Should You Pair Niacinamide and Hyaluronic Acid Together? A Derm Explains All
In the world of skincare, mixing and matching ingredients can often feel like a science experiment. Some ingredients seem destined to be together while others should be kept as far away from each other as possible or at least be used with caution. And if you’ve been paying close attention to your skincare products, you’ve probably noticed that niacinamide and hyaluronic acid
Meet the Expert
- Dr. Ashley Magovern - Board-certified dermatologist and member of Dermstore’s Medical Advisory Board
What is Niacinamide?
Also known as vitamin B3, niacinamide is a water-soluble vitamin with a solid track record and wide range of skin benefits. “It’s a multitasker that benefits all skin types—whether you’re dealing with acne, sensitivity, or signs of aging,” says Dr. Ashley Magovern, board-certified dermatologist and member of Dermstore’s Medical Advisory Board.
A true workhorse ingredient, niacinamide plays a vital role in cellular function, repairing damaged DNA, and overall skin health. By inhibiting melanin transfer, niacinamide helps fade hyperpigmentation, dark spots, and scars and blemishes left behind by acne. It’s also known to reduce redness and irritation, making it a go-to ingredient for skin conditions like rosacea and eczema.
And while niacinamide can do it all, its biggest claim to fame is its ability to strengthen the skin barrier while regulating oil production. This makes niacinamide a real game-changer for oily and acne-prone skin: it reduces excess oil and shine, prevents breakouts, and minimizes enlarged pores. But that’s not all. By boosting your skin’s own ceramide production, it helps the skin barrier stay in top form, allowing it to lock in moisture where it’s most needed while ensuring pollutants, bacteria, and other environmental stressors stay out.
Featured Product: SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense
553 reviews
$110.00
Designed to target stubborn discoloration, including post-acne marks and sun spots, this potent corrective treatment features A-listers like tranexamic acid, niacinamide, and sulfonic acid. High-performing and super lightweight, it works to brighten uneven skin tone while preventing future hyperpigmentation.
Key Ingredients: 3% Tranexamic Acid, 1% Kojic Acid, 5 % Niacinamide, and 5% HEPES
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefits: Fades and brightens brown patches and post-inflammatory discoloration, evens skin tone and prevents future marks
Beauty Insider Tip: This serum contains kojic acid, which may cause a slight shift in color after some time. But don’t worry as the formula remains intact and effective.
What is Hyaluronic Acid?
A naturally occurring substance, hyaluronic acid plays a crucial role in both the body and the skin. Found in connective tissues, joints, and the eyes, it maintains moisture in the eyes and acts as a lubricant and shock absorber to keep joins flexible and reduce friction.
In skin, hyaluronic acid works enhancing hydration and elasticity as well as aiding wound healing, tissue repair, and reducing inflammation. “It’s a humectant that draws moisture into the skin, helping to keep it plump, hydrated, and dewy,” says Dr. Magovern.
Aside from being able to hold up to 1000 times its weight in water, what makes hyaluronic acid so indispensable in skin hydration is that unlike other moisturizing ingredients, it doesn’t just sit on top of the skin. Hyaluronic acid can penetrate deeper into the epidermis and deliver long-lasting hydration to different layers of the skin, all thanks to its varying molecular weights that each offer specific benefits.
High molecular weight hyaluronic acid provides an immediate plumping and smoothing effect on the skin’s surface while its low molecular weight form can dive deeper into the skin’s layers and provide hydration where it’s needed the most. Smaller forms of hyaluronic acid, such as hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid and sodium hyaluronate, also allow for even deeper and more efficient absorption. Sodium hyaluronate, in particular—the salt version of hyaluronic acid and happens to be its smallest form—is also known for its ability to resist oxidation and being more stable than hyaluronic acid itself.
Having different forms of hyaluronic acid in your skincare routine is important given that the body’s own supply of the molecule eventually becomes another casualty of the aging process. “It’s naturally found in the skin but depletes over time, making topical application essential for maintaining moisture balance and reducing fine lines,” explains Dr. Magovern.
Featured Product: SENTÉ Hydrate+ Serum
2 reviews
$89.00
Powered by HSA, hyaluronic acid, and glycerin, this weightless hydration powerhouse drenches all layers of the skin with intense moisture and restores the skin barrier. Non-comedogenic and fast-absorbing, it alleviates dryness, improves elasticity, and promotes a visibly plump, radiant complexion.
Key Ingredients: HSA (Heparan Sulfate Analog), Hyaluronic Acid, Glycerin
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefits: Hydrates deeply and replenishes lost moisture, strengthens the skin barrier, enhances the skin’s resilience
Beauty Insider Tip: Pair with a moisturizer to lock in hydration and maximize skin barrier repair, especially in dry or colder climates.
Benefits of Pairing Niacinamide with Hyaluronic Acid
When used together, niacinamide and hyaluronic acid offer plenty of synergistic benefits for your skin, says Dr. Magovern. “While hyaluronic acid delivers deep hydration, niacinamide helps reinforce the skin barrier, ensuring that moisture stays locked in. "This combination improves skin smoothness, reduces irritation, and promotes a healthy glow," she adds.
