Editor’s Picks: 15 of the Best Niacinamide Serums That Target All Your Skin Concerns

As a beauty editor, I’ve tested and evaluated niacinamide serums from a range of brands. These are my top picks for every preference:

Best Splurge

• Allies of Skin Prebiotics & Niacinamide Pore Refining Booster

Best Budget

• The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
• The Inkey List Niacinamide Serum
• Good Molecules Niacinamide Serum

Best Weightless

• Paula’s Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster

Best for Oily Skin

• The Inkey List SuperSolutions 20% Niacinamide Serum

Best for Acne-Prone Skin

• Glossier Super Pure Niacinamide + Zinc Serum
• COSRX The Niacinamide 15 Serum

Best for Sensitive Skin

• Kristina Holey + Marie Veronique Soothing B3 Serum
• Dr. Barbara Sturm The Better B Niacinamide Serum

Best for Large Pores

• Paula’s Choice Niacinamide 20% Treatment

Best for Pigmentation

• SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense

Best for Anti-Aging

• Alpha-H Vitamin B Serum with 5% Niacinamide

Best Clinical

• Avène Hyaluron Activ B3 Concentrated Plumping Serum

Best K-Beauty 

• Cos De BAHA N Niacinamide 10 Serum

For more details on each formula, read on.

With its gel-like texture and long list of actives, it’s no wonder that Allies of Skin Prebiotics & Niacinamide Pore Refining Booster is a favourite of beauty editors and “skinfluencers” alike.

This serum contains 10% niacinamide along with a supporting cast of ingredients that work together to brighten, minimize pores, firm, fight free radicals and support the skin barrier. (Think: Centella Asiatica, licorice root, hyaluronic acid and CoQ10, to name a few.) It’s free of silicones and fragrance, and for oily skin, it could even replace the need for a separate moisturizer.

• Pros: Hydrating, brightening, minimizes pores, strengthens skin barrier
• Cons: Pricey, may not be suitable for acne-prone skin (contains algae extract)

Space NK reviewer: “I have fallen in love with this product. It has changed my skin. I have used niacinamide products before but they were no way as sophisticated as this one. I use one to two pumps in the morning and I add it to a hydrating serum and it leaves my skin glowing. It has really helped brighten and reduce the size of my pores. I would 100% recommend this, especially if you struggle with enlarged pores and dullness.”

If you’re new to niacinamide and don’t want to spend a lot, The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% is the most inexpensive way to try it out. (And if you go through a lot of it, you can even buy it in a jumbo 60 mL bottle.)

The star ingredient, 10% niacinamide, works to smooth and brighten your skin while reinforcing its barrier over time. Then, 1% zinc plays a supporting role by calming inflammation and balancing excess oil production. There’s no fragrance, oil or silicone, and it has a light, gel-like texture. 

For more on this product, see my in-depth review here.

• Pros: Affordable, smoothing, brightening, controls oil
• Cons: May not be suitable for acne-prone skin (contains isoceteth-20)

Sephora reviewer: “10/10 would recommend. It provides moisture while helping keep my acne at bay. My pores on my nose are smaller now. I have also noticed my skin is less oily and has less general redness. My skin is definitely at its best with this.”

Not only is The Inkey List Niacinamide Serum one of the most affordable niacinamide treatments, it’s also moisturizing enough to replace your usual hydrating serum.

This product features 10% niacinamide with 1% hyaluronic acid to bind moisture. Plus, it contains squalane, which gives it a silky and slightly thicker texture than other serums of its kind (almost like a runny gel-cream). Even though it is surprisingly hydrating, this serum is also excellent at keeping excess oil in check. It’s also free of fragrance and silicones.

• Pros: Affordable, hydrating, minimizes redness, controls oil
• Cons: Can leak out of flip-top packaging

Sephora reviewer: “Seriously a life-saver for us dry skinned girls! I saw a huge improvement in my pore congestion and size. I honestly did not expect to see as much improvement as I did. This is the perfect balance of oil control and hydration as it leaves my skin feeling quenched—all while clearing out clogged pores. I have repurchased and have continued to watch the drastic improvement in my previously cavernous pores. Pair this with a BHA or AHA exfoliant and you have a recipe for some seriously great skin!”

With Good Molecules Niacinamide Serum, you’re getting a potent dose of niacinamide in an elegant, weightless serum at a great price. (What’s not to love about that?)

This product contains 10% niacinamide to refine your skin texture and minimize pores. The brand is 100% transparent about its ingredients, so they disclose the exact concentration of everything else in the formula, along with its pH level (7.1). It has a watery, non-sticky, fast-absorbing texture, and is free of fragrance, oil and silicone.

• Pros: Affordable, lightweight texture, smoothing, brightening, minimizes pores
• Cons: Not as hydrating as other formulas

Ulta reviewer: “This stuff WORKS. It isn’t as sticky as other niacinamide serums I’ve tried and it’s easy to spread. If you follow with a good moisturizer it isn’t drying at all. I have an oily T-zone and super visible pores on my forehead, nose and chin. This stuff has visibly reduced the size of my pores, you can hardly see them even when I look in a magnifying mirror. Being as cheap as it is I didn’t expect it to work but thankfully I was wrong. I’ll definitely buy it again!”