By Dr. Shweta Lamba Narula,
The short answer: Niacinamide (vitamin B3) helps regulate excess sebum, supports the skin's ceramide barrier, and reduces the look of enlarged pores and uneven tone. A clinical study found 2% niacinamide lowered facial sebum output after four weeks, while a 12-week study on aging skin showed measurable drops in redness and hyperpigmentation. It works as a leave-on serum and, at lower percentages, in daily sunscreen for continued oil control through the day.
Key takeaways
- A 2% niacinamide moisturiser measurably reduced facial sebum (oil) production after four weeks of twice-daily use in a controlled clinical study.
- Niacinamide helps the skin make more ceramides, the lipids that hold moisture in and keep irritants out.
- A 12-week study on facial skin recorded reductions in red blotchiness and hyperpigmented spots alongside improved skin texture.
- Pilgrim's 10% Niacinamide Face Serum pairs niacinamide with kojic acid and Korean rice water for oil, tone, and barrier support in one step.
- Sunscreens formulated with niacinamide, such as Pilgrim's 2% Niacinamide Glow Sunscreen SPF 50+, let you carry some of that oil-control benefit into daytime wear without skipping SPF.
If your T-zone shines by noon, your pores look larger than you'd like, or your skin turns patchy and red at the slightest provocation, niacinamide is probably the one ingredient you've seen recommended for all three. It's not a new discovery dermatology has studied vitamin B3 derivatives for decades but it has become a skincare-aisle staple because it does several unrelated things reasonably well instead of one thing very aggressively. That combination is also why brands increasingly build it into more than just serums..
Does niacinamide actually reduce oil and shine?
This is the claim niacinamide is best known for, and it holds up reasonably well in research. A controlled study measured facial sebum excretion in participants using a 2% niacinamide moisturiser twice daily and found a measurable reduction after four weeks compared to the vehicle-only control. DermNet's clinical overview corroborates this, noting that topical nicotinamide "reduces sebum production" over a similar 4-6 week window.
It isn't an overnight fix plan on several weeks of consistent use before you notice less midday shine. Pilgrim's 10% Niacinamide Face Serum with Kojic Acid & Korean Rice Water is formulated at a higher concentration for this exact concern; the brand's own consumer panel reported 91% of users experienced reduced oiliness (brand-reported, not an independent clinical trial).
Can niacinamide make pores look smaller?
Niacinamide doesn't physically shrink pore openings nothing topical permanently does that but it can improve how pores look. In a 12-week study on aging facial skin, niacinamide use was associated with improved skin texture alongside its effects on tone and redness. Since pore appearance is closely tied to surrounding oil buildup and skin texture, the sebum-regulating effect described above is likely doing much of the visible work here rather than niacinamide acting on the pore structure itself.
How does niacinamide support the skin barrier?
This is the benefit that gets talked about least, even though it may matter most for people whose skin reacts easily. Niacinamide helps the skin synthesize more ceramides the lipids that make up a large share of the barrier holding moisture in and irritants out. An early foundational study found that topical niacinamide increased ceramide and free fatty acid biosynthesis in skin, improving barrier function measurably over the study period. DermNet notes the same mechanism helps explain why niacinamide-containing moisturisers are also used to support rosacea-prone skin, which tends to have a compromised barrier.
This barrier-supporting property is part of why niacinamide tends to be well tolerated even on skin that reacts to actives like retinoids or higher-strength acids it's building the barrier up rather than exfoliating through it.
Does niacinamide help with uneven tone and redness?
Yes, and this is where niacinamide has some of its strongest published evidence. In the same 12-week study referenced above, participants using topical niacinamide showed reductions in red blotchiness and hyperpigmented spots compared to baseline. It's worth being precise about what "uneven tone" usually means here: for many people in India, patchy tone shows up as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) dark marks left behind after acne or irritation rather than melasma, which has a different hormonal trigger and pattern. Darker skin tones tend to show PIH more visibly and for longer than fairer tones, so ingredients like niacinamide that work gradually on tone are commonly recommended here. If dark patches appear suddenly, spread beyond sun-exposed areas, or come with other symptoms, that's worth a dermatologist visit rather than a serum swap, since a handful of underlying conditions can also cause skin darkening.
Pilgrim's 10% Niacinamide Face Serum also includes kojic acid, an ingredient more specifically studied for pigmentation, alongside the niacinamide the two are meant to work on tone from slightly different angles rather than duplicating the same job.
Can niacinamide work alongside other oil-control ingredients?
Niacinamide is commonly paired with salicylic acid (a BHA that exfoliates inside the pore) in formulations aimed specifically at oily, acne-prone skin, since the two address oil from different directions one regulating sebum output, the other clearing what's already sitting in the pore. Pilgrim has previously formulated this combination in an Oil Control Serum; at the time of writing that product is out of stock, so it isn't linked here, but it's a formulation approach worth knowing if you come across a salicylic-acid-plus-niacinamide product elsewhere.
