What the evidence actually says
A 2006 study tested a 2% niacinamide moisturizer. A 100-person Japanese trial found lower sebum excretion after two and four weeks. A separate 30-person US trial found lower casual sebum levels, but not a significant change in sebum excretion. That is evidence for a particular formula and outcome, not a promise that every serum controls oil. Draelos et al. (2006): 2% niacinamide and facial sebum.
Read your own shelf first
Look for niacinamide on the ingredient lists of your cleanser, serum and moisturizer. The list alone usually cannot reveal its exact percentage. A rinse-off cleanser and a leave-on moisturizer are different products even when they share an ingredient. In the checker, enter the product type and the ingredient explicitly; a brand name by itself is not enough.
A higher percentage is not automatically a better purchase
The study above does not establish that a 10% or 20% serum is better than 2%. Avoid buying a second niacinamide step simply to chase a bigger number. Decide what your current product is missing before adding another.
Where it fits
A niacinamide serum belongs with your treatment steps; a moisturizer containing it stays in the moisturizer step. Product directions take priority. Introduce one new product at a time so that a reaction is easier to trace. See the AAD guide for a small-area product test. AAD: How to test skin care products.
A couple of common questions
Can niacinamide permanently shrink pores?
No result here can establish a permanent change to pore size. Shine, lighting and camera processing can all change how visible pores look in a photo.
Can I use it with retinol?
They can appear in the same routine, but that does not certify every pair of formulas. Read our retinol and niacinamide guide for the evidence and a simple way to think about order.
These guides explain ingredients, not tested product recommendations. No clinician has reviewed your routine through this page. Browse all ingredients · Check my routine.