TIA'M Vita B3 Source for combination skin
Niacinamide
Arbutin
Sodium Hyaluronate
Allantoin
Dipotassium GlycyrrhizateAverage
- AverageCombination Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for combination skin; other serums fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with combination skin: an oily T-zone, enlarged pores, and dry cheeks. 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 suitability for your combination skin, as niacinamide and arbutin work to improve skin tone and provide some support for oily shine. Sodium hyaluronate and niacinamide offer humectant action and barrier repair, though they may not fully address the specific needs of combination skin.
- The formula is safe for your combination skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients.
- It provides general skincare benefits and hydration, but lacks specialized ingredients to directly target and significantly improve oily shine.
How to apply
- Use your serum as part of your PM routine. Start using it 3 times a week and move to daily use if your skin likes it.
- Apply the serum after cleansing and toner, and right before your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and wait a minute ⏳for it to soak in.
- Apply the serum on clean and dry skin since your skin is not sensitive.
- Always do a patch test before using the serum for the first time, and avoid the eye area .
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 1.9k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this serum is highly recommended for oily and acne-prone skin, effectively regulating sebum and fading post-acne marks without causing dryness. Most users report a brighter, more even complexion. However, a small number of users with sensitive skin experienced irritation or breakouts, likely due to the high niacinamide concentration.
Highlights
Fades dark spots Mostly Mentioned
- “Lightened acne scars”
- “Faded sun spots”
- “Evens skin tone”
- “Helped with PIH”
- “Removed pigmentation”
Controls oil Often Mentioned
- “Reduces excess sebum”
- “Less oily T-zone”
- “Controls shine”
- “Balances oiliness”
- “Skin feels less greasy”
Lightweight texture Often Mentioned
- “Absorbs quickly”
- “Watery consistency”
- “Not heavy”
- “Layers well”
- “Non-greasy finish”
Hydrating formula Sometimes Noted
- “Non-drying”
- “Plumps the skin”
- “Hydrating finish”
- “Doesn't strip moisture”
- “Good for dehydrated skin”
Refines skin Sometimes Noted
- “Smoother skin”
- “Pores look smaller”
- “Reduces texture”
- “Softens skin”
- “Improves overall clarity”
Causes breakouts Sometimes Noted
- “Caused cystic acne”
- “Gave me whiteheads”
- “Bad purging”
- “Developed closed comedones”
- “Triggered fungal acne”
No visible results Rarely Noted
- “Did nothing for spots”
- “No change in pigmentation”
- “Ineffective for melasma”
- “Just a basic serum”
- “Saw no difference”
Packaging issues Rarely Noted
- “Dropper is messy”
- “Product crystallizes on rim”
- “Leaked in transit”
- “Hard to get last drops”
- “Bottle cap issues”
Skin irritation Rarely Noted
- “Stinging sensation”
- “Caused redness”
- “Too strong”
- “Burned my skin”
- “Sensitized my barrier”
Sticky finish Rarely Noted
- “Leaves sticky residue”
- “Tacky feeling”
- “Takes time to dry”
- “Feels sticky if layered”
- “Slightly tacky”
Sources: lovi.care, iherb.com, stylevana.com, yesstyle.com, reddit.com, gopicky.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does TIA'M Vita B3 Source work for combination skin?
This product works moderately well for combination skin by improving skin tone and offering some hydration, but it lacks specialized ingredients to directly target oily shine. A treatment of this type needs effective ingredients like propolis or zinc PCA to regulate oiliness and provide optimal balance for combination skin.
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for combination skin?
Niacinamide and arbutin make this serum a fit for your combination skin by working to improve skin tone and providing some support for oily shine, while sodium hyaluronate offers hydration and barrier repair. However, a treatment for combination skin needs ingredients like propolis or zinc PCA to better regulate oiliness and balance the skin.
What does Niacinamide do for combination skin?
Niacinamide helps balance oily areas by reducing excess shine and pore size while keeping dry patches hydrated and smooth. It also works to calm redness and even out skin tone, making it very suitable for combination skin.
