B Calm

A morning cream with niacinamide at 5%, a low level of salicylic acid, and ceramides. Vitamin C sits in it as a stable ester.

Niacinamide at 5% leads this one, with salicylic acid — a beta hydroxy acid, oil-soluble, so it gets into the pore — kept low and in a leave-on form. Vitamin C is here as ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate, an oil-soluble ester that is far more stable than L-ascorbic acid and works more slowly.

Three ceramides, cholesterol and phytosphingosine sit underneath all of it. That is close to the lipid set skin builds its own barrier from, which is why this reads as a moisturiser rather than a treatment.

Morning use, under sunscreen. If you already use an acid serum at night, this adds to that rather than replacing it.

Actives: Salicylic Acid (BHA), Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate (Vitamin C), Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) 5%, Hyaluronic Acid

Suits: Normal to oilier skin, in the morning, under sunscreen.

Not for: Pregnant or breastfeeding: salicylic acid is the one where reputable sources disagree — take the bottle to your pharmacist.