The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% Versus Hylamide SubQ Skin

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% Versus Hylamide SubQ Skin

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

This anti-aging serum is formulated around Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38 and Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer to soften the look of wrinkles and hydrate skin.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

No concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Niacinamide 10%

Pentylene Glycol

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

Glycerin

Hydrolyzed Yeast Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38

Myristoyl Nonapeptide-3

Copper Lysinate/Prolinate

Methylglucoside Phosphate

Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate

Sodium Hyaluronate

Ahnfeltia Concinna Extract

Saccharide Isomerate

Polyglucuronic Acid

Lactobacillus/Eriodictyon Californicum Ferment Extract

Pseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract

Phospholipids

Lecithin

Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin

Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6

Hexylene Glycol

Salicylic Acid

Citric Acid

Sodium Citrate

Sodium Hydroxide

Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Sodium Benzoate

Potassium Sorbate

Ethylhexylglycerin

Caprylyl Glycol

Water, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Yeast Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Myristoyl Nonapeptide-3, Copper Lysinate/Prolinate, Methylglucoside Phosphate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ahnfeltia Concinna Extract, Saccharide Isomerate, Polyglucuronic Acid, Lactobacillus/Eriodictyon Californicum Ferment Extract, Pseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract, Phospholipids, Lecithin, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Hexylene Glycol, Salicylic Acid, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hydroxide, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Ethoxydiglycol, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, 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.

Chlorphenesin is a synthetic preservative. It helps protect a product against bacteria in order to extend shelf life. In most cases, Chlorphenesin is paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol and caprylyl glycol.

Chlorphenesin is a biocide. This means it is able to help fight the microorganisms on our skin. It is also able to fight odor-releasing bacteria.

Chlorphenesin is soluble in both water and glycerin.

Studies show Chlorphenesin is easily absorbed by our skin. You should speak with a skincare professional if you have concerns about using Chlorphenesin.

Ethoxydiglycol (aka Diethylene Glycol Monoethyl Ether) is one of the cosmetic world's quiet problem solvers.

In a formula, it is a solvent that dissolves tricky ingredients that don't want to mix in and helps spread ingredients evenly across your skin without leaving a greasy or sticky feeling

This makes it great for hard-to-dissolve actives like vitamin C, benzoyl peroxide, and self-tanner DHA.

It also has mild humectant and penetration enhancer abilities so it can help some actives absorb a little deeper.

The penetration boost is backed by lab research: studies using human skin samples found it improved how well an active dissolves into the upper layer of skin rather than tearing down your skin barrier. Reviews of its mechanism also describe it interacting gently with the lipids and water in your outermost layer of skin.

Just know this penetration-enhancing effect is not universal. It helps a lot in some formulas and did very little in others (so the benefit really depends on the specific product).

Safety-wise, the evidence is reassuring. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel reviewed it and concluded it's safe for use in cosmetics and recognized it as non-irritating, non-sensitizing, and non-comedogenic in skincare.

Typical leave-on skincare usage lands around 1-10%. The EU has sets caps of 2.6% in non-spray products, 10% in rinse-offs, 7% in oxidative hair dye, and 5% in non-oxidative hair dye.

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%.

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.

Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum is from the seeds of Tamarindus indica. It is more commonly known as tamarind.

Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum is used as a texture enhancer, emulsifier, and skin conditioner.

When added to products, Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum helps thicken and create a gel-like texture.

Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum is a humectant. It helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This keeps your skin hydrated.

Emulsion stabilizing ingredients help stabilize a product. They work by stabilizing two non-mixable ingredients. An example would be oil and water.

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!

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