The INKEY List Niacinamide Serum for sensitive skin
Niacinamide
Glycerin
Squalane
Sodium Hyaluronate
Leuconostoc Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Average
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
Works for sensitive skin; other serums fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with sensitive skin: redness, stinging, and reactions to new products. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Suitable for normal skin, this serum contains niacinamide and glycerin to help regulate sebum production and maintain skin balance, addressing your general skincare needs. Panthenol and allantoin offer supportive benefits for redness and irritation, providing hydration and soothing effects.
- The formulation is safe for your sensitive skin, as it avoids harsh ingredients and includes soothing components like niacinamide and panthenol.
- This product offers moderate benefits for your skin concerns and type.
How to apply
- Use your serum in the PM routine, starting 3 times a week before building up to daily use if your skin is happy.
- Apply the serum after cleansing and toning, but before putting on your moisturizer for the best results.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and wait a minute ⏱ for it to soak in.
- Since your skin is sensitive and easily irritated, apply the serum on completely dry skin to help keep it calm.
- Always do a patch test before your first use and avoid getting the serum too close to your eyes .
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 3.5k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users with oily and blemish-prone skin frequently praise this serum for its ability to regulate sebum production and calm active breakouts without stripping moisture. The majority report clearer skin and reduced redness. A notable minority experience texture issues, such as a sticky finish or white residue if the product is not applied carefully.
Highlights
Controls excess oil Often Mentioned
- “My T-zone was excessively oily... observed a subtle reduction in sebum.”
- “Helps to control excess oil and keep skin healthy.”
- “Perfect for oily skin as it helps to reduce sebum.”
- “Skin is slightly less oily.”
Great value & packaging Often Mentioned
- “Win and a steal at this price.”
- “Love the fact that it's... affordable.”
- “I like these bottles... easier to travel with.”
- “Great budget option that really works.”
Reduces redness & blemishes Often Mentioned
- “Redness has lessened and the cluster of whiteheads... cleared.”
- “Calms irritated skin and reduces redness.”
- “Breakouts are far less frequent.”
- “Helps tame the redness when my skin is a bit sensitized.”
Hydrating & lightweight Sometimes Noted
- “Lightweight and layers easily with skincare.”
- “Doesn't strip the skin as it is formulated with hyaluronic acid.”
- “Absorbs quickly... never pills under other skincare.”
- “Moisturises and hydrates the skin.”
Improves skin texture Sometimes Noted
- “Skin felt smooth, and looked clear and fresh.”
- “Large pores have shrunk.”
- “Helped with texture and pore size.”
- “Smoothed out rough skin.”
Sticky or tacky finish Sometimes Noted
- “Leaves a tackiness that never goes away.”
- “Slightly tacky and takes time to get absorbed.”
- “Texture is gelatinous... leaving skin sticky.”
- “A little bit more on the sticky side compared to The Ordinary.”
White residue/crystallization Sometimes Noted
- “Forms a crust on the hole at the flick top cap.”
- “Crystallizes on the outlet of the serum bottle.”
- “Can get a white residue on the skin if not shaken.”
- “Product can collect at the entrance... dried out/crystallised.”
Caused breakouts/irritation Rarely Noted
- “Had breakouts after using it.”
- “Gave me a horrendous rash that stung.”
- “Not so suitable for me... accentuated redness.”
- “Started reacting negatively to it... after awhile.”
Foaming/soaping effect Rarely Noted
- “Create that foamy whiteness on your face when blending.”
- “Turns white if you rub it too much.”
- “Can be sticky if too much is applied.”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.co.uk, boots.com, cultbeauty.co.uk, lookfantastic.com, theinkeylist.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does The INKEY List Niacinamide work for sensitive skin?
This serum works moderately well for sensitive skin, as it contains niacinamide and panthenol to help soothe redness and keep the skin calm. It is generally safe for everyday use, though products that fit this skin better typically need extra hydrating agents, potent antioxidants, and skin-repairing ingredients that target irritation without any risk of upset.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for sensitive skin?
