Murad Vitamin C Glycolic Brightening Serum Versus The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

Murad Vitamin C Glycolic Brightening Serum Versus The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

This brightening serum is formulated around Glycolic Acid and Ascorbic Acid to brighten dull-looking skin and refine skin texture.

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

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Glycolic Acid

Glycerin

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Dimethicone

Sodium Hydroxide

Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer

Diisopropyl Sebacate

C13-16 Isoparaffin

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6

Dimethyl Isosorbide

Ascorbic Acid

Urea

Yeast Amino Acids

Trehalose

Inositol

Taurine

Betaine

Glutathione

Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate

Cetearyl Isononanoate

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Oleyl Alcohol

Silica

Hexylresorcinol

Polysilicone-11

Triheptanoin

Polyisobutene

Marrubium Vulgare Meristem Cell Culture

Zanthoxylum Bungeanum Fruit Extract

Hydrolyzed Verbascum Thapsus Flower

Butylene Glycol

Mica

Hexylene Glycol

Sodium Surfactin

Xymenynic Acid

Tocopheryl Acetate

PEG-7 Trimethylolpropane Coconut Ether

Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract

Sorbitol

Tin Oxide

Xanthan Gum

T-Butyl Alcohol

Chlorella Vulgaris Extract

Decyl Glucoside

Gold

Citric Acid

Caprylyl Glycol

Phenoxyethanol

Ethylhexylglycerin

Sodium Benzoate

Potassium Sorbate

CI 77891

Water, Glycolic Acid, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Sodium Hydroxide, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Diisopropyl Sebacate, C13-16 Isoparaffin, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Ascorbic Acid, Urea, Yeast Amino Acids, Trehalose, Inositol, Taurine, Betaine, Glutathione, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Oleyl Alcohol, Silica, Hexylresorcinol, Polysilicone-11, Triheptanoin, Polyisobutene, Marrubium Vulgare Meristem Cell Culture, Zanthoxylum Bungeanum Fruit Extract, Hydrolyzed Verbascum Thapsus Flower, Butylene Glycol, Mica, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Surfactin, Xymenynic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, PEG-7 Trimethylolpropane Coconut Ether, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Sorbitol, Tin Oxide, Xanthan Gum, T-Butyl Alcohol, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Decyl Glucoside, Gold, Citric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, CI 77891

Niacinamide 10%

Pentylene Glycol

Zinc PCA 1%

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.

Dimethyl Isosorbide (often shortened to DMI) is a sugar-derived solvent made from sorbitol. It's used to dissolve tricky ingredients and help them mix smoothly into a formula.

Many actives sit as gritty crystals when undissolved, so DMI swoops in to full dissolve them. This helps improve texture, stability, and how evenly an active is distributed.

It does have a penetration-enhancing reputation that is a bit more nuanced than marketing suggests; a cell study on human skin found that 10% DMI didn't significantly boost the permeation of Hydroquinone, Salicylic Acid, or Octadecenedioic Acid compared to controls (though it did improve their solubility in the formula itself).

Typical usage concentrations usually range from 1-10% depending on the formula's needs; this ingredient is also well tolerated at these levels.

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.

Similar Comparisons