Index / The Ordinary / Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
The Ordinary

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%.

About this product

A serum from The Ordinary that combines 10% niacinamide with 1% zinc, designed to help regulate oil and shine and to support clear-looking skin.

Full ingredients

Aqua (Water), Niacinamide 10.0%, Pentylene Glycol, Zinc Pca 1.0%, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum, Xanthan Gum, Isoceteth-20, Ethoxydiglycol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin

More from The Ordinary 88 products · Guru Score 84% →

Guru Score

69%

Mixed

27 experts · Strong agreement

What the gurus are saying

The 10% strength is what divides these gurus. Many praise it for taming shine and oil in oily, acne-prone skin, and one says the zinc helps in hot weather, while several call it an affordable pick at about $10. However, several say that same strength has triggered redness and irritation, so those with really sensitive skin may want to look for niacinamide at a lower concentration.
Synthesized from 27 expert reviews · most recent take October 2026

What they liked

  • Very affordable for the concentration
  • Lightweight, hydrating texture
  • Helps regulate oil and calm redness

What they flagged

  • 10% niacinamide can irritate sensitive skin
  • May pill when layered with other products

Type

Key actives

Formula notes

Fragrance-freeNo drying alcohol

Where to buy

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What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored
~Nay
"I could never recommend this product or just any niacinamide serum, even if it's made by La Roche-Posay. Niacinamide at high percentages at 10, 15, 20% is just way too high. Just like too much of a good thing is not good. In studies all you need are 2 to 4% of niacinamide to help regulate sebum, help with brightening the skin and repairing the skin barrier."
All 10 takes from Dr. Daniel Sugai
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"Whenever I had a young patient come in with a red swollen face I would always ask, 'Are you using a niacinamide serum?' Specifically, The Ordinary. I'm sorry to hate on that brand, but they've caused a lot of rashes for my patients. So don't use a niacinamide serum at that concentration. Just have niacinamide mixed in to your products at a small concentration. I do like the ingredient, not hating on the ingredient, just using a small concentration."
Dermatologist Explains: How to Manage Hyperpigmentation/Dark Spots on the Face
"If you have it as a dedicated serum like say The Ordinary's, I've seen it irritate the skin and cause a bad rash which could lead to hyperpigmentation."
Dermatologist Explains: Ten Ways to Manage Melasma!
"I feel like it's too much of a good thing. When everyone was using that in 2020 I saw all my patients coming in with beat red faces swollen and irritated and inflamed and my first question was always are you on the niacinamide serum by The Ordinary and a lot of my teenager patients would say yes. Niacinamide can brighten your skin but I say it's not Batman, it's Robin. It's the backup dancer. It's not your main character. It's going to be more of a backup supporting actor."
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"I don't like the ordinary niacinamide serum because it caused a lot of contact dermatitis in my patients."
Game-Changing Moisturizers with Niacinamide Revealed
"It's not necessary at those high levels. [...] I've never seen it cure melasma or reduce hyperpigmentation in a significant way by itself. [...] I have found so many patients, especially my young patients with very sensitive skin and very fragile skin barriers, apply this strong niacinamide serum onto their face and they came in with a bad irritant contact dermatitis. [...] The niacinamide was just breaking their skin barrier, causing a lot of inflammation."
Dermatologist Explains: How to Mix Skincare Ingredients
"Niacinamide is a vitamin B3, it's anti-inflammatory, can be soothing, it can regulate sebum production. I'm not a big fan of it by itself in a serum. I feel like I've seen people get a lot of irritation, specifically the ordinary niacinamide serum. I think it's a great ingredient but too much of a good thing can be harmful."
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"Their products just don't work well for my face. They're affordable, but they just sting my skin and cause irritation. These 10% niacinamide serums are just unnecessary, it's too high, too much of a good thing. Niacinamide will give you the benefits of regulating sebum, repairing the skin barrier, decreasing inflammation, and brightening the skin at low doses of less than 5%, so these higher concentrations are overkill."
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"Other products that come to mind would be The Ordinary. They have their serums and their creams."
Viral Skincare: Keep It or Cut It?
"You don't need these high concentrations of niacinamide in a serum, and that will lead to nasty contact dermatitis. I've seen this many times, especially in my teenage patients coming in with a reddened face, and they were using The Ordinary niacinamide serum. That was so common during 2020 and 2021. [...] So I definitely have to say cut the dedicated niacinamide serums."
