Versus

Aroma-Zone Sérum Acide Salicylique Végétal 2% & Zinc Versus The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

Serum
Serum
French Brand France
Canadian Brand Canada

Updated on March 04, 2025

Overview

What they are

These products are both vegan, cruelty-free, fungal acne (malassezia) safe, and reef safe serums. They have a total of 3 ingredients in common

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, brightening skin and scar healing

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, fragrances, oils, parabens, silicones or sulfates

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that needs an update? Let us know.

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and see relevant ingredients

About this product

About this product

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Benefits

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water
Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Pentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.

The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.

This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.

Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.

Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.

Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.

Learn more about Pentylene Glycol
Humectant, Skin Conditioning

Zinc PCA (or "zinc salt") differs slightly from zinc itself. PCA stands for pyrrolidone carboxylic acid. However, Zinc PCA comes from zinc.

It can help reduce redness, regulate sebum, and promote the general healing process of the skin.

Zinc PCA tends to be especially useful for those with oily, acne-prone skin. It's certainly an ingredient worth trying out!

Learn more about Zinc PCA

When to use

8 Routines
25% use in am
75% use in pm
38% use every 3_days
15,811 Routines
48% use in am
52% use in pm
94% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Aroma-Zone Sérum Acide Salicylique Végétal 2% & Zinc 12 ingredients

3.0 /5
from 1 rating
Drying (1) Irritating (1) Light Scent (1)
LittleWaffle's avatar

Amélie Lambert

2 months ago
Review

The ingredients list is great and I generally like this brand. But this serum is not for me. I introduced it slowly (2x/week then 3x week), but it was too strong for my sensitive skin in the end. It did clear me out somewhat, but my skin barrière took two months to recover from the irritation. It was the first time I reacted so badly. Especially since this is not my first time using salicylic Show more

#drying
#irritating
#light scent

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% 11 ingredients

3.2 /5
from 235 ratings
Great Value (53) Irritating (48) Broke Me Out (47)
Clover's avatar

Clover

1 year ago
Review

Gotta give credit where credit is due
WOW… lot of people ganging up on this incredibly affordable/popular serum. I understand the criticisms, but personally I don’t believe the intensity is warranted. For so many people this was the start of their skincare journey; it certainly was mine! And because I had never used ingredients like niacinamide or zinc on my face before, of course I noticed an Show more

AshN.'s avatar

AshN.

1 year ago
Review

(Tried Jan 2021) This was actually the product that made me realize that my skin does not mix with Niacinamide (especially at high concentrations because I can usually tolerate it at %4/less or when it isn't a primary ingredient). I tested it on my wrist and a small patch on my cheek to check, and I had hives in both areas. I wouldn't want to give this a poor rating solely on the account of my Show more

#great value
#broke me out
#irritating
#no scent