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Naturium Niacinamide Serum 12% Plus Zinc 2% vs The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

Effectively a tie. The scores are too close for the rubric to call a meaningful winner.

Score, factor by factor

Concern55 / 5555 / 55

How much genuine, cited concern the ingredients carry, weighted by how much of each is likely present and whether the product stays on or rinses off. Commonly feared but low-concern ingredients cost nothing.

Transparency20 / 2020 / 20

Whether the full ingredient list, and any fragrance, are actually disclosed. An undisclosed "fragrance/parfum" blend hides its allergens and costs points.

Formulation restraint25 / 2525 / 25

Needless irritant or allergen load for the product type. A clean, purposeful formula scores well without any "free-from" theater.

PlainScore100 / 100100 / 100

The three factors summed: concern out of 55, transparency out of 20, formulation restraint out of 25. Higher is lower concern.

Left column: Naturium Niacinamide Serum 12% Plus Zinc 2%. Right: The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%. The bold number wins the factor.

What carries concern in each

Only ingredients with genuine, cited concern or known allergen flags. Commonly feared but low-concern ingredients never count against a score.

Naturium Niacinamide Serum 12% Plus Zinc 2%

Nothing on this label carries meaningful, evidence-backed concern.

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

Nothing on this label carries meaningful, evidence-backed concern.

The two labels share 6 ingredients

Water, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Hyaluronic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid

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Scored against the PlainScore method; every flag is evidence-graded and cited on its ingredient page. Cosmetic information for general education, not medical advice.