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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% versus Proactiv Repair Repairing Treatment .

Last updated on July 18, 2023. Published on August 29, 2022

Overview

Suited For

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

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, oils 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.

Facial Treatment Canadian Brand Canada
General Moisturizer American Brand United States

Facial Treatment

Facial treatments are specially designed to treat a skin concern. Acne treatments and anti-aging products are common examples of facial treatments.

General Moisturizer

All-purpose moisturizers hydrate the top layer of skin cells.

Price

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Buy Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

Starts at $6.00
Shop

Buy Repair Repairing Treatment

Starts at $25.00

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant 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

Notable Ingredients

Niacinamide

Benefits

Good For Oily Skin
Redness Reducing
Reduces Large Pores
Dark Spots
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting (2)
Brightening

Concerns

Irritating

Notable Ingredients

Benzoyl Peroxide

Benefits

Redness Reducing
Reduces Irritation (2)
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin (2)
Acne Trigger
Irritating (2)
Rosacea (2)
Eczema (5)
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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.

1
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

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

Proactiv Repair Repairing Treatment contains this as ingredient number 12.

2
What it does: Humectant, Solvent
Community Rating: Mixed

Ethoxydiglycol is a synthetic solvent.

Solvents are used to keep ingredients together in a product. They can help dissolve ingredients to stable bases or help evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product.

Ethoxydiglycol also helps deliver other key ingredients into the skin.

Learn more about Ethoxydiglycol

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% contains this as ingredient number 9.

Proactiv Repair Repairing Treatment contains this as ingredient number 2.

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

27% are loved or liked
18% have mixed ratings
45% are disliked or very disliked
9% have no rating yet
11% are loved or liked
11% have mixed ratings
79% are disliked or very disliked
0% have no rating yet

Usage

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

When to use

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% 11 ingredients

3.5 /5
from 124 ratings
Great Value (13) Irritating (11) Doesn't Work (10) No Scent (10) Sticky (10) Broke Me Out (9)
Clover's avatar

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

AshN.'s avatar

AshN.

2 months 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.

Proactiv Repair Repairing Treatment 19 ingredients

1.0 /5
from 1 rating

Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 9 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%.

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Our Dupe Finder has found 27 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Proactiv Repair Repairing Treatment.

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