Product

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

One of the best-selling skincare products in the world, at $6. It works for many people — and 10% is a higher dose than the evidence actually calls for.
At a Glance
Mixed

Skincare labels lean on big numbers because they sell. Niacinamide is a good example. The strongest evidence — for fading dark spots and controlling oil — used about 5%, and sometimes as little as 2%. There is no solid trial showing 10% does more.

What higher concentrations reliably do more of is irritate. So a bigger number on the bottle can mean more stinging and flushing for no extra payoff. When you compare products, match the dose to the evidence, not to the marketing.

The Ordinary Niacinamide (Can This $6 Serum Transform Your Skin?)4:32 · Dermapedia on YouTube

Key facts

Key activeNiacinamide 10% + zinc PCA 1%
TextureLightweight serum
Best forOily and combination skin; enlarged-looking pores
Approximate price$6
FragranceFragrance free

How it works

Niacinamide is a genuinely good ingredient, and this made it available to everyone for six dollars. That matters.

The evidence for niacinamide is real and it is specific: Barrier function — it increases ceramide production and reduces water loss. Strong evidence. Hyperpigmentation — it interrupts the transfer of pigment into skin cells. Strong evidence, from a 12-week placebo-controlled split-face trial. Oil control — measurable reduction in sebum. Good evidence. Redness — moderate evidence, largely downstream of the barrier effect.

Zinc PCA adds a second oil-control mechanism, which is why this suits oily skin specifically.

Everyday habits

How to use it
  • When: Once a day to start, morning or night. Build to twice a day only if your skin is comfortable.How much: A few drops — about the size of a pea. More is where the pilling starts. Steps: Apply to clean, dry skin before your moisturizer. Let it dry fully before adding anything on top. To reduce pilling: Use less, wait longer between layers, and avoid mixing it with vitamin C in the same step. If it stings or breaks you out: Drop back to every other day. Some skin never tolerates the 10%, and that is fine — a lower dose works.
Who should be careful+

10% is more than the evidence supports, and more is not better here. The landmark studies used 5% for pigmentation and as little as 2% for oil control. There is no good trial showing 10% beats 5% for anything — but there is plenty of evidence that higher concentrations cause more flushing, stinging and irritation. The 10% is a marketing number.

It pills. Constantly, and famously. Use a small amount — reviewers converge on about a pea-sized drop — and let it dry before layering.

Breakouts and irritation in the first weeks are commonly reported. Some people adjust by using it every other night. Some never tolerate it.

There is nothing soothing in the formula to offset the high dose. Pricier niacinamide serums include buffers; this does not.

Questions people ask+
What does niacinamide actually do?It strengthens the skin barrier, helps fade dark spots, and reduces oil. The evidence for those is solid.
Why does it pill?The texture and the high dose make it ball up if you use too much or layer too fast. Use a pea-sized amount and let it dry before your next product.
Is 10% better than 5%?Not by the evidence. The main studies used around 5%. Ten percent mostly adds the risk of irritation, not extra benefit.
Can I use it with vitamin C?You can, but applying them in the same wet layer makes both pill. Use one in the morning and one at night, or wait between them.
Will it help with pores?It can make pores look smaller by controlling oil and improving skin texture. It does not physically shrink pores — nothing does.
Full ingredient list+

Water, Niacinamide 10%, Pentylene Glycol, Zinc PCA 1%, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum, Xanthan Gum, Isoceteth-20, Ethoxydiglycol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin

References+

1. Nicotinamide increases biosynthesis of ceramides as well as other stratum corneum lipids to improve the epidermal permeability barrier (https://academic.oup.com/bjd/article-abstract/143/3/524/6691624) — Backs the barrier claim: topical nicotinamide (niacinamide) raises ceramide and other stratum corneum lipid synthesis and reduces transepidermal water loss, improving the permeability barrier. 2. The effect of niacinamide on reducing cutaneous pigmentation and suppression of melanosome transfer (https://academic.oup.com/bjd/article-abstract/147/1/20/6635091) — Backs the hyperpigmentation claim: niacinamide reduces pigmentation by inhibiting transfer of melanosomes (pigment) from melanocytes to keratinocytes (skin cells). 3. The effect of 2% niacinamide on facial sebum production (https://scispace.com/papers/the-effect-of-2-niacinamide-on-facial-sebum-production-lsvhzy875g) — Backs the oil-control claim: topical 2% niacinamide produced a measurable lowering of facial sebum excretion rate. 4. Niacinamide-Containing Facial Moisturizer Improves Skin Barrier and Benefits Subjects With Rosacea (https://www.mdedge.com/dermatology/article/67269/rosacea/niacinamide-containing-facial-moisturizer-improves-skin-barrier) — Backs the redness claim: a niacinamide moisturizer improved stratum corneum barrier function and hydration and improved signs/symptoms of rosacea, consistent with redness benefits being downstream of the barrier effect. 5. Mechanistic Basis and Clinical Evidence for the Applications of Nicotinamide (Niacinamide) to Control Skin Aging and Pigmentation (https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/10/8/1315) — Peer-reviewed review summarizing niacinamide's mechanisms, supporting both the pigmentation claim (slows melanosome transfer to keratinocytes) and the barrier claim (upregulates ceramide and other stratum corneum lipids).