The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% Review: My Third Bottle

This is a personal-use note, not medical advice. Kay bought this product herself. If this page later includes affiliate links, that will be stated here. Skin responses vary.

I have been using The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% for more than a year, and I am already on my third bottle. This is not a first-week impression note. It is a long-term review of how the serum feels on my slightly dry, slightly sensitive skin, what changed after about a week of steady use, and how I keep it from pilling.

The first thing I notice is softness. My skin feels smoother almost right away. After about a week of using it consistently, I was surprised by how much more refined and brighter my skin looked. The one catch is application: if I rub it around too much, it can pill. Once I changed how I spread it, that problem mostly went away.

Product at a glance

On The Ordinary’s official U.S. product page, this is listed as a water-based serum with niacinamide and Zinc PCA. The brand positions it for visible shine, dullness, textural irregularities, congestion signs, and the look of pores, and it is sold in 30 ml and 60 ml. The brand suggests a few drops morning and evening, before heavier moisturizers or treatments, and advises patch testing. Those are brand directions. What follows is my own use pattern and results.

For broader ingredient context, see my niacinamide for skin guide. This page stays focused on the product I repurchase.

Texture and finish

The serum is slightly viscous. It is not a completely watery drop, but it still spreads into a thin layer without feeling heavy.

When I apply it the way I describe below, it absorbs quickly and does not leave a sticky film. There is a little visible glow afterward. Right after application, my skin can look slightly shiny. I would not automatically call that greasy on my face, but the shine is noticeable enough that I let it settle before makeup.

Why it pills and how I apply it

This is the section I wish I had read before my first bottle. If I rub The Ordinary niacinamide around the way I would a cream, it can pill and leave residue that looks a bit like dead skin. That is my experience with this formula, not a lab explanation of why it happens.

What works for me:

1. About four drops total: one on the forehead, one on the chin, and one on each cheek.
2. Spread a thin layer gently with only a few strokes.
3. Pat it in instead of repeatedly rubbing.
4. Let it absorb fully before makeup.

Thin layer → a few gentle strokes → pat → let it absorb.

Applied this way, it sinks in quickly and stays comfortable. If I put makeup on before it has fully absorbed, pilling can still show up. So before makeup, I wait until the surface feels settled.

I usually use it in the evening after toner, about three to four nights a week. That is less often than The Ordinary’s morning-and-evening suggestion. I am not saying their directions are wrong. This is simply the frequency that has fit my routine.

My skin results

Immediately. My skin feels noticeably soft. The surface looks smoother, and there is a light glow.

After about one week. With consistent use, the change that surprised me most was how refined my skin looked. It looked brighter to me, and the surface looked very smooth. Pores appeared much less noticeable. In Korean, I would compare that polished look to “peeled egg” skin. That is my personal description of the appearance. I am not saying pores closed, disappeared, or permanently shrank.

Long-term. More than a year later, I am still using it and buying it again. The third bottle is the simplest proof that the results matter enough for me to keep going.

These videos show texture, application, and finish on my hand. They are not clinical before-and-after proof of facial results.

Irritation and breakouts

I have never had a breakout, redness, or irritation that I would blame on this serum. That is true for my slightly dry, slightly sensitive skin. It does not mean every sensitive skin type will tolerate a 10% niacinamide formula the same way.

How it fits into my routine

Most evenings when I use it, the order is:

1. Toner
2. The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
3. The rest of my moisturizing routine

I use about four drops, three to four times a week. In my morning and evening routine, I keep treatment steps flexible based on how my skin feels that day, and this serum is one of the products I still reach for.

I have not used this product and retinol together in the same routine, so I cannot review how they layer for me. I am not saying the combination is unsafe. I am only saying I have not personally tested it here.

What I like

• Immediate softness
• Smoother, brighter-looking skin with steady use
• Pores look less noticeable to me
• Fast absorption when I use a thin layer and patting
• No irritation in my experience
• Easy long-term repurchase

What I would change

• It pills easily if I overwork it
• It needs a little patience before makeup
• The slight shine may not suit everyone

I am not inventing extra drawbacks beyond what I have actually noticed.

Is it worth it?

For me, yes. A third bottle is clearer evidence than any short first impression. I keep coming back for the smoother-looking texture and brighter appearance, once I apply it carefully.

That does not mean every skin type needs this exact serum, or that 10% is automatically better than a lower niacinamide percentage. My niacinamide ingredient guide covers concentration context more broadly. This review is about the bottle I repurchase.

Sources

• The Ordinary, Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%: official U.S. product details for format, niacinamide and Zinc PCA, 30 ml / 60 ml sizes, use directions, patch-testing advice, and brand positioning around shine, dullness, texture, congestion signs, and pore appearance.
• K-Beauty Truth, Niacinamide for Skin: internal ingredient context on concentrations, appearance-based benefits, and routine pacing.

Written by Kay

Korean skincare has been part of Kay's life for as long as she can remember. She has slightly dry, slightly sensitive skin and usually shops with barrier support and anti-aging in mind. She buys products herself from Amazon and Olive Young, and she writes about both the ones she keeps and the ones she stops using.