Educational guide
Glow Recipe Avocado Ceramide Recovery Serum Versus The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
Glow Recipe Avocado Ceramide Recovery Serum Versus The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% This barrier-repair serum is formulated around Persea Gratissima Oil and Niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier and calm redness. This oil-control serum is formulated
This guide cannot diagnose a condition or recommend a personal treatment plan. Discuss medical questions with a qualified professional.
Glow Recipe Avocado Ceramide Recovery Serum Versus The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
This barrier-repair serum is formulated around Persea Gratissima Oil and Niacinamide to strengthen the skin barrier and calm redness.
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
Glycerin
Jojoba Esters
Persea Gratissima Oil
Persea Gratissima Fruit Extract
Niacinamide
Ceramide NP
Ceramide Ns
Ceramide AP
Ceramide EOP
Ceramide Eos
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Allantoin
Oryza Sativa Bran Oil
Bisabolol
Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Tocopherol
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8
Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract
Potassium Palmitoyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Boswellia Serrata Extract
Populus Tremuloides Bark Extract
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Sodium Phytate
Cetyl Alcohol
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Behenic Acid
Cholesterol
Ethylhexylglycerin
Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract
Elettaria Cardamomum Seed Extract
Jasminum Officinale Flower/Leaf Extract
Corallina Officinalis Extract
Sodium Carbonate
Sodium Chloride
CI 75810
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Cananga Odorata Flower Extract
Caprooyl Phytosphingosine
Caprooyl Sphingosine
Cucumis Melo Fruit Extract
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Rose Extract
Rubus Idaeus Leaf Extract
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Dextran
Hydroxyacetophenone
Xanthan Gum
Butylene Glycol
Carbomer
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
1,2-Hexanediol
Caprylyl Glycol
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Lavandula Angustifolia Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Santalum Album Wood Extract
Tocopheryl Acetate
Ceteareth-25
Sodium Hydroxide
Phenoxyethanol
Sodium Benzoate
Water, Glycerin, Jojoba Esters, Persea Gratissima Oil, Persea Gratissima Fruit Extract, Niacinamide, Ceramide NP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide Eos, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Allantoin, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Bisabolol, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Tocopherol, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8, Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract, Potassium Palmitoyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Boswellia Serrata Extract, Populus Tremuloides Bark Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Phytate, Cetyl Alcohol, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Behenic Acid, Cholesterol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract, Elettaria Cardamomum Seed Extract, Jasminum Officinale Flower/Leaf Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Sodium Carbonate, Sodium Chloride, CI 75810, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Cananga Odorata Flower Extract, Caprooyl Phytosphingosine, Caprooyl Sphingosine, Cucumis Melo Fruit Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Rose Extract, Rubus Idaeus Leaf Extract, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Dextran, Hydroxyacetophenone, Xanthan Gum, Butylene Glycol, Carbomer, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Santalum Album Wood Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ceteareth-25, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate
Niacinamide 10%
Pentylene Glycol
Zinc PCA 1%
Dimethyl Isosorbide
Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum
Isoceteth-20
Ethoxydiglycol
Chlorphenesin
Water, Niacinamide 10%, Pentylene Glycol, Zinc PCA 1%, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum, Xanthan Gum, Isoceteth-20, Ethoxydiglycol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin
Reviews
Alternatives
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.
Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
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!
Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.