The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Retinol: How to Layer Them Correctly
Last updated: May 20, 2026
This content is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult a qualified dermatologist before starting new active ingredients, particularly if you have a skin condition, are pregnant, or are taking medication.
Wondering whether niacinamide and retinol can share a routine? Below is the verdict, the chemistry, and the exact layering order. If you want to check any other pairing, use our free ingredient conflict checker.
The Verdict: Can You Use Niacinamide and Retinol Together?
Safe to Combine
Risk Level2/10
LowHigh
Safe to combine, and the sequencing is genuinely simple: water-based niacinamide underneath, oil- or silicone-based retinol on top, one minute apart. The old internet claim that the pair produces flushing does not survive scrutiny.
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The Chemistry Behind This Combination
Niacinamide
Barrier-Strengthening Active
pH 5.0–7.0 · Best time Any
Retinol
Retinoid
pH 5.5–6.0 · Best time PM
Deciem built The Ordinary around single-ingredient formulas at transparent concentrations, and two of them dominate the range's sales: Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% and the various retinoid options. Because both are cheap enough to own simultaneously, the layering question comes up more often for this brand than for any other.
Start with the myth. A recurring claim holds that niacinamide converts to nicotinic acid alongside retinol and causes flushing. Conversion does happen — but it requires heat, extreme pH, or long-term degradation, not the conditions inside a sealed bottle stored at room temperature. Modern formulas are buffered near neutral pH, precisely to keep nicotinamide intact. The flushing anecdotes almost always trace back to retinoid irritation on skin that was not ready for it.
What the two ingredients actually do is complementary rather than competitive. Retinol binds nuclear receptors, drives keratinocyte turnover and, over months, increases procollagen synthesis. Niacinamide operates through unrelated pathways: it is a precursor to NAD+, upregulates ceramide production, reduces sebum output, and inhibits melanosome transfer to keratinocytes. Different targets, different mechanisms, no shared receptor to compete over.
The interaction that matters is on the barrier side. Retinol depletes surface lipids; niacinamide instructs the skin to build more. Published work on niacinamide and barrier function shows reduced transepidermal water loss with consistent use, which is exactly the deficit a retinoid creates in its first six weeks.
Formulation is where The Ordinary's own guidance becomes relevant. Their niacinamide is a water-based serum with a slightly viscous, faintly tacky finish. Their retinoids are suspended in squalane or silicone. Deciem's published rule is to layer water-based products before anhydrous ones — an oil or silicone film applied first will simply block the water-based serum from reaching the skin. That single rule answers the entire ordering question.
How to Use Niacinamide and Retinol in Your Routine
Morning Routine
1Gentle Cleanser
2Niacinamide
3Moisturizer
4SPF 30+
Evening Routine
1Gentle Cleanser
2Niacinamide
3Retinol
4Moisturizer
**Correct order, evening**
1. Cleanser
2. The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% — a few drops, patted in
3. Wait 60 seconds; the serum should feel dry-tacky, not wet
4. Retinol — the smallest amount that covers the face
5. Moisturiser
**Why niacinamide goes first**
Water-based before anhydrous. The retinol suspension in squalane or silicone leaves an occlusive film, and anything water-based applied over it sits on the surface doing very little. Reverse the order and you are effectively paying for a serum you are not absorbing.
**Where The Ordinary's other products fit**
Their range is built to be stacked, but not infinitely. A practical evening on this pairing is cleanser, niacinamide, retinol, moisturiser — four steps. If you also own Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5, it goes before niacinamide, on damp skin. Direct acids and the Vitamin C suspensions belong in the morning, not layered under retinol.
**Introduction schedule**
Run niacinamide alone morning and evening for two weeks first. Then add retinol at two nights a week, going up to alternate nights in month two. Niacinamide remains daily throughout; it is the constant, retinol is the variable.
**Pilling — the practical fix**
If the niacinamide balls up under the retinol, you applied too much or waited too little. Cut to three drops and extend the wait to a full 90 seconds.
Alternatives and Safety Tips
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The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
One of the best-selling niacinamide serums in the world — 10 percent nicotinamide with zinc PCA, and the correct water-based base layer under any retinol.
One of the best-selling niacinamide serums in the world — 10 percent nicotinamide with zinc PCA, and the correct water-based base layer under any retinol.