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"I could never recommend this product or just any niacinamide serum, even if it's made by La Roche-Posay. Niacinamide at high percentages at 10, 15, 20% is just way too high. Just like too much of a good thing is not good. In studies all you need are 2 to 4% of niacinamide to help regulate sebum, help with brightening the skin and repairing the skin barrier."
~Nay
"I've done a lot of talking about the ordinary 10% niacinamide, which I genuinely don't think anybody needs that strength of niacinamide in their life. The ordinary strength concentration is well in excess of what science says is a reasonable amount for most people, triggering excess side effects and irritation whilst also not necessarily giving you increased benefits. It's not the holy grail everyone made it out to be."
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All 12 takes from Mad About Skin
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"The 10% niacinamide is unique because of the formula. I can actually use it. As someone that just generally can't tolerate niacinamide, I can with this. The NAD is great and they've chosen peptides specifically for hyperpigmentation, which I really appreciate. This is a little hidden gem. [...] When I'm in active treatment phase of this routine, I will use it, but when I go into maintenance, this is probably the product that I'll drop to just streamline things down."
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"A two percent niacinamide in the long term is going to be better for the skin, less irritation and still great results. [...] My first impressions of this product: super hydrating on first application. [...] Your skin drinks it up. [...] It just leaves behind a really nice veil of hydration. It's great for the warmer months of the year because it's hydration without the weight that you can sometimes get with a moisturizer. This is just a really nice lightweight easy to apply serum."
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"The Ordinary formulates with 10% niacinamide, and it's too much, we don't need it. Studies show that for the best results you should use niacinamide at a 2 to 5% strength. [...] It's nice to see a brand following the science, following the data, formulating with a strength which is appropriate based on what results we need to get the very best results."
Perfect THE ORDINARY SKINCARE ROUTINE - Anti Aging On A Budget
"This is The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% solution, a must have if you have hyperpigmentation, dark spots and discoloration. It'll even everything out, hydrate you to the gods, and it's so gentle, anybody can use it. It has a nice milky consistency, two drops is enough. [...] The niacinamide is one of the best over-the-counter ingredients for fading hyperpigmentation and dark spots."
Fade HYPERPIGMENTATION FAST - Ultimate Korean Skincare Routine
"If your budget won't stretch to allies of skin, you could always use The Ordinary niacinamide 10% + zinc 1%, which kind of does something similar, not as powerful but does do something similar. [...] I think that's a more affordable option. I don't think it works quite as well as the allies of skin one, but if you're on a budget or you don't want to pay Allies of Skin prices, that one is really really good."
NIACINAMIDE IS IN TROUBLE - What We Now Know
"The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% solution was reportedly [...] selling 25 million units a year. [...] Honestly, it was really hard as a content creator that wasn't a particular fan of niacinamide to get that opinion across. I'd say doesn't do much for my skin and I'd be attacked relentlessly in the comments."
NIACINAMIDE - The Biggest Lie In Skincare (What We Now Know)
"The Ordinary have their 10% niacinamide which again very much guilty of increasing that concentration for no apparent reason. Not a fan of that product at all."
IS IT ALL OVER FOR THE ORDINARY - Sales Fall, Flop Launches, Cancelled Products
"Niacinamide in the 10% is quite disruptive on the skin barrier, can be quite sensitizing. Most people now realize that pairing it back, going for a 5% rather than 10%, is better. Same goes for the Niacinamide, these were never their best products in my opinion. I wouldn't recommend anyone reach for it unless they're already using it and getting the results they want."
Major NIACINAMIDE BAN - The Best Niacinamide Serums Still Available
"The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% used to be the best selling niacinamide. I would say to anyone that's using this, ditch it. Use this other one instead. You will get the exact same results, less side effects and irritation, and it's cheaper. I think this is a no-brainer. [...] I won't be surprised if in two years time this product doesn't exist anymore and it's just been replaced by the other one. [...] This one might be on its way out."
ITS OVER FOR NIACINAMIDE - Whats Happened To The Ordinary Niacinamide
"If you read any of the scientific studies on niacinamide, they show that it can deliver fantastic benefits for calming and soothing the skin, regulating oil production, and fading hyperpigmentation with a 2 to 5% concentration. All the studies done on this ingredient have been in that range, and yet brands weren't content with that. They wanted to push it higher and higher."
