If you’re looking for a niacinamide serum, you may be wondering if you should go with the Ordinary’s Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% or Glossier’s Super Pure.
Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3 used to treat skin conditions, including acne-prone skin and dry skin. It is available over the counter in drugstores and online. Glossier Super Pure is a niacinamide serum that is more effective than other over-the-counter brands.
But, Glossier Super Pure Vs the Ordinary Niacinamide, which is better? In this article, resTORbio will compare the two products to see which one is the best.
Super Pure By Glossier
Glossier is another hot brand. Their brand aesthetic is fantastic, and I have bought many of their products. However, it comes at a price.
Super Pure, Glossier’s Niacinamide Zinc serum, is nearly 10 times more expensive than the Ordinary. You get 15ml for USD 28. The Ordinary product is $6 for 30ml.
Is Super Pure so extraordinary that it warrants its high price? It is possible, but I don’t think so.
My acne spots are also reduced with the Super Pure by Glossier. So far, I have purchased two bottles. The only difference I can see is the lower price.
The Glossier super pure serum is a watery, almost toner-like solution. It sinks into the skin in seconds. It doesn’t need foam or burns as much as the Ordinary.
The consistency of the product is very different between the Ordinary and Glossier’s Super Pure. It works as well as the Ordinary, but without the cons. So kudos to Glossier.
I think the most significant flaw in this product is its price. It is also highly costly to the environment. Super Pure comes in a single size (15ml) and lasts for about two weeks if I use it daily. I find the packaging of such a small product to be a bit annoying.
It is important to note that Glossier Super Pure contains no Niacinamide, unlike the Ordinary. Glossier did not respond to my email about this matter. Fair enough.
Pros
- It works!
- It takes seconds for my skin to sink in.
- It feels like nothing (which can be a problem for some). I like the lightness of this product.
- Super cute packaging
Cons
- Expensive
- It lasts for 15ml
- It’s not so great for the environment, with so much packaging for so little product!
- An unknown percentage of Niacinamide
Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% By The Ordinary
Since 2017, The Ordinary cruelty-free has been a top-selling beauty brand. Their products are very affordable (most are between $5-10 US), and their formulas are simple and impressive.
The Niacinamide 10% + Zinc serum 11% from The Ordinary costs only $6 making it one of the most affordable Vitamin B3 serums.
I have now used four bottles of The Ordinary’s Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1 1%. It does indeed help with acne spots, according to my personal experience.
It works well, and it is very affordable, which is why I keep repurchasing them. This is the product for you if you are looking for something that will do the job without breaking the bank.
The Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1 1% is a gel-like, milky solution. This serum has the thickest consistency of all the Niacinamide and Zinc Serums.
It’s very moisturizing, so I would even use it as a day moisturizer. It takes a while to dry (about one minute for me). It is pretty mattifying, despite the fact it is sticky.
These products have a few problems. The most annoying thing about the Niacinamide 10%+ Zinc serum 1% is the foaming. It does disappear, so it is not an issue for me.
It can also burn your skin, especially if there are minor cuts. The sensation I get when I apply the product is proper after shaving my face. It’s not an issue for me. It’s just something to be aware of.
Overall, I believe Niacinamide 10%+ Zinc serum 1% from The Ordinary to be a decent product. It works for such a low price. These are just a few points to consider.
Pros
- Cheap
- It works!
- Very hydrating
- A little bit mattifying
Cons
- Sticky is the solution
- It foams, but it disappears.
- It can cause skin irritation
- It takes longer to absorb a serum than the average.
How do They Compare? The Ordinary Niacinamide Vs Glossier Super Pure
Both left my skin feeling hydrated and dewy, while Super Pure was more hydrating. It made my skin feel softer, smoother, and more supple.
This is because, for the past week, I asked my sister (who didn’t know I was doing it) which side of my face looked best.
Because Super Pure looked hydrated and dewier, she would always choose the right side where I applied it. It took the Ordinary serum longer to penetrate my skin. My skin felt a bit tacky until it dried.
The Ordinary’s serum can’t be layered. I once applied too much, and the serum dried white and crusty on the skin. It made my skin look crappy, and I panicked. It didn’t, and the crustiness went away. Don’t be too happy with the amount of serum you apply.
The Ordinary serum is a lot more affordable than the other products. I also like that you get more products (one ounce) for the same price.
