Dr.G Niacin 10% BHA X ZINC Booster Serum Versus The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

Dr.G Niacin 10% BHA X ZINC Booster Serum Versus The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

This oil-control serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Arbutin to balance excess oil and refine the look of pores.

This oil-control serum is formulated around Niacinamide and Zinc PCA to balance excess oil and refine the look of pores.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

No concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Niacinamide

Butylene Glycol

Dipropylene Glycol

Arbutin

Glycerin

1,2-Hexanediol

Pentylene Glycol

Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate

Panthenol

Vinyldimethicone

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer

Ethylhexylglycerin

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate

Biosaccharide Gum-1

Diphenyl Dimethicone

Adenosine

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Triethylhexanoin

Sodium Hyaluronate

Lecithin

Disodium EDTA

Succinic Acid

Tromethamine

Tocopherol

Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Beta-Glucan

Elaeis Guineensis Oil

Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate

Tocotrienols

Ubiquinone

Madecassoside

Cetyl Palmitate

Betaine Salicylate

Bisabolol

Salicylic Acid

Salix Alba Bark Extract

Zinc PCA

Cholesterol

Chitosan

Ceramide NP

Water, Niacinamide, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Arbutin, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Panthenol, Vinyldimethicone, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Diphenyl Dimethicone, Adenosine, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Triethylhexanoin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lecithin, Disodium EDTA, Succinic Acid, Tromethamine, Tocopherol, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Beta-Glucan, Elaeis Guineensis Oil, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Tocotrienols, Ubiquinone, Madecassoside, Cetyl Palmitate, Betaine Salicylate, Bisabolol, Salicylic Acid, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Zinc PCA, Cholesterol, Chitosan, Ceramide NP

Niacinamide 10%

Zinc PCA 1%

Dimethyl Isosorbide

Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum

Xanthan Gum

Isoceteth-20

Ethoxydiglycol

Phenoxyethanol

Chlorphenesin

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

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Niacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.

And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.

You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.

In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.

If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.

When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.

When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.

In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).

Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.

Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.

The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.

Pentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:

Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.

On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.

Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!

Zinc PCA is a clever two-in-one molecule: the zinc salt of pyrrolidone carboxylic acid (PCA).

Think of it as two useful things bonded together; the PCA half is one of your skin's own natural moisturizing factors (NMF) so it helps hold water in the upper layers. On the other hand, the zinc half does the heavy lifting on oil and bacteria.

The zinc part slows down an enzyme that turns testosterone into DHT, the hormone that tells your oil glands to pump out more sebum. Less of that signal means less oil. It also gently fights acne-causing bacteria and soothes redness/irritation.

This is why Zinc PCA often shows up in products for oily, breakout-prone skin and greasy scalps.

One lab study also hinted it might have a small anti-aging perk because it seemed to protect collagen from UVA damage and even helped the skin make a bit more of it. That last bit is still early research done in a dish and not real skin, so take it as a nice bonus rather than a promise for now.

As for scar healing, the picture is more "maybe" than a firm yes. Zinc itself plays a real role in wound repair because it is a cofactor for the enzymes involved in collagen building, calming inflammation, and helping new skin cells cover a wound. Lower zinc levels are also linked to slower healing.

Most of the scar healing research is on zinc oxide or oral zinc rather than zinc PCA specifically, with a focus on healing fresh wounds instead of scars that are already there.

Direct evidence that zinc PCA improves the look of established scars is still limited at this time. Though it would be fair to say zinc PCA supports the general skin-repair environment thanks to its zinc content .

This ingredient is water-soluble and plays nicely with other actives like niacinamide and salicylic acid. It works best at mildly acidic formulas (~4-6 pH) and is effective at low levels. Around 0.1% is enough to be active and finished products commonly use it anywhere up to 4%.

Overall, this is a well-tolerated, low-drama multitasker that suits oily and acne-prone skin.

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