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Niacinamide in skincare
Brightening, anti-inflammatory, barrier-strengthening superstar.
Ideal for both AM and PM. Photostable and compatible with most actives. Especially valuable in AM under SPF for its antioxidant/sebum-regulating benefits.
What it is
Niacinamide (nicotinamide) is the amide form of Vitamin B3. Clinical evidence supports efficacy at 2–10% for: reducing melasma and PIH (inhibits melanosome transfer), minimizing pore appearance, regulating sebum, strengthening the barrier (upregulates ceramide and filaggrin synthesis), and exerting anti-inflammatory effects. Highly water-stable and pH-tolerant (works best pH 5–7). Safe up to 10%; 5% is the sweet spot.
The facts
| Category | Vitamin B3 |
| Typical use | Morning and evening |
| Concentration YARAI treats as a full dose | 10% |
Why the amount matters, not just the presence
Most ingredient checkers tell you whether something is in the bottle. That is a smaller question than it sounds. Niacinamide at 10% and niacinamide at a trace level are not the same ingredient in any way that affects your skin.
An ingredient list is ordered by quantity, so position carries real information. YARAI reads that position and scores accordingly, which is why the same ingredient can land differently in two different products.
The honest limit: a list gives order, not percentages. Estimating concentration from position is an estimate. It is a better estimate than ignoring position, and it is still an estimate. We would rather tell you that than let a number look more certain than it is.
Using it with something else
Niacinamide appears in 2 of the pairs YARAI checks. Each page gives the severity, the chemical mechanism, the evidence tier and the source:
Common questions
What does niacinamide do in a skincare product?
Brightening, anti-inflammatory, barrier-strengthening superstar.
How much niacinamide should a product contain?
YARAI treats 10% as a full dose for this ingredient. Below that, the ingredient is present but is scored as contributing less. An ingredient list gives you the order of ingredients, not their percentages, so this is an estimate read from position rather than a measurement.
When should I use niacinamide?
Ideal for both AM and PM. Photostable and compatible with most actives. Especially valuable in AM under SPF for its antioxidant/sebum-regulating benefits.
Check your own products
Point your camera at a product. YARAI identifies it from the label, finds that product's full ingredient list from published sources, and scores it. No barcode and no box needed, which is how it handles imported and small-brand products.
Concern level, category and thresholds on this page are read directly from the same data the YARAI app scores with, so this page and the app cannot disagree. EU figures cite Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. Last built 2026-10-12. Nothing here is medical advice.