Does Niacinamide Really Reduce Pores? We Tested The Ordinary Serum

Myth Busted

We put the viral pore-minimizing serum to the test to see if it lives up to the hype.

Expert Analysis · Honest Reviews · Real Results

1.🔍The Pore Promise

My nose looked like a strawberry. All those little dots.

I didn’t want perfect skin. I just wanted my pores to stop announcing themselves from three feet away.

2.🤔The Viral Bottle

It’s the $6 serum from The Ordinary. The claim? Shrink pores, control oil. For the price of a latte, I was skeptical.

Watery, not sticky.

Absolutely none — smells like a lab.

That dropper is satisfying. A+ for the click.

Photo: Chandra Oh / Unsplash

3.🧪What’s In It?

Two main players. Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) at 10% — a high dose. Zinc PCA at 1%.

They’re supposed to team up: regulate sebum, calm inflammation, and *maybe* make pores look less cavernous.

Photo: Laura Jaeger / Unsplash

4.📉The Reality Check

It pills. Like crazy. Put it over anything thick or under mineral sunscreen? Instant little rubbery crumbs.

By week two, my midday shine was cut in half. A genuine shock. But the pore thing? Not shrinking. Just… cleaner-looking.

💡

One Thing: Apply to BONE-DRY skin. Wait 90 seconds before your next step. This is non-negotiable.

Photo: yunona uritsky / Unsplash

5.💡Who It’s For

My pores aren’t smaller. They’re just less filled with gunk, so they *appear* refined. Oil production? Seriously reduced.

✅

Buy if

You have oily, shiny skin and want to mattify.

⏭️

Skip if

You’re dry, sensitive, or hate fiddly layering routines.

💰

Worth it?

For $6? As an oil-control serum, absolutely.

6.✅Final Call

It’s not a pore-minimizer. It’s a brilliant, cheap oil-blotter. Manage expectations.

7.5/10

A stellar mattifier, not a pore-vanisher.

🛍️

Where to Buy: Sephora or the brand site. Buy one bottle first to test the pilling.