Niacinamide Serum 12% Plus Zinc 2% review
Why this over the cheaper option
The Ordinary's niacinamide costs a third as much and works. It is also tacky, and it pills under other products if you use a drop too much. A meaningful number of people buy it once, dislike how it feels, and quietly stop.
This is the same active at a slightly higher dose in a base that absorbs cleanly and layers without rolling. That is the entire proposition, and for anyone who has abandoned a serum over texture it is worth the few dollars.
Is 12% better than 10%?
Marginally, and not in a way most people will notice. The evidence for niacinamide plateaus somewhere around 5-10% for oil control and tone; going to 12% is a small increment, not a step change.
What 12% does slightly increase is the chance of flushing. If you have flushed on 10% before, this is not the fix — drop to 5%.
What to expect
- Week 1-2: less midday oil.
- Week 4-6: more even tone, particularly across the cheeks.
- Week 8-12: post-acne marks visibly lighter.
Niacinamide does not shrink pores. It clears them so they cast less shadow, which is what every "smaller pores" claim actually means.
Where it disappoints
Nothing for deep, sun-driven pigmentation. Nothing for active inflammatory acne. And at roughly three times the per-ml cost of The Ordinary, the value case rests entirely on whether texture matters to you.
