The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% vs Ulta Beauty Collection Brighten Up Face Serum
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% is the lower-concern pick, scoring 15 points higher on the PlainScore rubric.
Score, factor by factor
Concern55 / 5547 / 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 / 2518 / 25
Needless irritant or allergen load for the product type. A clean, purposeful formula scores well without any "free-from" theater.
PlainScore100 / 10085 / 100
The three factors summed: concern out of 55, transparency out of 20, formulation restraint out of 25. Higher is lower concern.
Left column: The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%. Right: Ulta Beauty Collection Brighten Up Face Serum. 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.
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
Nothing on this label carries meaningful, evidence-backed concern.
Ulta Beauty Collection Brighten Up Face Serum
The two labels share 3 ingredients
Scored against the PlainScore method; every flag is evidence-graded and cited on its ingredient page. Cosmetic information for general education, not medical advice.