🇳🇱Netherlands

The Ordinary Niacinamide 5% Face and Body Emulsion for oily skin

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes

The Ordinary Niacinamide 5% Face and Body Emulsion

Low

  • HighOily Skin Fit
  • AverageEffectiveness
  • HighSafety

A weak match for oily skin; the moisturizers alongside fit it better.

This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily skin: shine, enlarged pores, blackheads, and blemishes. 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

  • Highly suitable for your oily skin due to niacinamide for seboregulation and glycerin for humectant action, offering moderate moisturizing benefits that hydrate the skin.
  • While it provides general skincare benefits like hydration, these are mostly supportive and not directly targeted at your oily shine concern.
  • The formula is safe for your oily skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.

How to apply

  • Could be used as part of your AM or PM routine every day to keep your face fresh.
  • Apply this moisturizer after cleansing and toning, but right before your SPF in the morning.
  • Gently press a small amount into your skin and let it absorb fully.
  • Apply on clean, slightly dry skin to help control that oily shine.
  • Avoid the eye area and do a quick patch test before your first use.

People Say

★4.7Overall rating based on 1.5k+ reviews

Based on a very large amount of data, users with sensitive, oily, and acne-prone skin highly praise this emulsion for its ultra-lightweight hydration and ability to fade dark spots without irritation. It is frequently noted for improving skin texture and reducing redness, though some users with drier skin or stubborn hyperpigmentation find it requires layering with a richer moisturizer or takes time to show visible results.

Highlights

  • Lightweight & fast absorbing Mostly Mentioned
    • “melts right in”
    • “feels like water”
    • “light as air”
    • “absorbs quickly”
  • Gentle & non-irritating Often Mentioned
    • “caused no irritation”
    • “great for sensitive skin”
    • “gentler than the serum”
    • “no stinging”
  • Improves texture & tone Often Mentioned
    • “smoothed skin texture”
    • “faded acne scars”
    • “reduced appearance of pores”
    • “cleared acne marks”
  • Small bottle size Often Mentioned
    • “need bigger bottle”
    • “finished too quickly”
    • “too small for body”
    • “wish it came in 500ml”
  • Versatile application Sometimes Noted
    • “perfect under sunscreen”
    • “great for body acne”
    • “layers easily”
    • “multi-functional”
  • Insufficient hydration Sometimes Noted
    • “not hydrating enough”
    • “need heavier cream”
    • “dry after use”
    • “not for dry skin”
  • Packaging design Rarely Noted
    • “hard to get out”
    • “pump would be better”
    • “tube gets messy”
  • Slow or minimal results Rarely Noted
    • “didn't fade melasma”
    • “no change in spots”
    • “bland results”
    • “too gentle”

Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com, theordinary.com, ulta.com, boots.com, lookfantastic.com, and more

Questions and answers

Why is The Ordinary Niacinamide 5% Face and Body Emulsion a weak match for oily skin?

This product is a weak match for your oily skin because its hydration benefits are mostly general and do not directly target your oily shine. A moisturizing treatment for oily skin needs peptides and hydrating agents with a lightweight texture, no heavy oils, and ingredients that support the skin barrier without causing extra oiliness or breakouts.

Which ingredients make this treatment a poor fit for oily skin?

This treatment is a weak match for your oily skin because its hydrating benefits are mostly supportive and do not directly target your oily shine concern. To work well for this skin type, a moisturizing treatment needs ingredients like peptides and soothing extracts that manage oil while maintaining a lightweight texture without heavy oils.

What does Niacinamide do for oily skin?

Niacinamide helps balance oily skin by significantly reducing excess oil production and shine. It is well tolerated and may improve skin texture without clogging pores.

Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, 2006Antioxidants, 2021

What does Glycerin do for oily skin?

Glycerin helps keep oily skin hydrated without feeling heavy and supports the skin barrier. Because this product is a weak fit for your skin, an ideal product of this type needs lightweight hydrators and ingredients that balance oil while protecting the skin.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008International Journal of Toxicology, 2019

Where does this treatment go in a skincare routine for oily skin?

This treatment goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before moisturizing, though an oily skin needs a product with strong oil-balancing ingredients rather than general hydration.

Can I use it with retinol, and in what order?

You can use this moisturizing treatment with retinol by applying the treatment after your retinol has absorbed to help keep your skin soft. This routine is unlikely to cause irritation because the formula has a very safe profile, but an oily skin type also needs ingredients like niacinamide to control shine.

Cutis, 2006

How often should I use this treatment?

This moisturizing treatment is a weak match for your oily skin, as its hydration benefits are mostly supportive rather than directly targeting oily shine. Oily skin needs a product of this type that features oil-controlling ingredients to manage shine while keeping the skin balanced.

Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?

This product is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for oily skin, as its formula is gentle and free of harsh ingredients. However, because it provides only basic hydration rather than targeting excess shine, oily skin needs a lightweight formula containing ingredients that help control oil.

Can I use this treatment around the eyes or on my body?

You can safely use this moisturizing treatment on your body and around your eyes, as the formula is gentle and well-tolerated. However, because skin is very thin around the eyes and varies in thickness across body areas, a product for oily skin like this needs lightweight ingredients that hydrate without feeling heavy.

Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy, 2002

Is it fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.

What the research says

  • A 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, 2017

  • Exposure of epidermal full-thickness skin equivalents to a blend of betaine, pentylene glycol, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Rhodiola rosea root extract significantly increased antioxidant, skin barrier, and oxidative stress biomarkers while reducing the negative impact of hydrogen peroxide on MMP3, MMP12, FBN2, ANXA1, and HGF, whereas a blend of Narcissus tazetta bulb extract and Schisandra chinensis fruit extract significantly increased 8 growth factors, 7 signaling, 7 structural/barrier function, 7 oxidative stress biomarkers, and specific microRNAs over control levels.

    International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2018

  • Topical 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, 2021

  • Topical 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, 2008

  • Topical 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, 2005

  • The 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, 2020

  • Ten 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, 2001

  • Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.

    Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012

Ingredients

Water, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Dimethicone, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin

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.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

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Prices checked 4 Nov 2026

The Lovi Fit is the same in every country; only the stores and prices differ, and the ones here are for the Netherlands.

How does it fit your skin?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

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