The Ordinary
Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
face serum
The Ordinary
face serum
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Fit by skin type
General, ingredient-based — not your personalized match.
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| NIACINAMIDE | 10% |
| ZINC PCA | 1% |
A water-based serum that helps to enhance skin brightness, improve texture, reduce excess oil, and strengthen the skin’s moisture barrier.
Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% is a watery-light serum from The Ordinary, a brand based in Canada. The formula is built mainly around hydration. The ingredient list runs to 11 ingredients, each broken down in full below.
By its ingredient list the formula reads as very light — essentially a water-and-humectant base with little emollient weight. With almost no emollient load it should absorb quickly and finish close to matte. Hydration is handled by Pentylene Glycol, Zinc PCA and Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum, humectants that pull water into the upper layers of skin rather than sealing it there.
Hydration: High. Ingredients that pull and hold water in the upper layers of skin, and here that comes from Pentylene Glycol, Zinc PCA and Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum.
Oil control: Moderate. Ingredients that moderate sebum or absorb shine, and here that comes from Niacinamide and Zinc PCA.
Barrier support: Moderate. Lipids and repair signals that support skin barrier integrity, and here that comes from Niacinamide.
Brightening: Moderate. Ingredients that act on uneven tone and post-inflammatory marks, and here that comes from Niacinamide.
On richness alone it suits Combination (oily) and Oily skin best, and is the least natural fit for Dry and Combination (dry) skin. Nothing in the list is flagged as a common irritant, which is a reasonable starting point for reactive skin — though a patch test is still the only way to know.
The formula contributes little or nothing on antioxidant protection, cell renewal and firmness signalling. That is not a fault — most products are not meant to do everything — but if one of those is your priority, this is not the product that will address it.
Reading the full list, the formula is fragrance-free, essential-oil-free, no drying alcohol, paraben-free, silicone-free and microplastic-free. Those claims come from the ingredient list itself, not from the packaging.
It can be used morning and evening. In a routine it goes after toner, before moisturiser. Apply to clean, dry skin and give it a minute to absorb before the next layer. Introduce one new treatment at a time so you can identify what is working.
This summary is generated from the product's ingredient list. It is not a review, it is not the brand's own marketing claims, and it does not replace advice from a dermatologist.
Drawn purely from the ingredient list
Scored on how rich or light the formula reads from its INCI order.
No ingredient in this formula carries a common-irritant flag, making it a reasonable option for reactive skin. A patch test is still recommended, as individual skin reactivity varies.
Based on the curated benefits documented for this product's ingredients.
Attracts and locks in moisture to keep skin plump and dewy
Boosts collagen and cell turnover to reduce fine lines and wrinkles
Tightens and refines the look of enlarged pores
Calms redness, irritation, and inflammation for sensitive skin
None of the ingredients in this formula are associated with these benefits. This is not unusual, as most products are designed to target a limited number of concerns.
The actives, UV filters and benefit-carrying ingredients in this formula, in the order they are listed.
2nd on the list, which puts it at an estimated 5–20% of the formula.
Niacinamide (vitamin B3) is a gentle skincare active that repairs the skin barrier, calms redness, controls oil and evens tone at 2–5%. Official IUPAC name: **3-Pyridinecarboxamide**
3rd on the list, which puts it at an estimated 5–20% of the formula.
1,2-Dihydroxypentane
4th on the list, which puts it at an estimated 2–10% of the formula.
Proline, 5-oxo-, zinc salt
6th on the list, which puts it at an estimated 2–10% of the formula.
Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum is the gum obtained from the seeds of the Tamarind, Tamarindus indica L., Leguminosae
Each axis is scored from the ingredients present and how high up the list they sit.
Ingredients that pull and hold water in the upper layers of skin
Lipids and repair signals that support skin barrier integrity
Ingredients that mop up free radicals from UV and pollution
Ingredients that moderate sebum or absorb shine
Ingredients that act on uneven tone and post-inflammatory marks
Ingredients aimed at visible redness and reactivity
Retinoids, acids and enzymes that speed surface turnover
Peptides and growth factors that signal for collagen support
"Active" here means an ingredient carrying a recorded active type or a recognised UV filter.
Solvents, emollients, texture agents and preservatives — the formula that carries the actives.
Read from the full ingredient list. A brand's own claim may differ.
Judged by the same curated rules our routine checker uses. It reads the ingredients, not the label.
Nothing in this formula belongs to a group our rules can put in conflict, so it layers freely. Order still matters — thinnest texture first.
This product is the "Treat" step.