Niacinamide and panthenol make this serum a good fit for sensitive skin by helping calm redness and irritation without harsh ingredients. A treatment for sensitive skin needs soothing components like panthenol and niacinamide, along with hydrating ingredients and antioxidants that protect the skin barrier without causing irritation.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025
What does Niacinamide do for sensitive skin?
Niacinamide helps calm sensitive skin by strengthening the skin barrier and reducing redness and irritation. It is very well tolerated and may improve overall comfort and resilience with regular use.
What does Glycerin do for sensitive skin?
Glycerin helps keep sensitive skin soft and deeply hydrated while supporting the skin barrier. It is unlikely to cause irritation and may protect against dryness and roughness.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008Acta Dermato-venereologica, 1999
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
This treatment serum goes in your evening routine after your cleansing and toning steps, and before your moisturizer. Putting it in the evening helps keep your sensitive skin safe around sun exposure.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this serum with retinol by applying the serum first to help calm the skin and keep it balanced, followed by your retinol. A good routine for sensitive skin may help reduce any retinoid-induced discomfort.
How often should I use this serum?
You can use this treatment serum in the evening as part of your routine. This product of this type needs calming ingredients like panthenol and soothing components to keep sensitive skin comfortable and hydrated.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
This serum is unlikely to cause breakouts or clogged pores for sensitive skin since it avoids harsh ingredients and has a low complaint rate for irritation. A product of this type needs lightweight hydrators like glycerin and soothing ingredients like panthenol to stay gentle and keep skin calm.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Topical dexpanthenol acts as a moisturizer, improves stratum corneum hydration, accelerates wound healing and epidermal regeneration, reduces erythema, and improves symptoms of skin irritation compared to vehicle or no pretreatment.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002A panthenol-enriched mask significantly decreased erythema and hyperpigmentation, increased sebum and stratum corneum moisture, and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to a saline dressing in 60 subjects undergoing facial laser treatment.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Topical post-laser application of human adipocyte-derived mesenchymal stem cell media combined with niacinamide significantly improved wrinkle index, melanin index, patient satisfaction, and investigator esthetic improvement scores compared to vehicle cream in patients with aging skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Topical nicotinamide prevented solar-simulated UV-induced immunosuppression in healthy volunteers, and men experienced immunosuppression at solar-simulated UV doses three times lower than those required for women.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2008Topical 5% niacinamide applied twice daily for 12 weeks reduced fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmented spots, red blotchiness, and skin sallowness, and improved skin elasticity compared to vehicle control in 50 female white subjects with facial photoaging.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2005A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017The emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.
Molecules, 2025Plant-derived squalane protected human dermal fibroblasts against UVA-induced damage by counteracting ROS formation, suppressing apoptosis-related proteins p53, caspase-3, caspase-9, and PARP, and restoring the pro-survival p-Akt/mTOR pathway.
Antioxidants, 2025Topical application of 0.1% hyaluronic acid formulations of different molecular weights led to significant improvements in skin hydration and elasticity, with low-molecular-weight formulations also significantly reducing wrinkle depth in seventy-six female subjects compared to a vehicle control.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011Topical application of hyaluronic acid in conjunction with free gingival graft significantly reduced donor site postoperative pain until day 7 compared to normal saline, with no significant differences in graft dimensions or patient satisfaction.
Clinical Oral Investigations, 2022Treatment with a hyaluronic acid-containing mouth rinse or topical gel led to significant lesion reduction, pain relief, and normalization of lesion color in adult patients with minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis, with the gel formulation showing an earlier healing onset at 3 days.
BMC Oral Health, 2019
Ingredients
Water, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Squalane, Xanthan Gum, Glycine Soja Oil Soybean Oil, Allantoin, Sodium Phytate, Polysorbate 60, Panthenol, Glycolipids, Leuconostoc Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Glycine Soja Soybean Sterols, Citric Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Disodium Phosphate, Sodium Phosphate
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
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Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
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