Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream versus The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% .
Last updated on July 18, 2023. Published on November 10, 2022
Overview
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for fighting acne and brightening skin
Free From
They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, fragrances, parabens or silicones
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.
General Moisturizer
All-purpose moisturizers hydrate the top layer of skin cells.
Facial Treatment
Facial treatments are specially designed to treat a skin concern. Acne treatments and anti-aging products are common examples of facial treatments.
Price
Ingredient Info
Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream 18 ingredients
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% 11 ingredients
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Fragrance Free
This product is free of fragrances 🎉
Contains Sulfate
Ingredients in this product that are types of sulfate:
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Contains Oils
Ingredients in this product that are types of oil:
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Not Reef Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not reef safe:
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Not Cruelty Free
This product is not cruelty-free 😥
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Fragrance Free
This product is free of fragrances 🎉
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Malassezia Safe
This product is free of malassezia feeding ingredients 🎉
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Vegan
This product is vegan 🎉
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream 18 ingredients
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% 11 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Benefits
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Notable Ingredients
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Benefits
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream 18 ingredients
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% 11 ingredients
Water • Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride • Paraffinum Liquidum • Glycerin • Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil • Zinc Oxide • Propylene Glycol • Polyglyceryl-2 Sesquiisostearate • Peg-22/Dodecyl Glycol Copolymer • Aluminum Stearate • Aquaphilus Dolomiae Ferment Filtrate • Arginine • Cera Alba • Copper Sulfate • Magnesium Stearate • Microcrystalline Wax • Tromethamine • Zinc Sulfate
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterAvène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream contains this as ingredient number 1.
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% contains this as ingredient number 1.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream 18 ingredients
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% 11 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream 18 ingredients
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% 11 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream 18 ingredients
blima1998
The best product I have used on my face. I have extremely sensitive skin and nothing has worked quite as well as this moisturizer. (I’ve used...
The best product I have used on my face. I have extremely sensitive skin and nothing has worked quite as well as this moisturizer. (I’ve used Vanicream, Joon Sung, Cerave, etc). One use of this cream and all redness was gone, I was left with super soft healthy skin. Even though it’s expensive you can use very little bc it’s so thick, and the tube lasts a very long time! It’s a little hard to apply because it feels like a thick sunscreen but once the product ’melts’ on skin you can spread it more easily. EDIT: After a few weeks of using it I noticed I would break out a little bit, maybe during that time of month when my skin is more oily (?). I stopped using it to sleep and I only use it on morning now and got better results. I have very dry skin so maybe oily skin types might want to use it as a spot treatment / alternate with something lighter
ris4lt
mixed feelings
i found this a tad too heavy for my oily skin, and i suspect that it clogged my pores and worsened my acne. however, the application...
mixed feelings
i found this a tad too heavy for my oily skin, and i suspect that it clogged my pores and worsened my acne. however, the application was so smooth and silky soft. it felt really nice, and it’s a great gentle moisturiser when i have broken or damaged skin, and helps repair it quicker. i now keep it around to use before applying makeup, and it works great in that context. and as long as i double cleanse at night, i get no adverse effects. so overall, not a great general moisturiser, but great as a makeup base.
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% 11 ingredients
Clover
Gotta give credit where credit is due
WOW… lot of people ganging up on this incredibly affordable/popular serum. I understand the criticisms, but...
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 incredible improvement in regards to my acne and skin tone evenness. This is a good serum to start with. No, you don’t need 10% strength (2%-5% works well) and for some that 10% can be irritating. However most people can handle 10% just fine so it’s not something many need worry about. The formulation isn’t elegant and sometimes it gets frothy or pills when you try to rub this in— BUT this is $6! You can’t really beat The Ordinary’s prices, and for some people $6 is all they can afford to spend on skincare so this is a good affordable option.
If you already have effective products with niacinamide in your routine, you do not need to add this in because it won’t really do anything for you. But if you’re just washing your face with something like dish soap then of course this will make an incredible difference. You’ll probably move on from it eventually, but it’s an effective place to start. Wishing everyone the best on their skincare journey. <3
AshN.
(Tried Jan 2021) This was actually the product that made me realize that my skin does not mix with Niacinamide (especially at high concentrations...
(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 allergic reaction as I'm sure it works for many others.
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 5 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream.
See 5 alternativesOur Dupe Finder has found 9 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%.
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