Verified
“Contains 10% niacinamide and 1% hyaluronic acid.”
The 10% niacinamide + 1% hyaluronic acid composition is stated on the label and matches the product's documented formula and the specs shown.
Reviewed
Verified by SAC team
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Best budget
The INKEY List · 10% niacinamide + 1% hyaluronic acid serum, 30 ml
The Inkey List Niacinamide Review
8.4/10SAC Product Score™
The Inkey List Niacinamide is the budget pick that doesn't feel like a compromise. You get the same sensible 10% niacinamide as the category leaders, plus 1% hyaluronic acid that adds hydration and makes the serum gentler on the barrier — which is exactly what you want niacinamide doing. The HA base gives it a more cushioned, less potentially-drying feel than a bare niacinamide solution, and it's fragrance-free, lightweight and layers well. It skips the zinc, so The Ordinary (#1) still edges it for oily, blemish-prone skin, but for a few dollars this is a well-rounded, barrier-friendly formula most people would happily use long-term. If your budget is tight and your skin leans normal-to-dry, it's arguably the smartest buy on the page.
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Read the complete Looksmaxxing guide →How we built the SAC Product Score™ — 8.4/10
Effective concentration (matched to evidence)30%8.8/10
10% niacinamide is the same sensible, evidence-matched strength as the leaders (Bissett 2005 at 5%), so it scores high — effective for tone, oil and pores. A touch below #1 only because it's the same strength with slightly less standout support.
Barrier-supporting formula25%8.2/10
1% hyaluronic acid adds hydration and makes the base gentler and less drying — a genuine barrier bonus. It lacks zinc, so for oily/blemish skin the support profile is narrower than #1's, keeping it just short of the top tier here.
Tolerability + real-world response20%8.4/10
The HA cushion makes it feel gentler than a bare niacinamide solution, and it's fragrance-free and layers well. Still 10%, so the most reactive skin may want to start every other day.
Value (cost per ml / per course)15%8.9/10
At roughly $10 for 30 ml (~$0.33/ml) it's near-benchmark value — a few dollars for a well-rounded, barrier-friendly formula, second only to The Ordinary on pure cost.
Formulation extras + finish10%7/10
A simple, honest actives panel and clean layering, but no antioxidant load or luxe finish — great value rather than a feature-rich formula, which is why it settles below the more elaborate picks on this axis.
The product at a glance
- Niacinamide
- 10% (sensible, evidence-matched strength)
- Key support
- 1% hyaluronic acid (hydration / barrier)
- Base
- Lightweight, fragrance-free serum
- Size
- 30 ml bottle
- Price
- ≈ $10 / 30 ml bottle
- Cost per ml
- ≈ $0.33 / ml
- Format
- Lightweight everyday serum, once or twice daily
- Fragrance
- Fragrance-free
Marketing claims vs. reality
Verified
“Hyaluronic acid hydrates and supports the barrier.”
Hyaluronic acid is a well-established humectant, so the hydration claim is on solid ground — it draws and holds water in the skin, which cushions the formula and makes it less potentially-drying than a bare niacinamide solution.
Partial
“Controls oil and reduces the appearance of enlarged pores.”
Niacinamide has real sebum-control evidence (Draelos 2006, 2% cut facial sebum), so the oil-control direction is supported. But the specific pore-appearance claim for this finished product is a manufacturer statement, not a result from a trial on this serum, and it carries no zinc to reinforce the oil-support side.
Verified
“Fragrance-free and lightweight.”
The fragrance-free, lightweight description is consistent with the disclosed formula and the brand's published INCI — a barrier-respecting base appropriate for a niacinamide serum.
What our test actually found
01Budget without the compromise
The Inkey List gives you the same sensible 10% niacinamide as the leaders for a few dollars, plus 1% hyaluronic acid that most cheap niacinamide serums leave out. It's the rare budget pick where the formula is genuinely well-rounded rather than stripped down to hit a price.