Both ingredients play off each other’s strengths and amplify results, especially when used consistently. Here are the standout benefits of this dynamic duo:
Hydrates Deeply: As hyaluronic acid pulls water from the environment and delivers it to the skin’s layers, niacinamide makes sure it stays where it needs to be by strengthening the skin barrier. This ensures the skin remains hydrated, supple, and resilient. Reduces Inflammation and Sensitivity: Niacinamide and hyaluronic acid both have anti-inflammatory properties that help manage and calm redness, inflammation, and discomfort from conditions like acne, rosacea, and irritation caused by environmental stressors. Balances Oil Production: Niacinamide can help take overactive sebum glands down a notch to restore balance in its oil production, preventing excess shine and clogged pores. Hyaluronic acid, on the other hand, makes sure your skin stays hydrated without clogging pores and overwhelming your skin. This is key, especially since excessively oily skin can also be a sign that your sebum glands are compensating for dryness. Improves Skin Tone and Texture: Because it helps keep oil production under control, restores the skin barrier, and acts as a melanin inhibitor, niacinamide helps refine tone and texture by reducing the appearance of enlarged pores, nourishing dry areas, and brightening discoloration and hyperpigmentation. For its part, hyaluronic acid imparts an instant plumping effect, which helps in smoothing out rough patches and promoting a soft and dewy complexion. Anti-Aging: Both niacinamide and hyaluronic acid alleviate dryness and quenches parched skin, delaying the appearance of signs of aging. By keeping hydration levels up, acting as antioxidants, and supporting barrier function, these two ingredients are essential in maintaining a youthful complexion. They improve elasticity, plump up wrinkles and fine lines, and support overall skin health.
How to Use Niacinamide and Hyaluronic Acid Together
Mixing skincare ingredients typically involves layering, and using niacinamide and hyaluronic acid together is no different. “Layering these ingredients is easy! Apply hyaluronic acid first on damp skin to maximize hydration, then follow with niacinamide to seal in moisture and provide additional skin benefits,” says Dr. Magovern. “Always finish with a moisturizer and SPF in the morning.”
Potential Side Effects
While both ingredients are well-tolerated by almost all skin types, Dr. Magovern says side effects cannot be completely ruled out. “Some people may experience mild irritation when using niacinamide at high concentrations,” says Dr. Magovern. “If irritation occurs, reduce frequency or switch to a lower percentage.”
Shop the Best Niacinamide and Hyaluronic Acid Products
1. PCA SKIN Hyaluronic Acid Boosting Serum
319 reviews
$128.00
From the surface down to the deeper layers of the skin, this rejuvenating serum delivers multi-level hydration to plump skin, boost moisture retention, and fortify the skin barrier. With its triple-action formula, powered by hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and ceramides, it also boosts the skin’s natural hyaluronic acid production to impart both instant and long-term radiance.
Key Ingredients: HA-Pro Complex Hyaluronic Acid, Ceramides, Niacinamide, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Skin Type: All skin types, especially dry and dehydrated skin
Skin Benefits: Provides deep hydration, plumps and smooths fine lines, promotes long-term moisture retention.
Beauty Insider Tip: Apply on the entire face and neck in the morning and evening for increased hydration, and follow with a moisturizer to seal everything in for all-day radiance.
2. SkinCeuticals Plumping & Wrinkle Smoothing Injectables Power Duo
1 reviews
$268.00
If you’re looking to take your skincare routine to the next level, then this powerhouse duo is for you. Featuring two of SkinCeutical’s best-selling serums–HA Intensifier Multi-Glycan and P-TIOX–this pair combines advanced hydration with a peptide-rich formula to improve elasticity, enhance firmness, and reduce expression lines. The result? Improved radiance and visibly plump, youthful skin.
Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic Acid, Proxylane™, Niacinamide, Advanced Peptide Complex
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefits: Intensely hydrates, plumps fine lines and wrinkles, improves firmness and elasticity
Beauty Insider Tip: Apply four to six drops P-TIOX first onto the forehead, cheeks, and chin to target expression lines and wrinkles. Blend into the skin before following up with HA Intensifier Multi-Glycan to lock in hydration and enhance the skin’s plumpness and glow.
3. SkinCeuticals Plumping & Wrinkle Smoothing Injectables Power Duo
4 reviews
$75.00
For smoother, plumper, and overall glowy skin, reach for this innovative serum that features the brand’s own MicroCelle Delivery™ system–a breakthrough technology that reduces the size of water molecules for seamless, deeper, and more efficient absorption.
Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic Acid, Peptides, Niacinamide
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefits: Visibly adds volume and firms the skin, reduces redness, repairs the skin barrier
Beauty Insider Tip: In the morning or at night, massage two to three pumps of the serum into the entire face to target wrinkles and bask in its 3D plumping effect.
