Best face serum for oily and combination skin
If your T-zone gets shiny and your pores look enlarged, Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster is Vereme's most effective pick. Niacinamide, a form of vitamin B3, helps regulate oil, supports the skin barrier and visibly refines pores, and this booster adds vitamin C and licorice extract to help even out tone. Its light, water-based texture works on its own or mixed into your moisturizer, so it suits oily and combination skin without feeling heavy. Our ethical pick, The Inkey List Niacinamide Oil Control Serum, is cruelty free. The table below compares price and time to results. It pairs 10% niacinamide with hyaluronic acid for light hydration, a good option if you want to try niacinamide on its own first. If you are new to a 10% niacinamide product, start once a day and build up, since some people notice mild redness or tingling at first.
| Option | Product | Price | Price per use | Days to results | Compared with most effective |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Most effective | Paula’s Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster | US$53 (50 mL) | 28 | ||
| Cruelty free, vegan and all natural | The Inkey List Niacinamide Oil Control Serum | US$13 (60 mL) | 42 | US$40.00 less than the most effective pick, 14 more days to first results |
Why it works
Niacinamide (vitamin B3)
Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3 that skin cells use to make molecules involved in energy and repair. In skin care it is used for dark spots, redness, oiliness and fine lines. Several controlled studies, mostly small and some industry-sponsored, found 4% to 5% creams reduced dark spots and improved fine lines over 8 to 12 weeks; in one trial 2% was not enough to lighten spots, and benefits faded after stopping. In one acne trial a 4% gel worked about as well as a topical antibiotic gel. It is well tolerated, though some people find it drying. It is not a sunscreen.
Dark spot and tone-evening ingredients (tranexamic acid, licorice extract, kojic acid, vitamin C)
Several over-the-counter ingredients can gradually fade dark spots, including vitamin C, kojic acid, azelaic acid, glycolic acid and retinoids. Evidence is mostly small studies, often in melasma rather than other dark spots: licorice extract has very few clinical trials, and kojic acid still needs better studies. Tranexamic acid has reduced stubborn melasma in studies, mostly when taken as a prescription pill. Results are slow, usually 3 to 12 months, and spots can return. Daily sunscreen, ideally tinted with iron oxide to block visible light, is essential. Irritating products can themselves cause new dark spots, so stop anything that burns or stings.
Best night moisturizer for sensitive skin
Best moisturizer with SPF for oily sensitive skin
Sources
- Mechanistic Basis and Clinical Evidence for the Applications of Nicotinamide (Niacinamide) to Control Skin Aging and Pigmentation
- Nicotinamide
- Melasma: Diagnosis and treatment
- How to fade dark spots in darker skin tones
- Postinflammatory Hyperpigmentation: A Review of the Epidemiology, Clinical Features, and Treatment Options in Skin of Color
Reviewed by Emilie Sydney-Smith