🇸🇦Saudi Arabia

The INKEY List Niacinamide Serum for oily skin

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

The INKEY List Niacinamide Serum

Average

  • SuperiorOily Skin Fit
  • AverageEffectiveness
  • ExcellentSafety

Works for oily skin; other serums 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

  • Offers moderate benefits for your oily skin, as niacinamide helps regulate sebum and glycerin provides hydration, but it lacks specialized ingredients to directly address oily shine.
  • The serum's formulation includes panthenol and allantoin, which offer soothing effects suitable for your skin.
  • The product is safe for your oily skin, with no harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing components like niacinamide and panthenol.

How to apply

  • Use this serum in your PM routine. Start by applying it 3 times a week and build up to daily use if your skin tolerates it well.
  • Apply the serum after cleansing and toning, but right before your moisturizer for the best results.
  • Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin. Let it absorb ⏱ for a minute before applying the next product.
  • Apply the serum on clean and dry skin since your skin is not sensitive and you want to target oily shine. This helps control excess oil throughout the night.
  • Avoid the delicate eye area and do a patch test before using the serum for the very first time.

People Say

★4.5Overall rating based on 3.5k+ reviews

Based 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 oily skin?

The INKEY List Niacinamide Serum works moderately well for oily skin, as niacinamide helps control oil and glycerin provides hydration, though it lacks specialized ingredients to directly address oily shine. A treatment of this type needs specific ingredients like zinc pca, ferulic acid, and targeted shine-reducing agents to best manage excess oil and enlarged pores on oily skin.

Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for oily skin?

Niacinamide helps regulate sebum, and glycerin provides hydration, while panthenol and allantoin offer soothing effects for oily skin. However, this treatment lacks specialized ingredients to directly manage oily shine, so an oily skin type needs a formula with targeted sebum-controlling ingredients like zinc PCA or specific acids.

American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025

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 serum go in a skincare routine for oily skin?

This treatment goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before moisturizing. Oily skin works well with a product like this when it features niacinamide to help regulate sebum alongside hydrating glycerin and specialized mattifying ingredients to control shine.

International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2020

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 your skin and provide light hydration. Oily skin works best with this type of routine when it also includes specialized ingredients to control excess shine and balance oil production.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002

How often should I use this serum?

You can use this treatment in the evening as part of your routine. Oily skin needs a product with specialized ingredients to directly address oily shine, along with sebum-regulating and hydrating ingredients like niacinamide and glycerin.

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

This serum is unlikely to cause breakouts, as it features a safe profile with gentle, soothing ingredients like niacinamide and panthenol. However, a product for oily skin also needs specialized ingredients to directly manage excess oil and shine.

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

  • 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

  • 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, 2002

  • A 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, 2025

  • A 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, 2017

  • 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

  • Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.

    Molecules, 2025

  • Plant-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, 2025

  • Topical 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, 2011

  • Topical 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, 2022

  • Treatment 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 oily skin better

  • Niacinamide 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.

  • 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 6 Nov 2026

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

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