What does Arbutin do for combination skin?
Arbutin helps brighten dark spots and even out skin tone for combination skin. It works by slowing down pigment production while being gentle enough to avoid common irritation.
Where does it go in a skincare routine for combination skin?
This treatment goes in your evening routine after cleansing and toning, and before moisturizing. Putting treatments in the evening helps keep your routine simple and adds extra safety around sun exposure.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this treatment alongside a retinol by applying this product first and following it with your retinol, as the gentle formula is safe and unlikely to cause irritation.
How often should I use it?
You can use this treatment in your evening routine, as treatments fit well there for simplicity and safety around sun exposure. Combination skin needs products with specialized ingredients that directly target and significantly improve oily shine.
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?
This treatment may cause breakouts, as some reviewers note this issue with combination skin. However, the formula has a safe profile with no harsh ingredients that typically cause heavy irritation.
Is it fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Niacinamide significantly decreased hyperpigmentation and increased skin lightness compared with vehicle alone after 4 weeks of use in women by inhibiting melanosome transfer.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Topical 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 non-hydroquinone topical formulation (SKNB19) improved hyperpigmentation by 28.5% in patient self-assessment and 27% in independent reviewer assessment compared with 4% hydroquinone in 18 adult subjects, while showing significantly less irritation and better tolerability.
Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2020Encapsulation of alpha arbutin in an optimized ethosomal gel significantly improved skin melanin reduction, moisture content, and elasticity in human volunteers compared to conventional formulations.
Heliyon, 2023Combining a home-based radiofrequency device and arbutin cream reduced mMASI scores by 25.6% and melanin index by 22.8% at 8 weeks compared to baseline in 38 participants.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 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, 2019Topical gel containing chitosan, 0.2% chlorhexidine, allantoin and dexpanthenol did not improve postoperative comfort regarding swelling and pain, but improved the wound's aesthetic appearance following impacted lower third molar extraction compared to no gel.
Medicina Oral, Patologia Oral Y Cirugia Bucal, 2016A topical gel containing chitosan, chlorhexidine, allantoin, and dexpanthenol significantly reduced postoperative pain, trismus, swelling, and analgesic consumption, while improving wound healing after third molar surgery compared to a placebo.
Medicina Oral, Patologia Oral Y Cirugia Bucal, 2020An overnight patch containing Allium cepa extract and allantoin safely promotes scar healing after dermatologic surgery, resulting in significantly greater reductions in observer- and patient-assessed POSAS scores compared to no treatment.
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 2018Combining 755 nm alexandrite laser with topical licorice gel significantly reduces terminal hair counts compared to alexandrite laser with placebo in women with idiopathic hirsutism.
Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2015Licochalcone A activated Nrf2 signaling, elevated cytoprotective enzymes, increased the reduced-to-oxidized glutathione ratio, and decreased reactive oxygen species in human fibroblasts and neutrophils, while a LicA-rich licorice extract lowered UVA-induced oxidative processes in vivo.
Experimental Dermatology, 2015Bioactive glycyrrhizic acid and oxymatrine ionic liquid self-assembled nanomicelles significantly promoted the transdermal permeation, subcutaneous retention, and anti-photoaging efficacy of palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 in cellular and animal models compared to unformulated peptide.
Advanced Science, 2025
Why other serums fit combination 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, 2022A panthenol-enriched mask improved skin hydration, regulated sebum, and reduced redness and TEWL across dry sensitive, oily sensitive, and oily acne skin subgroups with excellent tolerance and no adverse reactions.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Ingredients
Water, Niacinamide, Butylene Glycol, Arbutin, Allantoin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Lindera Erythrocarpa Extract, Cornus Officinalis Fruit Extract, Geranium Thunbergii Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Hyaluronate, Methylpropanediol, Laurylpyridinium Chloride, Chlorphenesin, 1,2-Hexanediol
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
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
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?
Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.