Niacinamide: What It Is, How It Works and How to Use It

Niacinamide is one of the most widely used actives in modern skincare — you will find it in serums, toners, creams and pads, from Korean labs to European pharmacies. The reason is simple: it is stable, well tolerated and slots easily into almost any routine.

This guide walks through the questions people actually ask: which percentage makes sense, whether it can sit next to vitamin C and retinol, what it means when arbutin appears beside it on the label, and when to realistically expect first changes. Every fact comes with a source — official brand pages and the European cosmetic ingredient database.

What is niacinamide and how does it work on skin?

Niacinamide (nicotinamide) is a water-soluble form of vitamin B3. In CosIng, the official European database of cosmetic ingredients, it is listed under the INCI name Niacinamide, and its registered cosmetic function is a single one: “smoothing” — evening out irregularities on the skin’s surface. Everything else written about it — a more even tone, less visible pores, shine control — comes from the brands’ own claims and tests, and that is exactly how this article presents them: with the source attached.

Niacin and niacinamide are not the same thing. Niacin (nicotinic acid) is a related form of vitamin B3 found mainly in dietary supplements. Niacinamide is the form used in cosmetic formulas. When a skincare article says “niacin serum”, it almost always means niacinamide.

Niacinamide for the face: what can it realistically do?

The honest answer: niacinamide improves how skin looks — it does not treat conditions. Anua says its 10% niacinamide serum is made to help improve the look of dullness, dark spots and enlarged pores. Medicube positions its niacinamide milky toner for hydration and for acne-prone skin, alongside PDRN, ceramides and peptides in the same formula. The common denominator of these claims: skin tone looks more even and the surface smoother — which also matches the official CosIng smoothing function.

What niacinamide is not: medicine. No serious brand promises a cosmetic will “cure” acne or permanently erase spots — and that is a useful filter when choosing a product: specific, measurable claims backed by tests carry more weight than big promises.

Serum, toner, pads or cream — which format to choose?

The same ingredient plays different roles in different formats, so pick the format by what your routine is missing.

A serum is the most concentrated format and the logical choice for targeted care. A working example is Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum: the maker declares 10% niacinamide, 4% tranexamic acid and 2% arbutin in one formula.

A toner delivers a gentler layer of the active right after cleansing. A good example of the format is Medicube PDRN Pink Niacinamide Milky Toner — a milky toner where niacinamide sits next to PDRN, ceramides and peptides, with the emphasis on hydration.

Pads combine an essence with a texture you can dose swipe by swipe. A typical example is Numbuzin No.5 Vitamin-Niacinamide Concentrated Pad: double-sided pads whose smooth jelly side is meant for tone and hydration, while the cotton-gauze side gently lifts away dead skin cells.

A cream with niacinamide is the softest entry point and a natural pick for dry or sensitive skin, since the active arrives wrapped in emollients. All formats live together in the niacinamide skincare collection.

Which percentage: 5% or 10%?

Interestingly, European regulation sets no ceiling here: Regulation (EU) 2024/996 contains no concentration limit for niacinamide — unlike retinol, for instance, which is capped at 0.3% in most products. The percentage, then, is the manufacturer’s decision, not the regulator’s.

The practical rule: a higher percentage is not automatically better — above all, it is more demanding. If you are just starting out, lower-strength formulas or niacinamide in a toner or cream are the gentler entry; 10% makes sense once your skin already knows the active. Keep in mind that many brands do not state a percentage at all — that is where the INCI list helps: on Numbuzin’s pads, for example, niacinamide sits second in the ingredient list, right after water, which points to a high share in the formula.

How does niacinamide fit into a routine?

The order is standard: cleanse, toner, serum, cream — niacinamide takes whichever step matches the format you chose. Brand instructions are consistent and concrete here: Anua directs a few drops of its serum morning and night, before moisturizer, with SPF 30+ mandatory during the day.

Two practical notes. First, niacinamide needs no ramp-up period the way retinoids do — it is designed for daily use. Second, SPF is not optional: without sun protection, work on an even tone loses its point.

Niacinamide and vitamin C — can they go together?

This is the oldest niacinamide myth, inherited from the era of unstable formulations. Today brands routinely put both ingredients in the same product: Numbuzin’s No.5 pads combine niacinamide, vitamin C, glutathione and tranexamic acid in a single essence. If your actives live in two separate products, the simplest schedule is vitamin C in the morning and niacinamide in the evening — or one after the other, pausing to let the first layer absorb.

