Head to head
Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum vs The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation)
Same comparison whichever way you searched it: The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) vs Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum.
The bottom lineAnua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum does more across the board (it leads on barrier repair, brightening / tone, oil-control & blemishes), while The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) is the simpler, more pared-back pick.
Reach for Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum if you want the actives; The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) if you want fewer ingredients doing less, gently.
Answer nine questions and the app picks between them for your skin.
Cost per use
€0.13 an applicationabout 150 uses from 30 ml
a usual amount, not a measured dose: 3-5 drops, about 0.2 ml; from €20 as read in September 2026 and a 30 ml pack.
how this is counted
About €0.13 an application, about 150 uses from 30 ml.
- a convention: no trial has measured a serum dose
- Measured or assumed: the rule, and the dose table
€0.05 an applicationabout 150 uses from 30 ml
a usual amount, not a measured dose: 3-5 drops, about 0.2 ml; from €8 as read in September 2026 and a 30 ml pack.
how this is counted
About €0.05 an application, about 150 uses from 30 ml.
- a convention: no trial has measured a serum dose
- Measured or assumed: the rule, and the dose table
Per application, The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) is the cheaper: €0.05 against €0.13.
Which should you pick?
Pick Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum if
- dark spots, dullness or an uneven tone are your focus
- you are dealing with breakouts and oiliness
- you want more actives working at once
Pick Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) if
- you want the more affordable option
- your breakouts are the fungal kind (Malassezia): nothing on its label was measured to feed the yeast
- you prefer a simpler, more minimal formula
What each delivers
Side by side
| Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum | Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Serum | Serum |
| Key actives | Glycerin, Niacinamide 10%, Ceramide 3 | Glycerin, Hyaluronic acid 2%, Crosslinked sodium HA |
| Texture | A light, fast-absorbing texture that layers cleanly under the rest of your routine, with no greasy film. | A light, fast-absorbing texture that layers cleanly under the rest of your routine, with no greasy film. |
| Fragrance | None detected | None detected |
| Feeds Malassezia | 4 measured / 1 inferred | none measured / none inferred |
| Pregnancy | No flagged actives | No flagged actives |
| Ingredients | 51 listed | 17 listed |
| Price | ~€20 | ~€8 |
What's in one but not the other
The two labels share 6 of the 62 ingredients between them. The actives are where they part company.
What each one adds acts on The living epidermis, The stratum corneum for Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum and The stratum corneum for The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation). That is the layer each is understood to act on, not how deep it travels.
Only in Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum
Only in The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation)
The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) is a different bottle only for: crosslinked sodium ha, pro-vitamin b5, pentylene glycol.
Where each label stops telling you the dose
Ingredients are listed in order of how much is inside, but only down to 1%. Below that the brand may list them in any order it likes, so the bottom of a label is a set, not a ranking. These two stop being a ranking in very different places.
Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum
ordered for its first 61%
- 1Water
- 2Glycerin
- 3Niacinamide
- 4Tranexamic Acid
- 5Butylene Glycol
- 6Diethoxyethyl Succinate
- 71,2-Hexanediol
- 8Arbutin
- 9Sodium Hyaluronate
- 10Alpha-Arbutin
- 11Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract
- 12Eclipta Prostrata Extract
- 13Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil
- 14Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil
- 15Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil
- 16Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil
- 17Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Extract
- 18Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
- 19Chamaecyparis Obtusa Leaf Extract
- 20Prunus Persica (Peach) Flower Extract
- 21Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil
- 22Yeast Ferment Extract
- 23Centella Asiatica Extract
- 24Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract
- 25Candida Bombicola/Glucose/Methyl Rapeseedate Ferment
- 26Hyaluronic Acid
- 27Pentylene Glycol
- 28Betaine Salicylate
- 29Sucrose Palmitate
- 30Hydrogenated Lecithin
- 31Gellan Gum
- 32Sodium Phytate
- 33Cellulose
- 34Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
- 35Panthenol
- 36Cyanocobalamin
- 37Polyglutamic Acid
- 383-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
- 39Ceramide NP
- 40Dextrin
- 41Asiaticoside
- 42Madecassic Acid
- 43Asiatic Acid
- 44Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate
- 45Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
- 46Potassium Hyaluronate
- 47Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
- 48Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
- 49Sodium Hyaluronate Dimethylsilanol
- 50Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
- 51Xanthan Gum
20 of 51 sit below the line, marked by Sodium Phytate.
The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation)
ordered for its first 71%
- 1Aqua (Water)
- 2Sodium Hyaluronate
- 3Pentylene Glycol
- 4Propanediol
- 5Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
- 6Panthenol
- 7Ahnfeltia Concinna Extract
- 8Glycerin
- 9Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
- 10Citric Acid
- 11Isoceteth-20
- 12Ethoxydiglycol
- 13Ethylhexylglycerin
- 14Hexylene Glycol
- 151,2-Hexanediol
- 16Phenoxyethanol
- 17Caprylyl Glycol
5 of 17 sit below the line, marked by Ethylhexylglycerin.
Below the line is not too little to work: ceramides, retinoids and peptides all act far under a percent. It means the position stops carrying information. Where the line falls is inferred from the first ingredient whose whole job is done at a fraction of a percent, so it is a close read of the label rather than a number from the formula sheet.
The molecule doing the work
Better for…
- Dark spots & uneven toneNiacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum
- Fine lines & firmnessNiacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum
- Breakouts & congestionNiacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum
- Dryness & dehydrationEither works
Who each suits
- Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum
- dry, combination, oily, sensitive, normal · avoid with active clotting disorders, compromised barrier, pregnancy and very sensitive skin
- The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation)
- dry, sensitive, normal
The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) is the cheaper of the two (~€8 vs ~€20).
Ready to pick one?
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Common questions
Is Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum or The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) better for dark spots & uneven tone?
For dark spots & uneven tone, Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum is the stronger pick by our read of the two formulas. Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum does more across the board (it leads on barrier repair, brightening / tone, oil-control & blemishes), while The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) is the simpler, more pared-back pick. Reach for Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum if you want the actives; The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) if you want fewer ingredients doing less, gently.
Which is cheaper, Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum or The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation)?
The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) is the cheaper of the two (~€8 vs ~€20).
Can I use Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum and The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) together?
They are both serums, so you would normally pick one rather than layer both in the same step. You can keep both and alternate them (morning and night, or on different days) if you like variety, but you do not need two.
What the scene shows
The cross-section at the top of this page is not decoration and not a diagram of the skin in general: it places the molecules these two are sold on at the layer each is understood to act on. Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum is placed by Glycerin (the stratum corneum), Niacinamide (the living epidermis), Ceramide 3 (the stratum corneum). The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) is placed by Glycerin (the stratum corneum), Hyaluronic acid (the stratum corneum), Crosslinked sodium HA (the stratum corneum). A layer is where an ingredient does its work, never how deep it travels, and never a claim about how well it works.
Compare it with…
41 duels are built for this serum, Celimax The Vita A Retinal Shot Tightening Booster and Torriden DIVE-IN Low Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Serum among them: type a name, or pick one below.