Head to head
The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum vs The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
Same comparison whichever way you searched it: The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% vs The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum.
The bottom lineThe Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% does more across the board (it leads on barrier repair, brightening / tone, oil-control & blemishes), while The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum is the simpler, more pared-back pick.
Reach for The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% if you want the actives; The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum if you want fewer ingredients doing less, gently.
Answer nine questions and the app picks between them for your skin.
Cost per use
€0.14 an applicationabout 150 uses from 30 ml
a usual amount, not a measured dose: 3-5 drops, about 0.2 ml; from €21 as read in September 2026 and a 30 ml pack.
how this is counted
About €0.14 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 €0.14.
Which should you pick?
Pick Multi-Peptide + HA Serum 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
| Multi-Peptide + HA Serum | Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Serum | Serum |
| Key actives | Glycerin, Crosslinked sodium HA, Hyaluronic acid | 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 | 2 measured / none inferred | none measured / none inferred |
| Pregnancy | No flagged actives | No flagged actives |
| Ingredients | 51 listed | 11 listed |
| Price | ~€21 | ~€6 |
What's in one but not the other
The two labels share 6 of the 56 ingredients between them. The actives are where they part company.
What each one adds acts on The stratum corneum, Not established for The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum 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 The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum
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.
The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum
ordered for its first 76%
- 1Aqua (Water)
- 2Glycerin
- 3Lactococcus Ferment Lysate
- 4Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
- 5Pentapeptide-18
- 6Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
- 7Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
- 8Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38
- 9Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate
- 10Acetylarginyltryptophyl Diphenylglycine
- 11Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
- 12Sodium Hyaluronate
- 13Allantoin
- 14Glycine
- 15Alanine
- 16Serine
- 17Valine
- 18Isoleucine
- 19Proline
- 20Threonine
- 21Histidine
- 22Phenylalanine
- 23Arginine
- 24Aspartic Acid
- 25Trehalose
- 26Fructose
- 27Glucose
- 28Maltose
- 29Urea
- 30Sodium PCA
- 31PCA
- 32Sodium Lactate
- 33Citric Acid
- 34Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
- 35Sodium Chloride
- 36Sodium Hydroxide
- 37Butylene Glycol
- 38Pentylene Glycol
- 39Acacia Senegal Gum
- 40Xanthan Gum
- 41Carbomer
- 42Polysorbate 20
- 43PPG-26-Buteth-26
- 44PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
- 45Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
- 46Ethoxydiglycol
- 47Sodium Benzoate
- 48Caprylyl Glycol
- 49Ethylhexylglycerin
- 50Phenoxyethanol
- 51Chlorphenesin
12 of 51 sit below the line, marked by Xanthan Gum.
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 & dehydrationMulti-Peptide + HA Serum
Who each suits
- The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum
- dry, sensitive, normal · avoid with very sensitive skin (at high strength)
- 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 ~€21).
Ready to pick one?
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Common questions
Is The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum 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 barrier repair, brightening / tone, oil-control & blemishes), while The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum is the simpler, more pared-back pick. Reach for The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% if you want the actives; The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum if you want fewer ingredients doing less, gently.
Which is cheaper, The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum or The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%?
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% is the cheaper of the two (~€6 vs ~€21).
Can I use The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum 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 Multi-Peptide + HA Serum is placed by Glycerin (the stratum corneum), Crosslinked sodium HA (the stratum corneum), Hyaluronic acid (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, The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) and The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) among them: type a name, or pick one below.