Niacinamide and retinol

An evening-routine classic: retinol is the more demanding active, and niacinamide often keeps it company in formulas precisely for a hydrating, calming balance. That the pair works even in one bottle is shown by Anua making a serum that joins nano-retinol 0.3% and niacinamide in a single formula. If you are introducing both actives from separate products, do it gradually and not on the same evening until your skin builds tolerance. Products built around this active are gathered in the retinol skincare collection, and we cover the ingredient in depth — how to start and what the percentage means — in our guide to retinol.

Niacinamide and arbutin: a duo for even skin tone

A pairing local guides rarely mention, yet in Korean skincare it is standard. Arbutin is an ingredient brands use for evening out skin tone, and it often goes hand in hand with niacinamide: Anua’s serum declares exactly that composition — 10% niacinamide, 4% tranexamic acid and 2% arbutin — describing it as a concentrated trio to help improve the look of dark spots, dullness and enlarged pores. The logic of the pair is simple: two ingredients work on the same visible concern, so formulators stack them instead of picking one.

Niacinamide, hyaluronic and azelaic acid

With hyaluronic acid there is no dilemma — it is pure hydration synergy, and brands combine the two all the time: Anua adds ceramides and hyaluronic acid next to niacinamide in its serum, explaining that they hydrate and soothe the skin. Azelaic acid is a gentle active that gets along well with niacinamide, so ready-made formulas exist that merge both — Medicube, for one, makes a toner carrying both ingredients right in its name: Azelaic Acid Niacinamide Clear Toner. There is more on this active in our azelaic acid guide and the azelaic acid collection.

Niacinamide for oily and acne-prone skin

Oily and combination skin is the territory where niacinamide gets recommended most: brands position it for the look of enlarged pores and uneven tone — exactly what troubles this skin type the most. Medicube explicitly addresses its milky toner to acne-prone skin among others, and Anua frames its serum around caring for blemishes and uneven tone. Keep expectations grounded, though: cosmetics care for acne-prone skin, while persistent skin changes are a job for a dermatologist. The full routine for this skin type is covered by the oily skin collection.

Side effects, redness and purging

Niacinamide has a reputation as one of the best-tolerated actives, but “gentle” does not mean “invisible”: at high concentrations skin sometimes answers with temporary redness or a feeling of warmth. Common-sense rules: try a new product on a small patch of skin first, start every other day if your skin is reactive, and do not introduce several new actives at once. Classic “purging” — a temporary pushing-out of blemishes — is linked to ingredients that speed up skin renewal, such as acids and retinoids; niacinamide is not one of them, so a prolonged worsening is not something to push through: pause the product instead.

When will you see results?

Instead of round phrases, here are the numbers brands themselves publish from their clinical tests — with the caveat that always travels with them: results vary from skin to skin.

Numbuzin cites a test for its No.5 pads in which, over 4 weeks, skin tone evenness improved by 15.07%, dark spots reduced by 8.04% and skin brightness increased by 2.63%. Medicube reports a 48.3% improvement in hydration after 2 weeks of using its milky toner, and for the serum in its TXA line — Medicube TXA Niacinamide 15 Serum — a 2.045% improvement in skin clarity after just 72 hours, per the testing laboratory the brand names.

What to take from this: hydration and glow show first, within days; changes in tone and spots are measured in weeks. A realistic horizon for judging a product is 4–8 weeks of regular use.

Niacinamide FAQ

Can niacinamide be used every day?

Yes — manufacturers design it for daily use as standard; Anua’s serum instructions, for example, cover both morning and evening. Reactive skin can start every other day.

Morning or evening?

Both. The one obligation with morning use is sun protection — Anua’s instructions, for example, explicitly call for SPF 30+ during the day.

Is niacinamide allowed during pregnancy?

The European CosIng database lists no usage restrictions for niacinamide. Still, build your pregnancy routine together with your doctor — that applies to every active ingredient.

Can niacinamide be combined with vitamin C?

Yes — modern brands even combine them in a single product: Numbuzin pairs both in one essence. From two products, split them between morning and evening or layer one after the other.

Does niacinamide cause purging?

Purging is linked to actives that accelerate skin renewal — acids and retinoids. Niacinamide is not one of them; if worsening drags on, pause the product.

Niacinamide tablets vs cosmetics — what is the difference?

Tablets are dietary supplements with vitamin B3, and decisions about them belong with a doctor or pharmacist. This article is about niacinamide in cosmetics — the kind applied to skin.