Should you use niacinamide as a serum, in your sunscreen, or both?
This is less an either/or than a question of when. A leave-on serum, applied to clean skin before moisturiser, delivers niacinamide at a concentration (Pilgrim's version is formulated at 10%) high enough to work on oil, tone, and barrier overnight or as part of a morning routine. A sunscreen with niacinamide, typically formulated at a lower percentage since it needs to sit comfortably under makeup and reapplication, is more about maintaining some oil control through the day while doing the sunscreen's actual job UV protection without skipping SPF to fit in an extra step.
Pilgrim's 2% Niacinamide Glow Sunscreen SPF 50+ PA+++ is built this way: a gel-textured, water-based SPF 50+ formula with 2% niacinamide plus alpha arbutin, meant to sit lightly on oily and combination skin without the heavy or greasy feel some sunscreens leave behind. Layering it over a niacinamide serum isn't redundant the serum is your treatment step, the sunscreen is your daily non-negotiable, and both happening to contain niacinamide is a bonus, not the reason to buy either one. Sunscreen is worth applying daily regardless of what actives you're using, given year-round UV exposure across most of India.
The takeaway
Niacinamide earns its reputation because it's doing several jobs sebum regulation, barrier support, and tone-evening through mechanisms that have actual clinical study behind them, not just marketing claims. It won't replace a dermatologist visit for persistent acne, sudden pigmentation changes, or a barrier that's visibly compromised, and results build over weeks rather than days. But as a well-tolerated daily ingredient in both a serum and a sunscreen, it's a reasonable anchor for an oily-to-combination routine. If you're starting from scratch, Pilgrim's 10% Niacinamide Face Serum is a sensible first step, with the 2% Niacinamide Glow Sunscreen as the daytime layer that keeps working while you're out the door.
Frequently asked questions
What does niacinamide actually do for skin? Niacinamide (vitamin B3) helps regulate how much oil the skin produces, supports the skin's ceramide barrier, and can reduce the appearance of redness and uneven tone with consistent use over several weeks.
Who should use a niacinamide serum? Niacinamide suits most skin types, but it's particularly useful for oily, combination, or acne-prone skin dealing with excess shine, visible pores, or leftover dark marks, and for sensitive or rosacea-prone skin that needs barrier support without harsher actives.
How much niacinamide should I use, and how often? Most studied benefits, including oil reduction and tone improvement, used concentrations between 2% and 5% applied once or twice daily; higher-strength serums around 10%, like Pilgrim's, are typically applied once daily to clean skin. Start with once-daily use and build up if your skin tolerates it well.
How long does niacinamide take to show results? Sebum reduction has been observed as early as four weeks of consistent twice-daily use in clinical study, while improvements in tone and redness were measured over a 12-week study period. Expect gradual change rather than an overnight fix.
Can niacinamide cause irritation or breakouts? Niacinamide is generally well tolerated and is often recommended specifically because it supports rather than compromises the skin barrier. Some people report mild flushing or a tingling sensation when first introducing it, or when combining it with multiple other actives in the same routine patch-testing a new product is a reasonable precaution.
Can I use niacinamide with vitamin C or retinol? Niacinamide generally layers well with most other actives, including vitamin C and retinol, and modern formulations are typically stabilized to be used together. If your skin is new to actives, introduce one product at a time so you can tell what's working and what isn't.
Is a niacinamide sunscreen a substitute for a niacinamide serum? No. A sunscreen's primary job is UV protection, and its niacinamide is typically formulated at a lower percentage than a dedicated treatment serum. Think of the sunscreen as maintaining some oil control through the day, and the serum as the step doing the concentrated work on oil, tone, and barrier.
When should I see a dermatologist instead of relying on niacinamide? See a dermatologist if breakouts are painful, cystic, or not improving after consistent use of appropriate products, if dark patches appear suddenly or spread beyond sun-exposed skin, or if redness is persistent and doesn't track with an obvious irritant these can point to conditions niacinamide alone won't address.
References
Draelos ZD, Ertel K, Berge C. The effect of 2% niacinamide on facial sebum production. Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy. 2006. PubMed
Tanno O, Ota Y, Kitamura N, Katsube T, Inoue S. Nicotinamide increases biosynthesis of ceramides as well as other stratum corneum lipids to improve the epidermal permeability barrier. British Journal of Dermatology. 2000. PubMed
Bissett DL, Oblong JE, Berge CA. Niacinamide: A B vitamin that improves aging facial skin appearance. Dermatologic Surgery. 2005. PubMed
DermNet NZ. Nicotinamide. dermnetnz.org/topics/nicotinamide
