The INKEY List Niacinamide Serum for acne-prone skin
Niacinamide
Glycerin
Squalane
Sodium Hyaluronate
Leuconostoc Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Average
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
Works for acne-prone skin; other serums fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with acne-prone skin: breakouts, blackheads, and post-acne marks. 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
- Offers moderate pore-clearing and skin-evening benefits for your combination skin, as niacinamide helps regulate sebum and improve texture, while glycerin provides essential hydration. However, the formula lacks specialized ingredients like salicylic acid to directly target your acne, blemishes, and breakouts.
- The product is safe for your combination skin due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing components like panthenol and allantoin.
- Overall, it provides general skincare benefits that support skin health without directly addressing your primary concerns.
How to apply
- Use your serum as part of your PM routine and start 3x/week before working up to daily use.
- Apply this treatment after cleansing and toner, and before your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and let it absorb for a minute.
- Apply the product on clean, dry skin to help manage your breakouts safely.
- Avoid the eye area and do a patch test before your first use.
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 acne-prone skin?
This serum works moderately well for acne-prone skin, as it helps balance oil and smooth texture, but it lacks targeted ingredients like salicylic acid to directly clear breakouts. Products of this type need specialized ingredients like salicylic acid or zinc to tackle acne, along with soothing components to keep skin calm.
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for acne-prone skin?
This serum works for your acne-prone skin because niacinamide helps regulate oil and smooth texture, while glycerin, squalane, and sodium hyaluronate provide essential hydration without making you greasy. Panthenol and allantoin also help keep your skin calm and comfortable. To truly target breakouts and blemishes, a product of this type needs specialized ingredients like salicylic acid or zinc PCA.
What does Niacinamide do for acne-prone skin?
Niacinamide helps acne-prone skin by reducing both inflamed and uninflamed breakouts and calming redness. It is also very helpful for keeping oily skin balanced by cutting down on excess oil production, and it is well tolerated by most people.
What does Glycerin do for acne-prone skin?
Glycerin helps keep acne-prone skin hydrated and calm without clogging pores or feeling heavy. It supports the skin barrier so it stays soft and smooth while handling everyday treatments.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008International Journal of Toxicology, 2019
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine, after cleansing and before moisturizing. Putting treatments in the evening helps keep things simple and adds extra safety around sun exposure.
Can I use it with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this treatment alongside retinol by applying it after your cleanser and hydrating toner in your evening routine, followed by your moisturizer. This product helps provide general hydration and support skin health, but acne-prone skin also needs specialized ingredients like salicylic acid to directly target breakouts.
How often should I use this serum?
You can use this treatment in the evening as part of your routine. An acne-prone skin type needs a product with specialized ingredients like salicylic acid to directly target breakouts and blemishes.
Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
The INKEY List Niacinamide Serum is unlikely to clog pores, but it may cause breakouts for some people since it lacks specialized ingredients like salicylic acid to directly target acne. To better fit acne-prone skin, this type of product needs targeted blemish-clearing ingredients like salicylic acid.
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
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, 2017A 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 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 new topical panthenol-containing emollient significantly improved transepidermal water loss reduction, stratum corneum hydration, and intercellular lipid lamellae length compared with control in healthy subjects without negatively impacting bacterial viability.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017Topical 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, 2005The 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, 2001Niacinamide/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, 2012Squalane 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
Why other serums fit acne-prone skin better
Topical nicotinamide plus an antibacterial adhesive agent and zinc-pyrrolidone carboxylic acid combined with adapalene significantly reduced noninflammatory acne lesions by the second week of therapy compared to placebo with adapalene in patients with moderate acne vulgaris.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2020A cream combining propolis, tea tree oil, and Aloe vera reduced erythema scars, acne severity index, and total lesion count better than erythromycin cream in sixty patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris compared to placebo.
Clinical Pharmacology, 2018Niacinamide and ferulic acid incorporated in a stable multiple emulsion successfully reduced melanin, sebum, and skin erythema while improving skin elasticity and hydration in human skin compared to a placebo.
BioMed Research International, 2022
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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PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
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Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
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Victoria Derkova, MS
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