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"I love this it's super lightweight it's not sticky at all on application and it's a really nice lightweight serum that will slot seamlessly into the rest of your skincare routine"
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"I've done a lot of talking about the ordinary 10% niacinamide, which I genuinely don't think anybody needs that strength of niacinamide in their life. The ordinary strength concentration is well in excess of what science says is a reasonable amount for most people, triggering excess side effects and irritation whilst also not necessarily giving you increased benefits. It's not the holy grail everyone made it out to be."
~Yay
"The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% plus Zinc 1% is a great product for niacinamide, and [...] it works well alongside a vitamin C, whether you use it in the morning or move it to night if you've got sunspots or hyperpigmentation."
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"The Ordinary also makes a really good niacinamide, 10% plus zinc 1%."
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"The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% plus Zinc 1% is a great product for niacinamide, and [...] it works well alongside a vitamin C, whether you use it in the morning or move it to night if you've got sunspots or hyperpigmentation."
~Nay
"But now niacinamide is in pretty much every single formula, especially Korean skincare formulas. Every product has niacinamide and hyaluronic acid. These ingredients have become so popularized and integrated into skincare products as a whole that it's more rare to find products that don't have these ingredients, thereby rendering products like this not necessarily useless, but definitely not necessary and almost excessive in a way."
All 3 takes from Hyram
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"But now niacinamide is in pretty much every single formula, especially Korean skincare formulas. Every product has niacinamide and hyaluronic acid. These ingredients have become so popularized and integrated into skincare products as a whole that it's more rare to find products that don't have these ingredients, thereby rendering products like this not necessarily useless, but definitely not necessary and almost excessive in a way."
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"The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%, definitely smash, super good, solid, affordable product."
ChatGPT Builds Me A Skin Care Routine
"My overall thoughts on this product, it's a good one, I've recommended this one so many times in the past. Is it the best niacinamide product out there? No. When it comes to Ordinary products they are very simple, great particularly for skincare beginners."
~Yay
"The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% plus Zinc 1% is pretty affordable, easy to find."
All 3 takes from Dr. Aleksandra Brown
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"The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% plus Zinc 1% is a really affordable, straightforward serum that helps regulate oil production, helps reduce the shine, and supports clear skin by calming inflammation and minimizing congestion. I think it's best for oily, acne-prone, or maybe younger skin starting with active ingredients. It is higher strength niacinamide at 10%, but some people do okay with it. I think it might be a little bit irritating if you have really sensitive skin."
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"The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% plus Zinc 1% is a very affordable, really straightforward serum that helps regulate oil production, helps reduce the shine. It's going to help support clear skin by calming inflammation and minimizing congestion. It's really ideal for oily, acne-prone skin or maybe younger skin that's just starting out with active ingredients and wants something that's not too harsh. [...] It's a little bit higher strength formula. 10% is pretty high for niacinamide."
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"The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% plus Zinc 1% is pretty affordable, easy to find."
~Yay
"In the evening is when you go in with your actives. You can use 10% niacinamide plus zinc on dry skin, so you get that from The Ordinary, and [...] they're under $10 at Target."
All 9 takes from Dr. Vanita Rattan
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"The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% is a no-brainer. For 93 pounds, I expect more than just niacinamide, and The Ordinary delivers that at a fraction of the price with actual tyrosine inhibitors in the formula, whereas the competitor product doesn't have them at all."
HYPERPIGMENTATION LAYERING
"Clinical studies for niacinamide have been done between 2 to 5% and this can actually irritate a lot of you, and don't forget when it comes to skin of color the aim is to have 0% irritation. So I have a little trick for you: what we can actually do is mix these two together. You've got your niacinamide on one side and you've got your NMF moisturizer on the other."
ACNE THE ORDINARY AM/PM LAYERING
"The next is niacinamide. The problem is that most clinical studies are done between 2 to 5%, but The Ordinary only produces 10%. The trick I have is to mix a few drops into your moisturizer. It actually works quite well. It penetrates into the skin and you're getting the correct percentage."
