What is The Ordinary niacinamide used for?

What does it help with?

Oil control is one of its main jobs, despite a product name that reads like a laboratory inventory. The serum helps control oil that can clog pores. Apply it across the face rather than treating it as a product reserved for individual blemishes.2

• Excess oil and visible shine.
• Noticeable pores and signs of congestion.
• Dullness and uneven skin texture.
• Dryness and moisture barrier support.

Does niacinamide help uneven tone and fine lines?

Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3 used in skincare for skin tone, barrier support and visible aging. Topical niacinamide can improve hyperpigmentation, meaning patches of excess skin pigment, and signs of aging. These are ingredient benefits rather than a timetable for this particular serum. Niacinamide has uses beyond oil control, so the ingredient is not confined to the shine department. The skin barrier helps prevent water loss and protects against harmful outside factors. Supporting that barrier is a different job from reducing shine, which explains why niacinamide appears in skincare aimed at more than oily skin.3

How do you use it?

1. 1Cleanse your face.
2. 2Apply a few drops to the face and massage into the skin.
3. 3Follow with heavier moisturizers or treatments.

The Ordinary directs you to use the serum morning and evening on unbroken skin. Keep vitamin C in a separate routine: the brand lists both direct and indirect vitamin C as incompatible with this serum.1

How long do results take?

Early changes in radiance, plumpness and suppleness can appear within 15 minutes, with smoother texture within one week. Changes in pore visibility and excess oil take continued use; there is no exact deadline for those improvements.1

Who should be careful?

Patch test before applying it across your face. Put a small amount on clean skin on the upper forearm, keep the area dry and rinse after 24 hours. Do not use the product if redness, burning, itching, blistering or irritation develops during the test.2

If irritation occurs during regular use, rinse the serum off, stop using it and consult a physician.1