They also tell you how much of each active ingredient is in your bottle. It’s always good to know. Glossier offers half the product but is more expensive and doesn’t reveal ingredient percentages.
It is important to note that they do not contain the same ingredients. Other than water, Niacinamide, and Zinc PCA, their components are different.
Super Pure contains honeysuckle extract, which is soothing and has some anti-aging benefits. Ordinary’s Niacinamide & Zinc PCA Serum includes Tamarindus Indicus Seed Extract, a skin conditioning, and humectant that draws moisture from the atmosphere into your skin.
What Is Niacinamide and What Does It Do for Your Skin?
I discovered a thorough article on the form of B3 written by the skin experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team, titled, How Niacinamide Helps Skin.
That’s not doing it justice! Niacinamide is the Game Changer You Need to Maximize Your oily Skin Health in One Step; they should have titled the article.
What exactly is Niacinamide?
Niacinamide, also known as vitamin B3 and nicotinamide, is a water-soluble vitamin that works with your skin’s natural substances to minimize enlarged pores visibly, tighten loose pores, improve uneven skin tone, soften fine lines and wrinkles, diminish dullness, and strengthen a weakened surface. it will help reset and balance skin in four weeks.
Niacinamide also lessens the impact of environmental damage by improving the skin’s barrier (its first line of defense), and it also aids in the repair of signs of past wear. This type of daily assault, if left unchecked, causes the skin to appear older, duller, and less radiant.
How Niacinamide Benefits Skin
Niacinamide is a skincare ingredient worth considering, and your oily skin will thank you. Among many other incredible skincare ingredients, such as retinol and vitamin C, niacinamide stands out due to its adaptability to almost any skincare concern and skin type.
As many of you already know, but for those who don’t, our conclusions about any ingredient are always based on what published research has shown to be true—and the research on niacinamide consistently demonstrates how unique it is. New research indicates that it is one of the most exciting skincare ingredients available.
Why Should You Use Niacinamide?
As you might expect, we’re very impressed with what niacinamide can do for skin when used in skincare products such as toners, serums, and highly concentrated leave-on treatments.
Niacinamide is uniquely compatible with all skincare products in your routine, including retinol, peptides, hyaluronic acid, AHAs, BHAs, vitamin C, and antioxidants of all types.
Because all skin types tolerate this clever B vitamin well, you can use multiple niacinamide-containing products in your routine, and it will still be non-sensitizing. It’s even safe for people with sensitive skin or rosacea-prone skin to use.
Niacinamide also helps renew and restore the skin’s surface against moisture loss and dehydration by assisting the skin in improving its natural production of skin-strengthening ceramides.
When ceramides are depleted over time, skin becomes vulnerable to various issues, ranging from persistent patches of dry, flaky skin to increasingly sensitive.
If you have dry skin, topical niacinamide has been shown to increase the hydrating ability of moisturizers, allowing the skin’s surface to resist better moisture loss, which leads to recurring dry, tight, flaky skin.
Niacinamide synergistically interacts with common moisturizer ingredients such as glycerin, non-fragrant plant oils, cholesterol, sodium zinc PCA, and sodium hyaluronate.
How does niacinamide help pores? Great question, but the answer isn’t certain. Simply put, research hasn’t completely understood how this B vitamin works its pore-reducing magic, but it does! It appears that niacinamide has a normalizing effect on the pore lining.
This influence contributes to preventing debris buildup, which leads to clogs and rough, bumpy skin. As the clog forms and worsens, the pores stretch to compensate, and what you’ll see are enlarged pores. By helping things get back to normal, niacinamide use helps large pores return to their standard size.
Sun damage can cause pores to become stretched, leading to what some describe as “orange peel skin”. Higher concentrations of niacinamide can help visibly tighten pores by shoring up the skin’s supportive elements.
Conclusion
After comparing the two serums, it is clear that the glossier super pure serum is better than the ordinary niacinamide serum.
The glossier serum has a higher concentration of niacinamide, making it more effective at brightening and evening skin tone. It also uses coconut water to hydrate and improves skin texture appearance.
On the other hand, the ordinary niacinamide serum contains weaker niacinamide and zinc concentrations, making it less effective at brightening and evening skin tone.
Felicia specializes in Asian beauty trends and products, including traditional herbal remedies and modern skincare innovations. She also has a deep understanding of the cultural and social factors that influence beauty standards and practices in different parts of Asia.