The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
One of the world's best-selling skincare products, at $6. It works — and 10% is more than the evidence calls for.
Reviewed by Dr. Schwarz, MD · Dermatologist
A dermatologist’s take
Eh.
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% is eleven honest ingredients at a dose the evidence does not ask for. Pigment studies used 5%, oil control as little as 2%, and nothing shows 10% beats either — it just adds flushing. It pills, too. If it stings, drop to 5%.
Pros
- No added fragrance
- Good fit for oily skin
Cons
- Can pill under other products
- 10% niacinamide can irritate some skin
Skin fit
Who is it best for?
Oily Skin
Good fitOil comes from the sebaceous glands beside each hair, and how much they make is set by hormones, not by how often you wash.
Niacinamide and zinc each nudge that down by a different route, which is the argument for one bottle. Expect less midday shine.
Comedonal Acne
Okay fitA pore looks large when it is packed with oil and dead cells and stretched open. Less oil means less to pack it with, so pores can look smaller over months — nothing shrinks the pore itself.
For inflamed spots, an adapalene gel does more.
Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation
Okay fitNiacinamide interrupts the handover of pigment packets to the surface cells that carry them up. That is one of its best supported effects and the most reliable thing this serum does.
It works on the mark, not the spot.
Melasma
Poor fitNiacinamide is a mild tone helper, not a melasma treatment. It will not hold patches back alone.
Dry Skin
Poor fitWatery, no emollients, and the zinc leaves a tight finish. Follow it with a moisturizer.
Rosacea
Poor fitNiacinamide at 10% flushes and stings some people. If your skin reacts easily, start at 4-5%.
Feel & smell
What does it feel like?
Serum
A thin serum that feels slightly tacky as it dries, more like watered-down syrup than water. It pills — by far the most common complaint.
Small rolls lift off when anything goes on top too soon. Fragrance-free, and it smells of nothing much.
Inside the formula
What do the main ingredients do?
How this formula works.
Niacinamide is vitamin B3. Skin cells convert it into two coenzymes used to run repairs and build fats, which is why one ingredient sits behind so many claims. The evidence is strongest in three places. It increases ceramide production, cutting water loss through the barrier. It interrupts the transfer of pigment packets into surface cells, fading dark marks. And it measurably reduces oil.
Full clinical explanation
Niacinamide is vitamin B3. Skin cells convert it into two coenzymes used to run repairs and build fats, which is why one ingredient sits behind so many claims. The evidence is strongest in three places. It increases ceramide production, cutting water loss through the barrier. It interrupts the transfer of pigment packets into surface cells, fading dark marks. And it measurably reduces oil.
This serum delivers that plus zinc PCA, which lowers oil by a separate route. Two mechanisms aimed at one problem is a fair reason to pair them, and at around $6 nothing is cheaper.
The dose is the catch. The landmark work used about 5% for pigment and as little as 2% for oil, and no good trial shows 10% beats 5% at anything. Higher concentrations reliably do one thing more — sting.
Full ingredient list · 11 ingredients
Water, Niacinamide 10%, Pentylene Glycol, Zinc PCA 1%, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum, Xanthan Gum, Isoceteth-20, Ethoxydiglycol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin
All ingredient roles
Water
The base the other ingredients are dissolved in. Most of it evaporates soon after the product goes on.
Xanthan Gum
A thickener that keeps the texture even.
Phenoxyethanol
The preservative. It stops bacteria and mold from growing in the product.
Use & results
How to use it.
How much
About a pea-sized drop for the whole face. Extra product is where pilling starts.
Careful
10% is higher than the studies used, and higher doses mainly buy flushing. Drop to every other day if it burns, or switch to 5%.
What to expect
Less shine within a couple of weeks. Dark marks take about 12 weeks, the length of the trial behind that claim. Early breakouts and irritation are common, and some skin never settles at 10%.
If it pills — Try this
Use less, let it dry before the next layer, and not in the same step as a vitamin C serum.
Price spectrum
Where does the price fall?
Paying more doesn’t guarantee better results. A good buy is a formula with the right ingredients, strength and texture for your skin. Use price per ounce to compare cost, then weigh it against the pros and cons above.
The product line
Which The Ordinary product should you choose?
The Ordinary organizes much of its range around named ingredients. That makes side-by-side comparisons useful, but a higher percentage or an extra peptide is not automatically an upgrade. Choose the ingredient for your concern, then compare strength, texture and tolerance.
Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
A leave-on serum with no exfoliation. The mildest step here, fine daily.
Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%
A gel-cream for bumps and redness together. Gentle enough for daily use.
Salicylic Acid 2% Solution
Oil-soluble, so it works inside the pore rather than on the surface. For blackheads and clogged skin.
Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toner
Surface exfoliation, a few nights a week. Easy to overuse.
More about the lineup
The Ordinary sells a bottle for each step an oily routine might need. They are not meant to be layered at once. Pick the mildest one that does the job.
Alternatives
If it didn’t work for you
Tranexamic Acid 5% Serum with Niacinamide 5%
Niacinamide at 5%, the concentration the landmark pigment study used, with 5% tranexamic acid. Less likely to sting.
Read the review →
Good Molecules Niacinamide 10% Serum
The same 10% dose at the same price, without zinc. Its bare nine-ingredient formula pills less.
Read the review →
Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster
Also 10%, softened with licorice root, beta-glucan and panthenol. About seven times the price.
Read the review →Questions
Before you buy
What does the niacinamide in The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% actually do?
It strengthens the barrier, fades dark spots and reduces oil. The evidence is solid.
Why does The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% pill?
Too much product, or layering too fast. A pea-sized amount, left to dry, fixes it.
Is the 10% niacinamide in The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% better than 5%?
Not by the evidence. The main studies used around 5%. Ten percent mostly adds irritation.
Can I use The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% with vitamin C?
Yes, but in the same wet layer both pill. Use one morning, one night.
Will The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% help with pores?
It can make pores look smaller by controlling oil. It does not shrink them — nothing does.
Sources
Sources and further reading
- Nicotinamide increases biosynthesis of ceramides as well as other stratum corneum lipids to improve the epidermal permeability barrier
- The effect of niacinamide on reducing cutaneous pigmentation and suppression of melanosome transfer
- The effect of 2% niacinamide on facial sebum production
- Niacinamide-Containing Facial Moisturizer Improves Skin Barrier and Benefits Subjects With Rosacea
- Mechanistic Basis and Clinical Evidence for the Applications of Nicotinamide (Niacinamide) to Control Skin Aging and Pigmentation
Keep exploring
Keep exploring.
Good Molecules Niacinamide 10% Serum
Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster
Melasma
Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation
Dry Skin
Rosacea
Cos de BAHA Tranexamic Acid 5% Serum with Niacinamide 5%
Ceramides
Azelaic Acid
Panthenol
Acne