TWEENS SKINCARE - YES OR NO
"I would avoid the 10% niacinamide from The Ordinary. [...] If you want to go for a 2% niacinamide in a moisturizer, that's fine. It's very strengthening to the skin barrier, but at 10% it's going to be too harsh. Clinical studies have shown that even for adult skin, the optimal percentage is between 2 to 5%."
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"I like it but I feel like nowadays we've got more options probably at cheaper price as well for you so it probably isn't going to be my first choice for you anymore."
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"The Ordinary niacinamide is still at 10% and I really want it ideally at 2% when during pregnancy. So what I would do is mix this with your moisturizer to dilute it down."
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"In the evening is when you go in with your actives. You can use 10% niacinamide plus zinc on dry skin, so you get that from The Ordinary, and [...] they're under $10 at Target."
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"Then go in with your brightening serum, something like alpha arbutin or niacinamide from The Ordinary. You can also top this two to three nights a week with azelaic acid."
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"The next product is the Ordinary Niacinamide 10% plus zinc oxide. Again, it's under £7 and will help with sebum production. You can apply this daily, morning or night."
~Nay
"The Ordinary's Niacinamide 10% plus Zinc 1%, one of the most popular products to come out of The Ordinary. But people still are like, you don't need 10% niacinamide. You just don't need it. There's no need for this."
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"The Ordinary's Niacinamide 10% plus Zinc 1%, one of the most popular products to come out of The Ordinary. But people still are like, you don't need 10% niacinamide. You just don't need it. There's no need for this."
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"One thing I very much started to dislike about The Ordinary serums in particular, their Niacinamide and Zinc and their hyaluronic acid, is that they just wouldn't play nice with other serums, moisturizers and sunscreens in particular. Zinc sunscreens they would just boil up, everything would peel off my skin every so often. The hyaluronic acid one would foam for some reason."
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"I use my Niacinamide from The Ordinary."
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"So she kept using it, but she says after a few months it stopped helping her skin, so she stopped using it. Others in the comments said they were having the same issue. One woman says that 10% niacinamide is too strong for most people. [...] However, I did have a chat with Michelle from Lab Muffin Beauty Science recently and niacinamide isn't necessarily a triggering ingredient, even at higher doses. [...] It's not known to be an irritating ingredient."
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"This is probably the product that helped with my sebum production the most, like the over excessive sebum production. I [...] did have a slight flushing yesterday when I used this. The nice flush is a known thing; some people get some redness due to it. [...] I do wish they did a five percent. I feel like five percent has been proven to work more [...] sufficiently, and I feel like you won't get the flushing that some people experience with this."
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"I discovered The Ordinary Niacinamide and Zinc, and something about The Ordinary's niacinamide and zinc really did help regulate my natural sebum production. That's when I started to notice that this ingredient is really helping me. I used niacinamide twice a day, and after about three or four weeks, [...] my oil, my sebum production was so much better. Even when I got hot and sweaty, I wasn't getting greasy and oily. Niacinamide will always be in my routine."
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"This was a game changer when it came to my skin, helping even out skin tone and regulate my sebum production. The zinc is amazing if you have breakouts, and I swear niacinamide helps with pore size, [...] especially on my nose. [...] A couple of drops will last you a really long time."
~Yay
"The Ordinary Niacinamide 10 percent plus Zinc I think is the gold standard for affordable niacinamide serums. You can get it for about $10, the same concentration of the same ingredient as many of the more expensive brands. If you are paying more than $20 for niacinamide, I kind of think you are being scammed."
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~Nay
"The Ordinary's 10% niacinamide plus zinc is super popular, and I'm sure there are people who have seen results, but it's also caused a lot of people a lot of issues, like triggering their redness, pretty much the opposite of everything I love about niacinamide. I don't love that product. I do not recommend it."
~Nay
"However the original formula is the original best seller. More than half the people get irritation from it. So that is something I don't recommend."
Translated from the guru's original language.
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"You can use any niacinamide except the ordinary one. the ordinary one, say mostly people get irritation."
