredient list, Niacinamide is third and Tranexamic Acid fourth, with Ceramide NP, Panthenol, and several forms of Hyaluronic Acid further down. Anua labels it fragrance-free and suggests a few drops morning and night, before moisturizer.

Key features:

• Two dark-spot ingredients: Niacinamide and Tranexamic Acid near the top of the list, plus Arbutin.

• Hydrating extras: Ceramide NP, Panthenol, and Hyaluronic Acid.

• Fragrance-free: per Anua.

Best for: dullness and leftover marks, when you want Niacinamide and Tranexamic Acid in one serum.

Tradeoff: the formula includes several plant oils, including macadamia, olive, jojoba, and grape seed, which very oily skin may not want.

Price: $24 on Anua’s US site.

8. Good Molecules Niacinamide Serum: best minimal formula

Good Molecules sells 10% Niacinamide in a short, fragrance-free base with Glycerin and Betaine. The brand says it’s made to minimize the appearance of pores and uneven-looking texture, and suggests applying it before oils, moisturizers, and creams.

Key features:

• Short ingredient list: very little besides the Niacinamide.

• Fragrance-free: per Good Molecules.

• Lowest price on the list: $6.

Best for: sensitive skin that wants Niacinamide with as little else as possible.

Tradeoff: it has no Zinc and no hydrating extras beyond Glycerin and Betaine, so it does one job.

Price: $6 for 30 ml.

How to use a Niacinamide serum

Apply it after cleansing and before moisturizer. Thinner products go first, as our guide to skincare routine order explains.

Start low if you’re sensitive. Cleveland Clinic suggests a low concentration at first and a patch test on your forearm if you’re worried about a reaction.

Decide how to handle Vitamin C. Cleveland Clinic, Paula’s Choice, and The INKEY List say the two can be paired. La Roche-Posay suggests Vitamin C in the morning and Mela B3 at night. Following each brand’s own advice is the simplest rule, and our list of Vitamin C serums covers the other half of that pairing.

Use it alongside Retinol if you like. Cleveland Clinic lists Retinol among the ingredients Niacinamide pairs with. Our guide to what to layer with Retinol covers the order.

Give it eight to 12 weeks. That’s the timeframe of the studies above, so judge a new serum over a couple of months, not a couple of days.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best Niacinamide serum?

There’s no single winner, because the research tests Niacinamide at 4% to 5% rather than specific serums. Our top pick is The INKEY List 10% Niacinamide Serum for its hydrating, fragrance-free formula at $13. Geek & Gorgeous B-Bomb is the budget pick for oily skin.

Is 10% Niacinamide better than 5%?

Not on the evidence we found. The studies in the 2021 review that showed visible benefits used 4% and 5%, and the review calls Niacinamide well tolerated below 5%. Higher strengths are sold widely, but we found no study showing 10% or more works better.

Is it okay to use Niacinamide serum every day?

For most people, yes. Most serums on this list are made for morning and evening use, and the review notes that 10% applied to skin caused no stinging or flushing in testing. Start slowly if your skin is sensitive.

What should you not mix with Niacinamide?

The main debate is Vitamin C. Some brands suggest separate routines, while Cleveland Clinic lists Vitamin C among the ingredients Niacinamide pairs with. The INKEY List also advises against applying its serum in the same step as exfoliating acids.

Does Niacinamide shrink pores?

It can make them look smaller, partly by keeping skin smooth and less shiny, but it doesn’t change their actual size. Cleveland Clinic says nothing has been proven to reduce the actual size of pores.

Related reading

• The 7 best pore minimizers

• The 7 best dark spot correctors

• The 6 best serums for a sagging-looking jawline and neck

• The 6 best products to layer with Retinol

• Best hydrating face serums by skin type