02The HA makes it the gentler-feeling choice
Bare niacinamide solutions can feel slightly drying; the 1% hyaluronic acid here cushions that, drawing water into the skin and making the serum more comfortable, especially for normal-to-dry types. That hydration bump is exactly the kind of barrier support niacinamide is supposed to deliver.
03It skips zinc — which is where #1 still wins
The one meaningful gap versus The Ordinary (#1) is zinc. For oily, blemish-prone skin, zinc's sebum support is worth having, so #1 edges this out there. Inkey trades that for hydration instead — a better fit for drier skin, a slightly weaker one for very oily skin.
04Near-benchmark value
At roughly $0.33/ml it's second only to The Ordinary on cost, and under the quality-over-price rule that's a clean win because the formula is genuinely good, not just cheap. Most people could use this long-term and never feel they'd bought down.
05Start slow if you're reactive
It's still 10% niacinamide, so the most reactive skin should start every other day and build up, even with the HA cushion. The hydration helps tolerability but doesn't lower the active strength.
Pros & cons, no sugar-coating
Pros
- 10% niacinamide plus 1% hyaluronic acid — oil/pore control and a hydration bump in one cheap bottle
- The HA base feels more cushioned and less drying than a bare niacinamide solution
- Fragrance-free, lightweight, layers well, with a deep Amazon track record
- Near-benchmark value — a few dollars for a well-rounded, barrier-friendly formula
- Gentle and forgiving — a good first niacinamide serum for normal-to-dry skin
Cons
- No zinc, so slightly less blemish/sebum support than #1 for very oily skin
- 10% is still a touch strong for the most reactive skin — start every other day if needed
- Simple actives panel — great value, not a luxe or antioxidant-loaded formula
The smartest budget buy — a barrier-friendly 10% serum that doesn't feel like a compromise.
The Inkey List is the budget pick that doesn't feel like settling. You get the same sensible 10% niacinamide as the leaders, plus 1% hyaluronic acid that adds hydration and makes the serum gentler on the barrier — exactly what you want niacinamide doing. The HA cushion gives it a more comfortable, less-drying feel than a bare solution, and it's fragrance-free, lightweight and layers well. It skips the zinc, so The Ordinary (#1) still edges it for oily, blemish-prone skin. But for a few dollars this is a well-rounded, barrier-friendly serum most people would happily use long-term, and if your budget is tight and your skin leans normal-to-dry, it's arguably the smartest buy on the page. Start once daily, apply to slightly damp skin, and build from there.
Check The INKEY List · 10% niacinamide + 1% hyaluronic acid serum, 30 ml on AmazonIf this doesn’t fit — try these
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
9/10The value benchmark — same 10%, but with zinc instead of hyaluronic acid. The better pick if your skin is oily or blemish-prone and you want the sebum support.
See it on the list →Good Molecules Niacinamide Serum
8.2/10A plain 10% serum with no hero support ingredient at a similar low price — the alternative if you want the simplest possible niacinamide and don't need the HA.
See it on the list →Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster
8.9/10The premium upgrade — the same 10% on a gentler, antioxidant-backed base with vitamin C. The move if you'll pay several times more for a better-built formula.
See it on the list →Sources & further reading
- Bissett 2005Bissett DL, Oblong JE, Berge CA · 2005 · Dermatologic Surgery · PMID 16029679
Niacinamide: A B vitamin that improves aging facial skin appearance
5% topical niacinamide reduced fine lines, dark spots, redness and sallowness over 12 weeks — evidence that a moderate strength works, supporting this serum's sensible 10% over higher-number rivals.
- Draelos 2006Draelos ZD, Matsubara A, Smiles K · 2006 · Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy · PMID 16766489
The effect of 2% niacinamide on facial sebum production
Topical 2% niacinamide reduced facial sebum excretion — the reference for niacinamide's oil-control mechanism, relevant to this serum's oil/pore claims even without added zinc.