Can you use salicylic acid (BHA) with niacinamide?
Yes. Salicylic acid and niacinamide can be used in the same routine; the warning that acids convert niacinamide into niacin doesn't hold up for normal layering.
Why
Turning niacinamide into niacin takes acid, heat and a lot of time, far more than the hours products spend on your skin. In a large randomized study, a high-strength salicylic acid formula combined with 10% niacinamide had very few side effects reported. Salicylic acid can still be drying on its own, so irritation is the main thing to watch.
How to use them
Apply them in either order, or use a product that contains both. Salicylic acid is an OTC drug ingredient in the US in some products, so if yours has a Drug Facts label, follow its directions first.
BHA is regulated as an OTC drug active in some products in the US. The directions on the product's label come first, and Dermo doesn't recommend specific drug products.
Sources
- 1Can you use Niacinamide and Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) together? · KindofStephen, 2016
- 2Supramolecular salicylic acid combined with niacinamide in chloasma: a randomized controlled trial · Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 2024
- 321 CFR 333.310 Acne active ingredients · Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), 2010
General cosmetic information, not medical advice. Written with AI assistance from the sources above; updated October 2026.