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The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% Versus Olay Niacinamide + Vitamin C Brightening Face Moisturiser

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% Versus Olay Niacinamide + Vitamin C Brightening Face Moisturiser This oil-control serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Zinc PCA to balance excess oil and refine the look of pores. This brightening moisturizer is for

By Peptide Skincare & Beauty Editorial TeamPublished

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% Versus Olay Niacinamide + Vitamin C Brightening Face Moisturiser

This oil-control serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Zinc PCA to balance excess oil and refine the look of pores.

This brightening moisturizer is formulated around Niacinamide and Lactic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and refine skin texture.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

No concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Niacinamide 10%

Pentylene Glycol

Zinc PCA 1%

Dimethyl Isosorbide

Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum

Xanthan Gum

Isoceteth-20

Ethoxydiglycol

Phenoxyethanol

Chlorphenesin

Water, Niacinamide 10%, Pentylene Glycol, Zinc PCA 1%, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum, Xanthan Gum, Isoceteth-20, Ethoxydiglycol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin

Glycerin

Isohexadecane

Niacinamide

Dimethicone

Lactic Acid

Isopropyl Isostearate

Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate

Stearyl Alcohol

Cetyl Alcohol

Sodium Lactate

Panthenol

Behenyl Alcohol

3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

Dimethiconol

PEG-100 Stearate

Cetearyl Alcohol

Cetearyl Glucoside

Parfum

Palmitic Acid

Sodium Benzoate

Stearic Acid

Trehalose

Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

Water, Glycerin, Isohexadecane, Niacinamide, Dimethicone, Lactic Acid, Isopropyl Isostearate, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Sodium Lactate, Panthenol, Behenyl Alcohol, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Dimethiconol, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Parfum, Palmitic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Stearic Acid, Trehalose, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

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Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Niacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.

And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.

You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.

In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.

If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.

When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.

When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.

In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).

Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.

Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.

The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!

Similar Comparisons

The reference edit

Ingredients, questions
& further reading.

Connected source records selected through this article’s public topic index.

01

Formula cabinet

Ingredients & structured notes

Ingredient index

Ingredients Explained

  1. 01These ingredients are found in both products.
  2. 02Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
  3. 03Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
  4. 04What it does:
  5. 05Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
  6. 06Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
  7. 07Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
  8. 08This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
  9. 09Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
  10. 10Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
  11. 11Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
  12. 12Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
  13. 13Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
  14. 14This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
  15. 15Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
  16. 16Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
  17. 17Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
  18. 18Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
  19. 19For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regul…
  20. 20The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
Source · skinsort.com ⟶
02

Product index

Related product references

Product

Olay Niacinamide + Rose Complex Serum

Olay Niacinamide + Rose Complex Serum Olay Niacinamide + Rose Complex Serum ingredients explained: Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Niacinamide, Lactic Acid, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Sodiu…

Source: incidecoder.comView reference →

Product

Olay Niacinamide 24 + Vitamin E

Olay Niacinamide 24 + Vitamin E Olay Niacinamide 24 + Vitamin E ingredients explained: Aqua, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Isohexadecane, Zea Mays Starch, Dimethicone, Isopropyl Isostearate, Stear…

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03

Comparison edit

Read side by side

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