COSRX The Niacinamide 15 Serum Versus The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

See how these products line up with your preferences

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of COSRX The Niacinamide 15 Serum versus The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% .

Last updated on July 18, 2023. Published on June 03, 2022

Overview

What they are

These products are both cruelty-free, fungal acne (malassezia) safe, and reef safe . They have a total of 5 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain niacinamide

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, brightening skin, oily skin, reducing pores, scar healing and dark spots

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 need an update? Let us know.

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COSRX The Niacinamide 15 Serum

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

Serum South Korean Brand

Facial Treatment Canadian Brand Canada

Serum

Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.

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

Shop

Buy The Niacinamide 15 Serum

Starts at $15.29

Shop

Buy Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

Starts at $6.00

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.

COSRX The Niacinamide 15 Serum 15 ingredients

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% 11 ingredients

alcohol-free

silicon-free

fragrance-free

sulfate-free

paraben-free

oil-free

fungal-acne safe

reef-safe

eu-allergen-free

vegan

cruelty-free

alcohol-free

silicon-free

fragrance-free

sulfate-free

paraben-free

oil-free

fungal-acne safe

reef-safe

eu-allergen-free

vegan

cruelty-free

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

COSRX The Niacinamide 15 Serum 15 ingredients

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% 11 ingredients

Notable Ingredients

Vitamin E

Niacinamide

Benefits

Good For Oily Skin

Redness Reducing (2)

Reduces Irritation

Reduces Large Pores

Dark Spots

Scar Healing (2)

Acne Fighting (2)

Brightening (2)

Notable Ingredients

Niacinamide

Benefits

Good For Oily Skin

Redness Reducing

Reduces Large Pores

Dark Spots

Scar Healing

Acne Fighting (2)

Brightening

Concerns

Irritating

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Ingredients Compared

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

COSRX The Niacinamide 15 Serum 15 ingredients

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% 11 ingredients

Water • Pentylene Glycol • Niacinamide 15% • Butylene Glycol • Acetyl Glucosamine • 1,2-Hexanediol • Zinc PCA • Trehalose • Xanthan Gum • Pullulan • Allantoin • Ethylhexylglycerin • Sodium Phytate • Citric Acid • Tocopherol

Water • Niacinamide • Pentylene Glycol • Zinc PCA • Dimethyl Isosorbide • Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum • Xanthan Gum • Isoceteth-20 • Ethoxydiglycol • Phenoxyethanol • Chlorphenesin

Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

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

Water

What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Community Rating: Loved

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 Water

COSRX The Niacinamide 15 Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% contains this as ingredient number 1.

Pentylene Glycol

What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Community Rating: Mixed

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 help thicken or emulsify a product. Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating.

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

COSRX The Niacinamide 15 Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% contains this as ingredient number 3.

Niacinamide

What it does: Smoothing

Community Rating: Loved

Niacinamide has emerged as an all-star ingredient due to its many benefits.

It is known to treat acne by reducing inflammation. It also helps fade dark-spots and strengthen the skin by promoting the growth of the ceramide barrier.

Other benefits include smoothing wrinkles and minimizing redness.

The cherry on top? Niacinamide can also help build keratin, a protein that keeps skin firm.

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.

Niacinamide can be mixed with other ingredients to boost benefits. For instance, it has shown to be effective when used with copper, folic acid, and zinc to treat acne.

Learn more about Niacinamide

COSRX The Niacinamide 15 Serum contains this as ingredient number 3.

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% contains this as ingredient number 2.

Zinc PCA

What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning

Community Rating: Loved

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

COSRX The Niacinamide 15 Serum contains this as ingredient number 7.

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% contains this as ingredient number 4.

Xanthan Gum

What it does: Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming, Skin Conditioning

Community Rating: Disliked

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

Learn more about Xanthan Gum

COSRX The Niacinamide 15 Serum contains this as ingredient number 9.

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% contains this as ingredient number 7.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

COSRX The Niacinamide 15 Serum 15 ingredients

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% 11 ingredients

53% are loved or liked

27% have mixed ratings

13% are disliked or very disliked

7% have no rating yet

27% are loved or liked

18% have mixed ratings

45% are disliked or very disliked

9% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

COSRX The Niacinamide 15 Serum 15 ingredients

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% 11 ingredients

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

COSRX The Niacinamide 15 Serum 15 ingredients

4.0 /5

from 3 ratings

ChienYun_CY

7 months ago · Combination Skin

Review

HG acne scar serum
Initially, this serum had helped fade away most of my old acne scars. After while, I thought it didn't do anything more for my...

HG acne scar serum
Initially, this serum had helped fade away most of my old acne scars. After while, I thought it didn't do anything more for my new acne growth. So I ditched this serum for about 3 months and tried other new niacinamide products. I REGRET it. Soon after, I got more and more whiteheads and acne. My skin texture becomes uneven and dry. The new acne scars couldn't fade away at all. I decided to repurchase this serum, and almost immediately, my scars cleared and had reduced inflammation on new cystic acne. It also helped to control sebum production and I have lesser acne growth. One of the products I cannot live without.

COSRX

The Niacinamide 15 Serum

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% 11 ingredients

3.5 /5

from 123 ratings

Great Value (13) Irritating (10) Doesn't Work (9) No Scent (9) Sticky (9) Broke Me Out (8)

Clover

6 months ago · Dry Skin

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...

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

The Ordinary

Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

AshN.

1 month ago · Dry Skin

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...

(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.

The Ordinary

Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%