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"The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% is by far the highest concentration of niacinamide that I have tried if your skin is not sensitive. [...] I loved it so much. I felt overall my pores got smaller, my texture improved. But this is a bit too strong for the daytime."
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"The Ordinary niacinamide that you're using, please stop using it. That's coming because of that. It's a very common thing and that's a result of that."
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"If you know me you know me I don't recommend niacinamide"
Translated from the guru's original language.
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"However the original formula is the original best seller. More than half the people get irritation from it. So that is something I don't recommend."
Translated from the guru's original language.
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"So I don't recommended that niacinamide it is their best seller but it doesn't suit half the world so I don't recommend it"
Translated from the guru's original language.
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"I love the brand Ordinary, I love all their products"
Translated from the guru's original language.
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"The one niacinamide serum that [...] I don't recommend is the one by The Ordinary. The concentration has ten percent with one percent zinc, but in my experience with all of the feedback that I have received, I know that 90 percent, in fact, a lot of people feel that niacinamide because of The Ordinary, it's just the formulation, it's not the ingredient."
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"If we talk about the branded version then you get this in Inkey List or The Ordinary or Plum or A Doctor's Shade or Drunk Elephant"
Translated from the guru's original language.
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"The Ordinary is not to be used. I've said it in every video where I've mentioned niacinamide. Don't use The Ordinary. You can use any niacinamide except The Ordinary if you have oily skin because it's a thick formula."
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"Just make sure it's The Ordinary Niacinamide because you say 99.9 percent problems solved. For tweens or teenagers who are struggling with oily skin, open pores, blackheads, dull skin, [...] get them started on a niacinamide serum at five percent concentration. It's a great product that you can give a teenager whose skin will be improved, and they will have the sensory experience of doing a skincare routine."
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"Any niacinamide except The Ordinary."
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"NK 134 and Resveratrol are safe ingredients specifically found only in The Ordinary and they are completely safe."
Translated from the guru's original language.
~Yay
"It helps to reduce the appearance of pores, regulate sebum, and calm redness. It is lightweight, but [...] depending on how many serums you use, [...] it could become slightly tacky or [...] have a little bit of a tacky residue, so just be careful if you're layering. With 10% niacinamide, it doesn't mean it's not effective, but it could potentially add irritation, so be careful of that especially if you have sensitive skin."
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"A bestseller if you have oily acne prone skin, helps to reduce appearance of pores, texture skin, regulate sebum, calm and soothe. Just a great addition for anyone that struggle with oiliness and acne. Niacinamide here also helps to brighten the skin with that 10%, which is a little bit higher but certainly I think for most people it's tolerable. And also improves skin barrier function aside from like reducing that sebum production. And the zinc is a great anti-inflammatory soothing one."
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"It helps to reduce the appearance of pores, regulate sebum, and calm redness. It is lightweight, but [...] depending on how many serums you use, [...] it could become slightly tacky or [...] have a little bit of a tacky residue, so just be careful if you're layering. With 10% niacinamide, it doesn't mean it's not effective, but it could potentially add irritation, so be careful of that especially if you have sensitive skin."
~Yay
"We have a Nordstrom exclusive by The Ordinary. This is their skin support set with their [niacinamide] 10%, zinc 1% and hyaluronic acid formula."
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"The two products that I used for hydrating were the medicated peptide serum and the Ordinary's niacinamide plus ha"
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"We have a Nordstrom exclusive by The Ordinary. This is their skin support set with their [niacinamide] 10%, zinc 1% and hyaluronic acid formula."
~Mixed
"The Ordinary looked at a study in vitro [...] using this followed by their Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% serum [...] and they showed that this allowed for two times better absorption of that serum in vitro at least so in cells in a dish after 1 hour. [...] However, it's cells in a dish right like facial skin is much different you've got this 3D shape you've got the pores you've got a lot going on keep that in mind."
