Head to head
The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) vs The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
Same comparison whichever way you searched it: The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% vs The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation).
The bottom lineThe Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% does more across the board (it leads on brightening / tone, oil-control & blemishes, anti-aging), while The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) is the simpler, more pared-back pick.
Reach for The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% 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
€0.05 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
€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 €0.05.
Which should you pick?
Pick Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) 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
| Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) | Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Serum | Serum |
| Key actives | Glycerin, Hyaluronic acid 2%, Crosslinked sodium HA | 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 | none measured / none inferred | none measured / none inferred |
| Pregnancy | No flagged actives | No flagged actives |
| Ingredients | 17 listed | 11 listed |
| Price | ~€8 | ~€6 |
What's in one but not the other
The two labels share 5 of the 23 ingredients between them. The actives are where they part company.
What each one adds acts on The stratum corneum for The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) and The living epidermis, Not established for The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%. That is the layer each is understood to act on, not how deep it travels.
Only in The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation)
Both
Only in The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% is a different bottle only for: niacinamide, zinc pca.
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.
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.
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%
- Fine lines & firmnessNiacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
- Breakouts & congestionNiacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
- Dryness & dehydrationHyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation)
Who each suits
- The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation)
- dry, sensitive, 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 ~€8).
Ready to pick one?
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Common questions
Is The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) 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. The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% does more across the board (it leads on brightening / tone, oil-control & blemishes, anti-aging), while The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) is the simpler, more pared-back pick. Reach for The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% if you want the actives; The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) if you want fewer ingredients doing less, gently.
Which is cheaper, The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) or The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%?
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% is the cheaper of the two (~€6 vs ~€8).
Can I use The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) 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. 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). 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…
54 duels are built for this serum, Torriden DIVE-IN Low Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Serum and Geek & Gorgeous A-Game 10 among them: type a name, or pick one below.