Is niacinamide good for oily skin?

Oily skin shines by midday, and it often comes with acne and pores that look large. Niacinamide is sold as a fix for all of it. One trial supports the idea that niacinamide lowers facial oil, and this guide goes through what it found, what it did not measure, and how to use niacinamide on oily skin. For what niacinamide does in general, see what niacinamide does for your skin.

The main study on niacinamide and skin oil

Skin oil comes from small glands in the skin. Doctors call it sebum. In 2006, a team from the dermatology department at Wake Forest University ran two trials of 2 percent niacinamide on facial oil.

Group	People	Design	Length	What changed
Japanese adults	100	50 used a 2 percent niacinamide moisturizer, 50 used the same moisturizer without it	4 weeks	The rate of oil flow was lower at week 2 and week 4
White adults	30	Niacinamide on one side of the face, plain moisturizer on the other	6 weeks	Oil on the skin surface was lower; the rate of oil flow did not change enough to count

The study measured two things. The rate of oil flow is how fast new oil comes out of the skin. Surface oil is how much oil sits on the skin at a given moment. In the Japanese group, niacinamide lowered the first. In the white group, it lowered the second. The authors concluded that 2 percent niacinamide "may be effective" in lowering oil in both groups, in different ways.

A 2017 review of oily skin treatments in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology cites this trial as the evidence for niacinamide. It adds that "further studies are needed to outline the mechanism of action and ideal treatment regimen." In plain words: the effect has been seen once, and nobody yet knows the best amount or schedule.

What this means for your skin

Three points follow from the study:

1. The effect is on measured oil. The summary reports oil measured with instruments. It gives no rating of how shiny the skin looked.
2. It took 2 to 6 weeks. Expect no change in the first days.
3. Results may differ between people. The two groups responded in different ways. Your skin may respond more, less, or not at all.

The American Academy of Dermatology lists niacinamide among mask ingredients for oily or acne-prone skin, "to help reduce shiny skin and acne." That matches the study, as a skin care suggestion.

Oily skin and acne: where niacinamide fits

Oily skin and acne often go together, because oil helps clog pores. In a 2013 trial of 80 people with acne, 4 percent niacinamide gel worked better on oily skin, while an antibiotic gel worked better on non-oily skin. That is one reason people with oily, acne-prone skin try niacinamide.

For acne itself, niacinamide has weaker evidence than the standard treatments. The 2024 American Academy of Dermatology acne guideline found the evidence insufficient to make any recommendation on niacinamide for acne. In a 2025 survey of 62 cosmetic dermatologists at 43 centers, the doctors agreed on benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid and retinoids for oily skin. The study summary lists niacinamide for redness and dark spots. The niacinamide for acne guide has the details.

If your main problem is pimples, start with a proven treatment such as adapalene 0.1 percent or benzoyl peroxide 2.5 percent, as in the complete acne skincare routine. Niacinamide can sit beside it in a moisturizer.

Oil and pores

Oily skin can make pores look larger. The American Academy of Dermatology says "clogged pores or an oily complexion can make pores look larger." A product that lowers oil may help pores look smaller, but the oil study did not measure pores. The niacinamide for pores guide covers the one trial that did.

How to use niacinamide on oily skin

Keep it simple and close to what was tested:

• Form: a light moisturizer or serum. The oil study used a moisturizer, so a separate serum is optional.
• Strength: 2 to 5 percent. The oil study used 2 percent. The acne trials used 4 and 5 percent.
• Label: non-comedogenic, oil free, or "won't clog pores." The American Academy of Dermatology says to skip face products without one of these terms.
• How often: once or twice a day on clean skin. The acne trials used twice a day.
• How long: 4 to 6 weeks before you judge it for oil. For acne, 8 to 12 weeks.

A simple routine for oily skin with niacinamide

Here is one way to fit niacinamide into a basic routine for oily, acne-prone skin. It keeps the product count low, so any reaction is easy to trace.

Time	Step	Why
Morning	Gentle cleanser	Removes oil from the night without stripping the skin
Morning	Light moisturizer with 2 to 5 percent niacinamide	The oil trial tested niacinamide inside a moisturizer
Morning	Sunscreen, SPF 30 or higher, non-comedogenic	Needed every day, and more so with acne treatments
Night	Gentle cleanser	Removes sunscreen and the day's oil
Night	Your acne treatment, if you use one	Adapalene or benzoyl peroxide does the main work on pimples
Night	The same niacinamide moisturizer	Helps skin put up with the acne treatment

If you do not have acne, skip the acne treatment step. If you use a niacinamide serum instead of a niacinamide moisturizer, put the serum on first and a light moisturizer on top. The how to use a niacinamide serum guide covers the order and timing.

The order to apply acne products guide explains where each step goes if you use more products.

What the oil study did not test

The 2006 trial answered one question: does 2 percent niacinamide lower facial oil? Several practical questions remain open:

• How long the effect lasts. The trial ran 4 to 6 weeks. It did not follow people after they stopped.
• Different ages and skin tones. The trial had Japanese and white adults only.
• Serums at high strength. It tested a 2 percent moisturizer, and a 10 percent serum is a different product.
• Shine you can see. It measured oil with instruments.

These gaps are normal for a single trial. They are also the reason a review in 2017 asked for more studies.

Mistakes that make oily skin worse

Some habits work against oily skin, whatever you put on it:

• Skipping moisturizer. Skinli's education page on moisturizer says oily skin needs it too, only a lighter one, and that skipping it makes acne gels sting more.
• Scrubbing. The American Academy of Dermatology warns that scrubbing irritates skin, and irritated skin makes pores look larger.
• Stacking many active products. Every added product is another chance of irritation. Add one at a time and patch test with how to patch test a new skincare product.
• Chasing the highest percentage. The oil trial used 2 percent. A 2005 safety review tested for irritation up to 5 percent. Strengths of 10 percent and higher have far less testing.

Is 10 percent better for oil?

Many serums for oily skin sell 10 percent niacinamide or more. The oil study used 2 percent, and the acne trials used 4 and 5 percent. No trial read for this guide compared 10 percent with lower strengths for oil. A 2005 safety review found no stinging at strengths up to 10 percent, and no irritation up to 5 percent, in human tests. The evidence shows no harm at 10 percent and no extra oil control either. The niacinamide percentage guide goes through each strength.

Before you add it

A few checks save trouble later:

• Already on a prescription for your skin? Ask the doctor who prescribed it before adding anything new. Never stop a prescribed treatment on your own.
• Pregnant or breastfeeding? Read is niacinamide safe during pregnancy first, because the evidence there is limited.
• Sensitive or easily red skin? The niacinamide for redness and sensitive skin guide explains how to start more slowly.
• Starting an acne gel soon? Add the niacinamide product 2 to 3 weeks before, or after the first 12 weeks, so that you can tell which product caused any reaction.

When oily skin needs a doctor

See a doctor if oily skin comes with painful acne, acne that leaves marks, or a sudden change in your skin that you cannot explain. If oil and acne come with other changes in the body, the hormonal acne vs regular acne guide explains the signs to mention. A doctor can prescribe treatments with far stronger evidence than any skin care ingredient.