Flags to check, not verdicts. None of this is medical advice — if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or treating a skin condition, ask a doctor.
Most ingredients do more than one job, so these counts add up to more than the 11 ingredients on the label.
Dissolves and carries everything else
Sets the thickness, spread and stability of the formula
Draws water into the upper layers of skin
Keeps the product free of microbial growth
Lifts oil and dirt, or holds oil and water together
Changes how skin behaves rather than how it feels
Every ingredient on the label, in order, with what it does and roughly how much of it is likely to be there.
1st on the list, which puts it at an estimated 30–80% of the formula.
Water
2nd on the list, which puts it at an estimated 5–20% of the formula.
Niacinamide (vitamin B3) is a gentle skincare active that repairs the skin barrier, calms redness, controls oil and evens tone at 2–5%. Official IUPAC name: **3-Pyridinecarboxamide**
3rd on the list, which puts it at an estimated 5–20% of the formula.
1,2-Dihydroxypentane
4th on the list, which puts it at an estimated 2–10% of the formula.
Proline, 5-oxo-, zinc salt
5th on the list, which puts it at an estimated 2–10% of the formula.
1,4:3,6-Dianhydro-2,5-di-O-methyl-D-glucitol
6th on the list, which puts it at an estimated 2–10% of the formula.
Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum is the gum obtained from the seeds of the Tamarind, Tamarindus indica L., Leguminosae
7th on the list, below the 1% line — present at under 1%, which for most ingredients is the level they work at.
Xanthan gum
8th on the list, below the 1% line — present at under 1%, which for most ingredients is the level they work at.
Alcohols, C16-branched, ethoxylated (20 mol EO average molar ratio)
9th on the list, below the 1% line — present at under 1%, which for most ingredients is the level they work at.
2-(2-Ethoxyethoxy)ethanol; Carbitol; Diethylene glycol monoethyl ether; DEGEE
10th on the list, below the 1% line — present at under 1%, which for most ingredients is the level they work at.
2-Phenoxyethanol
11th on the list, below the 1% line — present at under 1%, which for most ingredients is the level they work at.
1,2-Propanediol, 3-(4-chlorophenoxy)-
Products in the same category that share this formula's distinguishing ingredients.
Dr. Althea
Shares 3 key ingredients with Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%: Pentylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Zinc PCA
Dr.Althea
Shares 3 key ingredients with Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%: Pentylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Zinc PCA
Anua
Shares 3 key ingredients with Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%: Niacinamide, Zinc PCA, Pentylene Glycol
NIOD
Shares 3 key ingredients with Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%: Pentylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Zinc PCA
I Dew Care
Shares 3 key ingredients with Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%: Niacinamide, Pentylene Glycol, Zinc PCA
Medicube
Shares 3 key ingredients with Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%: Niacinamide, Pentylene Glycol, Zinc PCA
AQUA, NIACINAMIDE, PENTYLENE GLYCOL, ZINC PCA, DIMETHYL ISOSORBIDE, TAMARINDUS INDICA SEED GUM, XANTHAN GUM, ISOCETETH-20, ETHOXYDIGLYCOL, PHENOXYETHANOL, CHLORPHENESIN.
NIACINAMIDE.
-Apply a few drops to entire face in morning and evening before heavier creams. Precautions: -If topical vitamin C is used as part of skincare, it should be applied at alternate times with this formula in the AM. Otherwise, niacinamide can affect integrity of pure-form vitamin C.
Judged on how rich the formula reads from its ingredient list, it suits Combination (oily), Oily skin best. It is the least natural fit for Dry, Combination (dry) skin.
No ingredient in this formula carries a common-irritant flag, making it a reasonable option for reactive skin. A patch test is still recommended, as individual skin reactivity varies.
No ingredient in this formula is a recognised food source for malassezia, the yeast behind fungal acne.
Nothing in this formula is on the standard pregnancy-caution list. That is not medical clearance — check anything you use daily with your doctor or midwife.
Yes. Reading the full ingredient list, this formula is fragrance-free.
No. Reading the full ingredient list, this formula is no drying alcohol.
Yes. Reading the full ingredient list, this formula is silicone-free.
No. Reading the full ingredient list, this formula is essential-oil-free.
Yes. Reading the full ingredient list, this formula is paraben-free.
It layers well with Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid), Retinoids (retinol, retinal), AHAs (glycolic, lactic), BHA (salicylic acid), PHAs (gluconolactone), Benzoyl peroxide.
Use it morning and evening, after toner, before moisturiser.
It lists 11 ingredients, of which 1 are recorded as actives.
The Ordinary, a brand based in Canada.
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