Head to head
Medik8 Liquid Peptides vs The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
Same comparison whichever way you searched it: The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% vs Medik8 Liquid Peptides.
The bottom lineMedik8 Liquid Peptides and The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% land in much the same place on performance, so value decides it: The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% does the same job for less.
Answer nine questions and the app picks between them for your skin.
Cost per use
€0.35 an applicationabout 150 uses from 30 ml
a usual amount, not a measured dose: 3-5 drops, about 0.2 ml; from €52 as read in September 2026 and a 30 ml pack.
how this is counted
About €0.35 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
€0.04 an applicationabout 150 uses from 30 ml
a usual amount, not a measured dose: 3-5 drops, about 0.2 ml; from €6 as read in September 2026 and a 30 ml pack.
how this is counted
About €0.04 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 Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% is the cheaper: €0.04 against €0.35.
Which should you pick?
Pick Liquid Peptides if
- plump, lasting hydration is what you want
- you want more actives working at once
Pick Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% if
- you are dealing with breakouts and oiliness
- dark spots, dullness or an uneven tone are your focus
- you want the more affordable option
What each delivers
Side by side
| Liquid Peptides | Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Serum | Serum |
| Key actives | Glycerin, Hyaluronic acid, Pro-vitamin B5 | Niacinamide 10%, Zinc PCA, Pentylene Glycol |
| 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 | 1 measured / none inferred | none measured / none inferred |
| Pregnancy | No flagged actives | No flagged actives |
| Ingredients | 35 listed | 11 listed |
| Price | ~€52 | ~€6 |
What's in one but not the other
The two labels share 3 of the 43 ingredients between them. The actives are where they part company.
What each one adds acts on The stratum corneum, Not established for Medik8 Liquid Peptides and The living epidermis, Not established, The stratum corneum for The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%. That is the layer each is understood to act on, not how deep it travels.
Only in Medik8 Liquid Peptides
Both
nothing
Only in The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% is a different bottle only for: niacinamide, zinc pca, pentylene glycol. They share nothing.
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.
Medik8 Liquid Peptides
ordered for its first 54%
- 1Aqua (Water)
- 2Glycerin
- 3Butylene Glycol
- 4Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
- 5Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
- 6Copper Heptapeptide-14 Pantothenate
- 7Heptapeptide-15 Palmitate
- 8Arginine/Lysine Polypeptide
- 9Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38
- 10Carnosine
- 11Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
- 12Pentapeptide-18
- 13Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
- 14Tetrapeptide-21
- 15Sodium Hyaluronate
- 16Inulin
- 17Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
- 18Lactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Copolymer
- 19Panthenol
- 20Ethylhexylglycerin
- 21Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
- 22Dunaliella Salina (Green Algae) Extract
- 23Polysorbate 20
- 24Caprylyl Glycol
- 25Citric Acid
- 26Glyceryl Caprylate
- 27Pantolactone
- 28Phenylpropanol
- 29Polyvinyl Alcohol
- 30Carbomer
- 31Potassium Sorbate
- 32Sodium Benzoate
- 33Sorbic Acid
- 34Phenoxyethanol
- 35Xanthan Gum
16 of 35 sit below the line, marked by Ethylhexylglycerin.
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
ordered for its first 55%
- 1Aqua (Water)
- 2Niacinamide
- 3Pentylene Glycol
- 4Zinc PCA
- 5Dimethyl Isosorbide
- 6Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum
- 7Xanthan Gum
- 8Isoceteth-20
- 9Ethoxydiglycol
- 10Phenoxyethanol
- 11Chlorphenesin
5 of 11 sit below the line, marked by Xanthan Gum.
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% + Zinc 1%
- Breakouts & congestionNiacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
- Dryness & dehydrationLiquid Peptides
Who each suits
- Medik8 Liquid Peptides
- dry, combination, normal
- The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
- dry, combination, oily, sensitive · avoid with very sensitive skin (at high strength)
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% is the cheaper of the two (~€6 vs ~€52).
Ready to pick one?
Affiliate links, so a purchase sends us a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Glow Simplified earns from qualifying purchases. We make and sell nothing here, so the verdict above never bends toward a sale.
Common questions
Is Medik8 Liquid Peptides or The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% better for dark spots & uneven tone?
For dark spots & uneven tone, The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% is the stronger pick by our read of the two formulas. Medik8 Liquid Peptides and The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% land in much the same place on performance, so value decides it: The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% does the same job for less.
Which is cheaper, Medik8 Liquid Peptides or The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%?
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% is the cheaper of the two (~€6 vs ~€52).
Can I use Medik8 Liquid Peptides and The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% 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. Medik8 Liquid Peptides is placed by Glycerin (the stratum corneum), Hyaluronic acid (the stratum corneum), Pro-vitamin B5 (the stratum corneum). The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% is placed by Niacinamide (the living epidermis), Zinc PCA (not established), Pentylene Glycol (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, La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Suractivated Serum and The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) among them: type a name, or pick one below.