~Yay
"I really enjoy niacinamide for its overall beneficial effect for my skin in my skincare routine, and the one with zinc is one that I enjoy in the warmer months because despite being almost 46 my T-zone still gets oily when it is hot, and the zinc helps with that."
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"I really enjoy niacinamide for its overall beneficial effect for my skin in my skincare routine, and the one with zinc is one that I enjoy in the warmer months because despite being almost 46 my T-zone still gets oily when it is hot, and the zinc helps with that."
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"While Niacinamide does help with brightening hyperpigmentation a little bit, [...] I don't use it mainly for that purpose, but when fighting hyperpigmentation every little bit counts, so even if it helps just a little that's quite well. I also like it because Niacinamide helps my skin tolerate the Tretinoin better, it's stabilizing for the skin barrier, and sometimes it gets a little windy and harsh and that can lead to irritation on my skin with a prescription, so that's great."
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"The Ordinary Niacinamide + Zinc Serum is another affordable product you could apply to dedicated parts of your body."
~Nay
"I personally dislike that serum I don't like it at all. I find it to be a little irritating but also it pills with all the skincare products that I have used with it so I really don't like that niacinamide serum."
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"I personally dislike that serum I don't like it at all. I find it to be a little irritating but also it pills with all the skincare products that I have used with it so I really don't like that niacinamide serum."
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"For me personally it was never a favorite of mine because it pilled with a lot of skincare products and even makeup that I used with it so it was too hit and miss with that serum. I truly don't use it anymore mainly because of that reason but also the added zinc ingredient can sometimes dry out my skin so I never really enjoyed that formulation."
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"This isn't exactly my favorite niacinamide formulation because I do feel like this serum pills a lot in my skincare routines. I think it's because of the products and textures that I am using with the niacinamide serum. For me personally I experienced pilling with this, but it doesn't mean that you're going to experience that; it just depends on what you're using with it."
~Yay
"It contains a 0.5 oz of their popular Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% serum. People love this serum for a number of reasons, it can help to balance oily skin, but people also like to use it in a routine where they're trying to fade dark spots."
~Yay
"For a while there this was my favorite toner ever and I really noticed a difference"
~Nay
"This one's not super exciting"
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"Niacinamide and sorbic acid are a great team for brightening up your skin so if you have hyperpigmentation melasma things like that it's nice although ni cide now now days isn't everything"
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"Currently really enjoying the Ness Asic acid"
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"Coming in at 15 bucks I talk about this a lot but I love it the Ness a control isic acid serum uh 10% isic acid which is great for soothing it's great for redness prone skin it's great for rosacea prone skin"
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"This one's not super exciting"
~Yay
"There's nothing better for the Skin Barrier than niacinamide and the Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% from The Ordinary is quite good. [...] Don't get scared with a 10% because it's almost [...] like a sugar coating on a label, they say it's 10% but really it's not too strong. Most patients don't really irritate from there, but I would still use it sparingly."
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"There's nothing better for the Skin Barrier than niacinamide and the Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% from The Ordinary is quite good. [...] Don't get scared with a 10% because it's almost [...] like a sugar coating on a label, they say it's 10% but really it's not too strong. Most patients don't really irritate from there, but I would still use it sparingly."
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"It's a water-based product with niacinamide and pentylene glycol, great things for the skin barrier, and it also has zinc in there. Zinc's also proven to be great for acne. Don't get scared about the 10% because when we formulate skincare, when we put 10% niacinamide in it's quite strong, but for some reason The Ordinary one isn't too strong and it isn't too sensitizing so you can definitely use that. It's water-based and that's what you want to use first."
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"Niacinamide is great for acne, it's great for reducing redness, it's also great for reducing pigmentation. [...] The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% is a great product. It's a water-based product with niacinamide and pentylene glycol, great things for the skin barrier, and it also has zinc in there. Zinc's also proven to be great for acne."
