The Inkey List Niacinamide Serum – Some things don’t work as expected | Doctors Review

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I love The Inkey List skincare. I love Niacinamide as an ingredient, so I was convinced that trying The Inkey List Niacinamide would lead to the discovery of a new staple in my routine. (More info: The Inkey List Brand Overview)

 

The Inkey List Niacinamide Serum Review
The Inkey List Niacinamide Serum

 

Well… Sometimes things don’t turn out as expected, and today I want to tell you why that is and if The Inkey Lists Niacinamide might still be good for you, even if I, spoiler, do not love it.

 

 

What The Inkey List Niacinamide Serum claims

Helps control excess oil and redness.
Which is precisely what Niacinamide is supposed to do, alongside brightening hyperpigmentation, increasing skin hydration and just being an overall good skincare ingredient for most skin types. (More info: The benefits of Niacinamide in skincare)

 

Facts about The Inkey List Niacinamide Serum

Prize and size

One bottle in the typical The Inkey List packaging contains 30 ml and is available for 8,49 € on the website here. There is nothing exciting about the packaging, I get that, but I like the sleek design.

 

Texture and smell

It is a milky-white liquid, a tad gel-like rather than watery and without any noticeable scent. My main issue with it is the tackiness it leaves behind after application. No matter how much or how little you apply, it always feels tacky and stays that way until you apply something on top.
It also has a tendency to crystallize on the outlet of the serum bottle to a white crust, which isn’t really an issue, but not aesthetically pleasing.

 

The Inkey List Niacinamide Serum Close up
The Inkey List Niacinamide Serum Close up

 

How to use The Inkey List Niacinamide Serum

Niacinamide can be used both morning or night, and despite the tackiness I never experienced any issues with pilling when paired with sunscreen or moisturizer. my favorite way to use it is at night before my Tretinoin, as Niacinamide has shown to reduce the risk of irritation that comes with using prescription retinoids.

More info: How to use Retin-A with minimal irritation

 

Ingredients of The Inkey List Niacinamide Serum

Hover the mouse over an ingredient for short explanation. Read more on INCIDecoder.
Now this is a lovely, soothing ingredient list, not only for the Niacinamide (with 10% being higher than the recommended 5%, but usually tolerated well by most), but also with Panthenol and Allantoin for soothing as well as Radish Root Ferment Filtrate for antioxidant properties and Glycerin as humectant. (More info: Benefits of fermented ingredients in skincare)

I can’t really tell what is responsible for the tackiness I experience in this formulation.

 

Does it live up to its claims?

Yes.

It contains the ingredients to back up its claims and keeps my skin calm.

 

How does it compare to…

 

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

 

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

Now that might be a question of skin type, but I actually prefer the version from The Ordinary, as it just has a nicer texture. The added Zinc makes it more suitable for oily skin types though, it can be a little drying even for my combination skin during winter, so you might be better off with The Inkey Lists version if your skin is more on the dry side.

You can read my full review of The Ordinary Niacinamide + Zinc here.

 

Would I repurchase and which skin types do I recommend The Inkey List Niacinamide Serum to?

Even though I will always have a dedicated Niacinamide Serum in my routine (which is a personal choice and certainly not needed for everyone, as Niacinamide is present in many different products and doesn’t need a dedicated step), I won’t repurchase the version from The Inkey List. As my preference, The Ordinary Niacinamide + Zinc, is more drying and better suited for combination-oily skin types, you might prefer to buy The Inkey Lists version if your skin leans toward dry.

Niacinamide is especially helpful for those using strong retinoids and wanting to minimize irritation while doing so.

 

The Inkey List Niacinamide Review
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