Related Article: Which SkinCeuticals Vitamin C Serum Is Right for You, According to an Esthetician
4. Avene Hyaluron Activ B3 Concentrated Plumping Serum
2 reviews
$40.00
This extra hydrating serum lends a skin-smoothing veil onto the skin that softens dry and rough areas and plumps wrinkles and fine lines. Plus, it features both low- and high-molecular weight hyaluronic acid, topped with the brand’s famous thermal spring water, so you can be sure you’re facing the day with intensely nourished, hydrated, and supple skin.
Key Ingredients: Multi-weight Hyaluronic Acid, Niacinamide, Thermal Spring Water
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefits: Smooths and moisturizes, firms and fills in lines and wrinkles, improves elasticity, helps regenerate the skin
Beauty Insider Tip: Apply a layer of this serum before makeup application to transform your skin into a super smooth and well-moisturized canvas and watch your makeup glide seamlessly.
5. Neocutis HYALIS Intensive Hydrating Serum
37 reviews
$127.00
With its fast-absorbing and intensely hydrating formula, this serum is designed to quench dry, dehydrated skin and deliver both instant and long-lasting moisture. Best for all skin types, it features multiple types of sodium hyaluronate to plump fine lines and improve elasticity while restoring your skin’s natural moisture balance.
Key Ingredients: Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Polyglutamate, Acetyl Glucosamine
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefits: Promotes smooth, soft, and supple complexion, comforts post-procedure skin, relieves dryness and dehydration due to environmental or hormonal changes
Beauty Insider Tip: Use after cleansing and before moisturizer to maximize absorption and keep all that hydrating goodness locked in.
6. Paula’s Choice CLINICAL Niacinamide 20% Treatment
57 reviews
$55.00
Say goodbye to uneven skin tone and texture issues with this high-potency niacinamide- and antioxidant-powered treatment serum. Specifically formulated to fade and prevent complexion concerns, it minimizes the appearance of enlarged pores, smooths bumps and rough patches, and brightens discoloration and sun damage.
Key Ingredients: 20% Niacinamide, Acetyl Glucosamine, Vitamin C, Green Tea
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefits: Refines pores, brightens and smooths, balances oil production
Beauty Insider Tip: This serum boasts of powerful antioxidants, so make sure to layer it under sunscreen during the day for next-level UV protection.
7. ClarityRx Daily Dose of Water Hyaluronic Acid Overnight Mask
$85.00
We all want to wake up with smooth, soft, and well-nourished skin, and this overnight mask makes sure it’s that much easier to achieve. Packed with hyaluronic acid, antioxidants, and other skin-loving ingredients, it goes deep into the skin’s layers to deliver moisture and restore the skin barrier, so you can face the day with refreshed, dewy, and radiant skin.
Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic Acid, Green Tea, Plant-Based Ceramides, Squalane
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefits: Boosts hydration, plumps fine lines, soothes dryness, locks in moisture
Beauty Insider Tip: Designed to work while you sleep, apply this mask as the final step in your nighttime routine to replenish your skin and reveal a healthy glow in the morning.
FAQs
Which Comes First, Niacinamide or Hyaluronic Acid?
Hyaluronic acid says Dr. Magovern. “Applying hyaluronic acid first allows it to deeply hydrate the skin, making it the perfect base for niacinamide, which works to strengthen and protect,” she explains.
What Should You Not Mix with Niacinamide?
Niacinamide is known for playing well with most skincare ingredients, but Dr. Magovern says using it with vitamin C may not work as intended. “Avoid using niacinamide with high concentrations of vitamin C at the same time as they counteract each other’s effectiveness,” she explains. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t have room for both ingredients in your routine. “If you want to use both, apply vitamin C in the morning and niacinamide at night,” suggests Dr. Magovern.
Is it Better to Use Niacinamide or Hyaluronic Acid at Night?
Niacinamide and hyaluronic acid can fit in either your morning or nighttime routine. But if you’re using other heavy-hitting actives, it’s a good idea to take it one goal at a time to avoid overwhelming your skin. “If you’re incorporating other active ingredients like retinol in the evening, you may want to focus on hydration (hyaluronic acid) and barrier repair (niacinamide) in the morning,” suggests Dr. Magovern.
The Bottom Line
When it comes to having hydrated, balanced, and healthy skin, you can’t go wrong with pairing niacinamide and hyaluronic acid. By playing on each other’s strengths and taking advantage of their synergy, this winning combination helps calm redness, reduce fine lines, boost hydration levels, brighten discoloration, and strengthen and restore the skin’s natural barrier. The best part? Niacinamide and hyaluronic acid are well-tolerated by skin types, which means you can seamlessly incorporate both into your skincare routine at any time. Together, niacinamide and hyaluronic acid can bring you closer to achieving that dewy, youthful, and lit-from-within complexion.
Janeca Racho is a Journalism graduate with over 15 years of writing experience. After getting her start in public relations and advertising, she made the switch to freelance writing and began working for various lifestyle, fashion, and travel brands. Her love for all things skincare has led her to beauty reporting and research for the last ten years. Writing for several hair and beauty blogs, she reports on anti-aging staples, trending brands and products, must-have ingredients, and health and wellness.
