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How to use niacinamide.
Vitamin B3, distilled. The ingredient that regulates oil, supports the barrier, and takes the edge off uneven tone — all without requiring you to believe in miracles.
163 how-to's · Updated 30 April 2026 · Avg. 4 min per piece · Edited by Nelly · Beauty & Style Director
Editor's note
Niacinamide is the ingredient that does too much to be a celebrity. It regulates oil, supports the barrier, takes the edge off uneven tone, and works at low percentages. The science is real. The 5% serum on your shelf is doing more than the 10% one. It's water-soluble, stable, and tolerant of most routines — which means most people can add it without drama.
Other ingredients
What niacinamide actually is
Niacinamide is vitamin B3 — a water-soluble vitamin that sits in the epidermis and gets to work without penetrating far. It communicates with the sebaceous glands, reinforces the ceramide and fatty-acid layer in the barrier, and moderates the movement of melanin toward the skin surface.
Myth, meet fact
- Myth: You need 10% niacinamide to see results. Fact: Most studies showing benefit used 2–5%. Above 5%, irritation risk rises faster than efficacy.
- Myth: Niacinamide turns vitamin C yellow and makes it useless. Fact: At room temperature, in a normal routine, the reaction is negligible.
- Myth: It works in two weeks. Fact: Barrier changes take 4–6 weeks. Tone changes take 8–12 weeks.
The beginner's path
- What niacinamide actually does — the short version (3 min)
- Which percentage to use, and when (4 min)
- Where it fits in a routine (4 min)
- Niacinamide with vitamin C — the myth, addressed (3 min)
- What to expect at four weeks, and at twelve (4 min)
Format and cadence
Format by use case: 5% serum is the default for daily use. 10% serum for oily skin only. Niacinamide + zinc for congestion-prone. Leave-on toner for low-commitment use. In moisturiser for most forgiving delivery. In mask for weekly supplemental use.
Everything we've published on niacinamide
- 5% vs 10% niacinamide — does the number matter
- Niacinamide and vitamin C — can you layer them
- What niacinamide does to pore appearance
- Niacinamide for uneven tone — the honest timeline
- How to layer niacinamide with retinol