Not everything on our list grows. Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3, and ours is synthesized by an EU supplier in southwest Germany, about 300 km from our lab. It’s the same molecule you’d find in food, and the lab-made version is purer and more consistent from batch to batch than anything we could extract from a plant ourselves.

Moraine is a plant-based brand, so we want to be clear about this one. Niacinamide is made, not grown, and we say so on its page rather than dressing it up as a botanical.

We use it in two formulas. In the Alpine Rose Serum it’s at 4%, alongside alpine rose at 2%, to help even the look of tone and refine the look of pores. In the Chamomile Water Toner it’s at 2%, a lighter touch for every day.

The honest detail is the number. Higher percentages are easy to find, but some people find they make skin feel warm or tingly. In our own testing, going above 4% didn’t add enough visible difference to justify that, so we stopped there.