Niacinamide
The most-used serum on social media
Niacinamide is the second most-viewed cosmeceutical on TikTok after retinol, and a 2025 analysis found its social attention far outstrips its Google search interest.
Search interest: about 4,800 searches a month in Singapore for “niacinamide” (Ahrefs, October 2026).
It will not change a face, but it makes everything else in the routine easier to tolerate, which is worth more than most hero ingredients deliver.
Reviewed against the Aesthetics International standard. Category: Skincare.
Does Niacinamide work?
Established. It will not change a face, but it makes everything else in the routine easier to tolerate, which is worth more than most hero ingredients deliver. A double-blind, vehicle-controlled RCT of 5% niacinamide reported improvements in fine lines, hyperpigmented spots, blotchiness and elasticity over 12 weeks.
- Verdict
- Established Long clinical track record. Results depend on selection and technique more than on the device.
- Evidence base
- 3 PubMed-indexed studies cited below, including randomised trials.
- Suits
- Almost everyone: oily, blotchy, acne-prone or barrier-compromised skin, and as a tolerable companion to retinoids and acids.
- Not for
- Anyone expecting it to replace a retinoid for wrinkles or a prescription for melasma. It is support, not treatment.
- In Singapore
- A notified cosmetic ingredient in Singapore with no restriction at the concentrations sold.
- Category
- Skincare · about 4,800 searches a month in Singapore for “niacinamide”
- Reviewed
- 1 October 2026 by Aesthetics International. Revised as evidence and regulation change.
What it is
Niacinamide is vitamin B3 in its amide form, a water-soluble ingredient used at two to ten per cent in serums and moisturisers. It is one of the few cosmetic actives with trials behind more than one claim: barrier function, sebum, blotchiness and pigment transfer.
How it works
It is a precursor of NAD+, the coenzyme skin cells use for energy and repair. Topically it increases ceramide and other barrier lipid synthesis, reduces transepidermal water loss, dampens pigment transfer from melanocytes to keratinocytes, and modestly reduces sebum. The concentration matters less than people think: most trials used two to five per cent, and the ten per cent products add irritation potential more than benefit.
What the evidence says
A double-blind, vehicle-controlled RCT of 5% niacinamide reported improvements in fine lines, hyperpigmented spots, blotchiness and elasticity over 12 weeks. A small RCT comparing 4% niacinamide with 4% hydroquinone for melasma found both improved, with hydroquinone slightly stronger and niacinamide better tolerated. Reviews of its delivery and clinical data are consistent in direction and modest in size. Most trials are short, many are manufacturer-funded, and there is little evidence that concentrations above five per cent do more.
What people are saying
Paraphrased from public discussion on TikTok, Instagram, Reddit and in the press. Not testimonials, and not about any one clinic. Reported in: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, nbcnews.com.
What the studies show
- RCT
In a 12-week double-blind, vehicle-controlled split-face trial, 5% niacinamide improved fine lines, hyperpigmented spots, red blotchiness and elasticity.
Niacinamide: A B vitamin that improves aging facial skin appearance — Dermatol Surg, 2005. PMID 16029679.
- RCT
Both agents reduced melasma pigmentation; hydroquinone produced a somewhat larger change and niacinamide fewer side effects.
A Double-Blind, Randomized Clinical Trial of Niacinamide 4% versus Hydroquinone 4% in the Treatment of Melasma — Dermatol Res Pract, 2011. PMID 21822427.
- review
Clinical evidence supports niacinamide for barrier function, hyperpigmentation, acne and photoageing at modest concentrations, with formulation affecting delivery.
Niacinamide: a review on dermal delivery strategies and clinical evidence — Drug Deliv Transl Res, 2024. PMID 38722460.
Studies are selected for relevance and quality, not for agreement with the verdict; PubMed records are linked so the reader can check them.
Who it suits
Suits
Almost everyone: oily, blotchy, acne-prone or barrier-compromised skin, and as a tolerable companion to retinoids and acids.
Not for
Anyone expecting it to replace a retinoid for wrinkles or a prescription for melasma. It is support, not treatment.
Alternatives
The two reviewed treatments most often weighed against Niacinamide, on the same standard.
| Niacinamide | Retinoids | Azelaic acid | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Established | Established | Established |
| What it is | Niacinamide is vitamin B3 in its amide form, a water-soluble ingredient used at two to ten per cent in serums and moisturisers. | Retinoids are vitamin A derivatives applied to the skin. | A naturally occurring dicarboxylic acid, produced by the yeast that lives on skin and made synthetically for creams. |
| Evidence base | 3 PubMed-indexed studies cited below, including randomised trials. | 4 PubMed-indexed studies cited below, including systematic reviews, randomised trials. | 3 PubMed-indexed studies cited below, including systematic reviews. |
| Suits | Almost everyone: oily, blotchy, acne-prone or barrier-compromised skin, and as a tolerable companion to retinoids and acids. | Adults with acne, fine lines, uneven texture or sun damage who will use it most nights for months; it is the base layer most clinic plans sit on. | Rosacea-prone or acne-prone skin with post-inflammatory marks; pregnancy and breastfeeding with a doctor's agreement; people who cannot tolerate retinoids. |
| In one line | It will not change a face, but it makes everything else in the routine easier to tolerate, which is worth more than most hero ingredients deliver. | The mistake is not choosing the wrong retinoid; it is quitting in week three. | For the Singapore face that is red, bumpy and marked all at once, it is often the first thing we reach for before any device. |
Risks
Flushing, itching or breakouts with high-concentration serums; otherwise one of the lowest-risk actives in a routine.
In Singapore
A notified cosmetic ingredient in Singapore with no restriction at the concentrations sold. No HSA registration applies to a cosmetic serum.
“It will not change a face, but it makes everything else in the routine easier to tolerate, which is worth more than most hero ingredients deliver.”
Vetted protocols on the same problem
Questions
What percentage of niacinamide should I use?
Can niacinamide be used with vitamin C?
Does it shrink pores?
Cite this review
Aesthetics International (2026). Niacinamide: does it work? Evidence, risks and verdict. https://aesthetics-international.org/treatments/niacinamide/ (reviewed 1 October 2026).
Editorial, unpaid and independent of any manufacturer. Verdict: Established. See what works and what doesn't across all 153 reviews. Spotted an error or a newer study? Suggest a correction — changes are logged on the corrections page. Terms are defined in the glossary.
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