The research behind our Fragrance-Free Niacinamide Serum

What niacinamide does at the strengths that were actually studied, why we made this serum without fragrance, what the word "exosome" can and can't mean on its label, and what the research doesn't prove.

Niacinamide is everywhere, and for once the popularity has some science behind it. It is one of the few skincare ingredients with placebo-controlled human trials for several different effects. It is also one of the most over-sold, with serums competing on ever-higher percentages that the research never tested.

This guide goes through our Fragrance-Free Niacinamide Serum ingredient by ingredient, with the studies behind each and what each doesn't prove. It also explains a naming decision: our production partner calls this an exosome serum, and we don't. If you only want the product, the serum page has everything in one place. If you are choosing between our serums, this guide compares them.

01What niacinamide is

Niacinamide, also called nicotinamide, is a form of vitamin B3. In the body it is a building block of NAD, a molecule cells use to produce energy and maintain themselves. In skincare it is used on the skin's surface, where it is water-soluble, stable and generally well tolerated.

It is not the same as niacin (nicotinic acid), the other form of vitamin B3, which causes the flushing some people know from supplements. Niacinamide doesn't normally do that. The rare flushing reports in skincare have been traced to niacin getting in by mistake.

02How we rate the evidence

None of the studies below tested our serum. They tested ingredients at known strengths, usually in other products. We use them to explain why each ingredient is here, and each summary ends with what it doesn't prove.

03Niacinamide and the look of ageing skin

This is the study most niacinamide marketing leans on, and it is a good one: split-face, placebo-controlled, 12 weeks. Its limits are its size, its funding and its strength. Many brands quote its results next to products at very different concentrations. We would rather tell you the strength it used and admit that we can't match it to ours.

04Niacinamide and dark spots

The mechanism matters because it explains the timescale. Niacinamide doesn't bleach existing pigment; it slows the delivery of new pigment to the surface. That is why changes take weeks to show, as the surface cells are replaced.

05Niacinamide and the skin barrier

This is one reason niacinamide pairs well with a rich night cream. The serum encourages skin to make its own barrier lipids; a cream such as our Ceramide Barrier Night Cream helps hold water in overnight. For more on how barrier lipids and humectants differ, see Ceramides or hyaluronic acid?

06Myth 1: "More niacinamide is better"

Niacinamide serums now sell at 10%, 15% and even 20%. The human trials that built niacinamide's reputation mostly used 2% to 5%. There is little published evidence that 10% or more gives better results, and some people find very strong serums uncomfortable, especially on sensitive skin.

We don't know our own percentage. The serum lists niacinamide 8th of 21 ingredients, after water, the emollients, glycerin and the emulsifiers. We have asked our production partner for the exact figure and will publish it when we have it. Until then, we won't imply it matches any study's strength.

07Why we made it fragrance-free

Fragrance is added to most skincare, including products that stay on the skin all day. The EU's scientific committee on consumer safety estimates that between 1% and 3% of Europeans are allergic to some fragrance ingredients, and many more simply find scented products uncomfortable.

This serum has no Parfum, no essential oils and no ingredient from the EU fragrance allergen list. We checked it against the expanded list that has applied since 31 July 2026. It is the first product we sell that is fully fragrance-free, which is why the name says so. You may notice a faint natural smell from the raw ingredients; nothing is added to create it or to hide it.

08Two forms of hyaluronic acid, and glycerin

The two hyaluronic acids sit near the end of the list, so they are there in small amounts. Glycerin, third on the list, does more of the hydrating work in this serum. It is one of the best-studied humectants in skincare, credited in reviews with improving hydration of the outer layer and supporting barrier function.

09Centella asiatica

Centella is a traditional skin plant in Asian medicine and a popular soothing ingredient in modern skincare. In this serum it plays a supporting role; we don't rest any claim on it.

10Myth 2: "It's an exosome serum"

Our production partner sells this formula as an exosome serum, powered by "apple extract-infused exosomes". Exosomes are tiny bubbles, far smaller than a cell, that cells release to carry messages to other cells. Plants make similar bubbles, usually called plant-derived extracellular vesicles. They are one of the newest and most hyped ideas in skincare.

The ingredient list shows Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract (apple fruit extract, 10th) and Phospholipids (14th). There is no ingredient named exosomes or extracellular vesicles. Apple vesicles do have phospholipid membranes, so the list is consistent with them. It is equally consistent with apple extract carried in liposomes, which are man-made phospholipid bubbles and a well-established way of carrying ingredients into a formula.

We can't tell the difference from the label, and we won't sell you a word we can't check. So we named the serum after what we can verify: niacinamide, and no fragrance. We have asked for the raw-material data and will update this page if it confirms apple vesicles.

We have written a separate guide to exosomes in skincare and how to check a label, including why human-derived exosomes can't be used in EU cosmetics at all.

11The supporting ingredients

"Supports the microbiome" is one of the fastest-growing claims in skincare, and it appears on this formula's source listing. The skin microbiome is real and important, but the evidence that a small amount of a ferment in a serum changes it in a useful way is thin. We have left the claim out.

12How to use it

Use it morning and evening, after cleansing. Press one pump over face and neck, let it settle for a few seconds, and follow with your moisturiser. In the morning, finish with sunscreen: niacinamide's effects on tone and spots depend on not undoing them in the sun.

With vitamin C: the idea that niacinamide and vitamin C cancel each other out comes from old lab tests under conditions your skin doesn't reach. Many people use both. With retinoids or plant retinol alternatives: they work well together; introduce one new product at a time. With exfoliating acids: fine, though if your skin is sensitive, use them on different evenings.

Used morning and night, a 30 ml bottle lasts around two months. The one-bottle subscription every two months fits most people, at 10% off with free delivery, and you can skip, change or cancel at any time.

13What to expect, and when

These are the timescales the studies ran on, at their strengths. Every skin is different, and we can't promise the same results at our unpublished percentage. That is also why the 60-Day Promise, on your first order with conditions applying, gives you two months to decide.

14Who it suits, and who should skip it

It suits you if fragrance bothers your skin or you would rather avoid it; your skin looks dull or uneven, or you are seeing early fine lines; you want one light serum for morning and night; and you want niacinamide without a harsh strength.

Skip it, or check first, if you want a stated high-strength niacinamide; you are buying it for exosomes; you want an exfoliating acid; or niacinamide has irritated your skin before. If you want a scented peptide serum instead, see our Peptide Anti-Ageing Serum.

15What it adds up to

This is a light, fragrance-free serum built around niacinamide, one of the best-supported ingredients in skincare, with glycerin, two forms of hyaluronic acid and small amounts of apple extract, centella and a ferment. The evidence for niacinamide is genuine; the evidence for the smaller ingredients is thin or, in the case of the apple vesicles, not yet confirmed for this formula.

If you want an everyday serum without fragrance, and you value an honest label over a trending word, we think it earns its place. If you want a stated 10% or an exosome product, others will suit you better. For sensitive skin, our simple routine for sensitive skin shows where it fits.

16Your questions, answered

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