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"You've got the niacinamide 10% and zinc 1%. Now 10% always seems a little bit high, but really when I told patients to use niacinamide it really doesn't irritate the skin that much, but it's great for helping with textural changes, dullness, dryness as well as sensitivity and any signs of congestion. So it's just going to help kind of tie up your skincare routine."
~Yay
"Niacinamide from The Ordinary is pretty lightweight, niacinamide is extremely stable and there is no wrong way to do it. [...] Both of those ingredients play really well with most other things, and it's so stable if you wanted to use it in the daytime you sure could. Generally though what you would do, you'd probably wash face, use niacinamide twice a day as an earlier step."
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"Functionally I like The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%. Niacinamide has been shown to be effective at concentrations 5% and less and there haven't been any studies on concentrations higher than 5%, even though you'll see 20, 30, 40% niacinamide products out there. There's no need for a concentration that high in your skincare routine. [...] You can use this morning and night or you could just use it one time a day."
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"Niacinamide from The Ordinary is pretty lightweight, niacinamide is extremely stable and there is no wrong way to do it. [...] Both of those ingredients play really well with most other things, and it's so stable if you wanted to use it in the daytime you sure could. Generally though what you would do, you'd probably wash face, use niacinamide twice a day as an earlier step."
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"The Ordinary's 10% niacinamide is a good inexpensive option. 10% may be a little bit too high for niacinamide, as most studies [...] have been done at 5%, but I think a lot of people tolerate that one pretty well."
~Mixed
"The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% serum retails for $6 for 30ml of product. [...] I think it's fine. I don't think it has a very elegant texture. I think it's kind of sticky, and I think some people run into issues just trying to layer this with other skincare products just because it is a very inelegant type of texture, but it legit straight up costs $6."
~Yay
"I love their niacinamide and zinc serum. I think it's just good for all over balancing, toning, and a lot of really good properties, and I also just love the way it feels on my skin. It feels like a layer of protection. [...] The niacinamide serum from the ordinary is a classic. [...] I feel like it was revolutionary for the skincare industry."
~Yay
"The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% is a good recommendation for niacinamide. Niacinamide helps in repairing the skin barrier and also reduces oil synthesis from the skin and helps in reducing redness due to acne. [...] You can use this twice in a day."
~Nay
"I continue to be perplexed at The Ordinary's choice to make this a 10% niacinamide serum, because usually that brand is so good at making products where the percentages used match the literature for results. With niacinamide, [...] the research says somewhere between two to five percent is effective for different skin concerns, and for whatever reason they decided to just double that."
~Mixed
"However, it does tend to break some people out and some people become scared of niacinamide because of this. I would definitely recommend trying more products with niacinamide and not dismissing all products with niacinamide on the basis of this. I did that and then I realized my skin actually loves niacinamide, it just doesn't love this product. It wasn't bad, it was just meh. I think this one [...] doesn't work for a big enough proportion of people."
~Mixed
"You use one dropper full and apply it to the face and neck and let it dry. The main complaint I have about this one is that it can feel a little bit tacky on the skin, which isn't my favorite thing if I'm going to be applying a full face of makeup over it. [...] But if you are looking for something that works and that's affordable, you cannot go wrong with this. I really love this product."
~Yay
"The Ordinaries niacinamide and zinc, that is literally like one of the bestselling serums in the entirety of America and it's like $8, so that is another great option."
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"Olivia Rodrigo uses The Ordinary and has sworn by the niacinamide serum and literally said multiple times how much it helps her skin, her face, her nose, etc. This is one of my favorite serums as well. The Ordinary has done it with this one. The regular sized one is literally under 10 bucks. It's so good, it's so effective, and then if you do want to spend more, they do have the large size which you can get for like 15 dollars."
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"The ordinary's niacinamide serum is like the number one selling serum in all of America. Whenever I go to Sephora or Ulta, they're always sold out. [...] It's because it works, and then people like me recommend it to you, and then you try it and you're like oh my God this is so good, and you use it or you recommend it to someone else, and it just works. When people try it and use it correctly, they like it, and then it just continues to go."
