SkinBetter Science Alto Advanced Defense and Repair Serum Versus The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
This barrier-repair serum is formulated around Niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier and calm redness.
This oil-control serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Zinc PCA to balance excess oil and refine the look of pores.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Ethylhexyl Olivate
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Chlorogenic Acids
Antioxidant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Lauryl Lactate
EmollientDimethyl Isosorbide
SolventPyrroloquinoline Quinone Allyl Ester
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Ergothioneine
Antioxidant
Benzylidene Dimethoxydimethylindanone
Skin ProtectingArabidopsis Thaliana Extract
Antioxidant
Carnosine
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract
Antimicrobial
Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract
Antioxidant
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Antioxidant
Olea Europaea Fruit Extract
BleachingEuterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract
Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Buddleja Officinalis Flower Extract
UV FilterCoffea Arabica Leaf Cell Extract
Antioxidant
Crocus Sativus Leaf Cell Culture Extract
Skin ProtectingSuperoxide Dismutase
Antioxidant
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Plankton Extract
Skin ConditioningMicrococcus Lysate
Skin ConditioningArginine
Masking
Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Linolenic Acid
Cleansing
Sea Whip Extract
Skin ConditioningBisabolol
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Cholesterol
Emollient
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Methyl Gluceth-20
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Acacia Decurrens Flower Wax
Emollient
Lecithin
Emollient
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingDicetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingPropanediol Dicaprylate/Caprate
EmollientPolyglycerin-3
Humectant
Ceteth-20 Phosphate
CleansingDiisostearyl Malate
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSteareth-2
EmulsifyingAcacia Senegal Gum
MaskingPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingDextran
Ricinoleth-40
CleansingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Phytate
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Ethylhexyl Olivate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Chlorogenic Acids, Niacinamide, Lauryl Lactate, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Pyrroloquinoline Quinone Allyl Ester, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Ergothioneine, Benzylidene Dimethoxydimethylindanone, Arabidopsis Thaliana Extract, Carnosine, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Olea Europaea Fruit Extract, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2, Buddleja Officinalis Flower Extract, Coffea Arabica Leaf Cell Extract, Crocus Sativus Leaf Cell Culture Extract, Superoxide Dismutase, Ubiquinone, Plankton Extract, Micrococcus Lysate, Arginine, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Sea Whip Extract, Bisabolol, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cholesterol, Phytosphingosine, Jojoba Esters, Sodium PCA, Pentylene Glycol, Methyl Gluceth-20, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Acacia Decurrens Flower Wax, Lecithin, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Dicetyl Phosphate, Propanediol Dicaprylate/Caprate, Polyglycerin-3, Ceteth-20 Phosphate, Diisostearyl Malate, Xanthan Gum, Steareth-2, Acacia Senegal Gum, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Carbomer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Dextran, Ricinoleth-40, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Sodium Phytate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Dimethyl Isosorbide (often shortened to DMI) is a sugar-derived solvent made from sorbitol. It's used to dissolve tricky ingredients and help them mix smoothly into a formula.
Many actives sit as gritty crystals when undissolved, so DMI swoops in to full dissolve them. This helps improve texture, stability, and how evenly an active is distributed.
It does have a penetration-enhancing reputation that is a bit more nuanced than marketing suggests; a cell study on human skin found that 10% DMI didn't significantly boost the permeation of Hydroquinone, Salicylic Acid, or Octadecenedioic Acid compared to controls (though it did improve their solubility in the formula itself).
Typical usage concentrations usually range from 1-10% depending on the formula's needs; this ingredient is also well tolerated at these levels.
Learn more about Dimethyl IsosorbideNiacinamide 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.
Learn more about NiacinamidePentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolWater. 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!
Learn more about WaterXanthan 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