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"This niacinamide and zinc is an oily skin's best friend and it's always listed as a best seller at Sephora, Ulta, and any beauty retailer. I feel like this serum really put niacinamide on the map and it's one of the top serums that exists right now and for good reason. It's like $7 to $8 to help control oil and sebum in my nose area and to help give B vitamins to my skin. [...] Niacinamide and zinc can help with oil production, and as an oily-skinned person I love this."
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"The Ordinaries niacinamide and zinc, that is literally like one of the bestselling serums in the entirety of America and it's like $8, so that is another great option."
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"The Ordinary niacinamide serum for like $7, it's not at CVS but it is at Sephora. I feel like we need more brands like The Ordinary, like Bubble, like The Inky List that create effective high quality and inexpensive skin care."
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"I would highly recommend [...] using a seven dollar niacinamide serum from The Ordinary instead of wasting an egg. [...] Let's put niacinamide on our face to reduce the appearance of pores and actually have the benefits of skincare that we know can penetrate into the skin instead of just getting crusty on the top of it."
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"This entire bottle is under $10 and a little goes a long way. This niacinamide and zinc is fantastic to help regulate sebum production in the skin. Niacinamide can't shrink pores but it can make pores appear smaller. It's also called vitamin B3 and what's great about niacinamide is it can also help with a little bit of pigmentation so it doesn't stop your skin from producing pigment but it doesn't allow your skin cells to spread the pigment which is amazing."
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"This is a nice cinematic product from the Ordinary. I absolutely love this one. The Ordinary also has the Buffet, which I think they just renamed. These are both great but they do tend to get a little bit gummy."
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"I obviously love The Ordinary's Niacinamide and Zinc, but I would recommend that for people who are a little bit more oily because the zinc PCA is a little bit better for those who are more greasy in the skin."
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"Another absolute favorite is The Ordinary's Niacinamide and Zinc. This is great for oily skin, and niacinamide is relatively easy to use. It's in a bunch of different products and it's very easy to access over the counter."
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"The Ordinary has been one of my favorite brands for years and I've always loved them for their inexpensive effective formulas that are very scientific in nature."
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"If you use like 20 or 30, it can actually cause flushing. [...] But this, this is a whole different story. The zinc and niacinamide is fantastic, and if you do have acne, this is totally fine. It's not going to cure acne, but for anyone who struggles with oiliness or oil regulation in the skin, this is where it's at. The niacinamide actually helps your skin produce more ceramides, so it strengthens that outer skin barrier. Niacinamide itself helps with stopping pigmentation from spreading."
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"But if you've always wanted to try it and you've just never bit the bullet, the price is right on this one. [...] If you are oily, oh my gosh, this is an oily acne prone person's best friend. [...] This serum has been one of my holy grails ever since I found it two to three years ago, and yes, I will be stocking up."
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"The niacinamide serum works so well for my oily acne-prone skin and it doesn't leave me overly streaky and it doesn't dry me out, so why would I continue using the powder."

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Niacinamide

Niacinamide has evidence behind it for redness, uneven tone and supporting the skin barrier, and it is usually well tolerated even by skin that reacts to most things.

Source: DermNet

Frequently asked.

What is The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%?

A serum from The Ordinary that combines 10% niacinamide with 1% zinc, designed to help regulate oil and shine and to support clear-looking skin.

Is The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% worth it?

The gurus are split. 14 of the 27 gurus give it their stamp of approval while 9 would skip it, which lands it in the middle at a Guru Score of 69%.

What is The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%'s Guru Score?

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% holds a Guru Score of 69%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 27 expert reviewers we have collected. At least one expert has named it a Top Pick in its category.

Who is The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% best for?

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% is generally suited to oily skin and acne-prone skin.

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