Niacinamide Serum 12% Plus Zinc 2%
Reviewed by SerumTruth Editorial · Updated July 2026
A high-dose, honestly labelled niacinamide-and-zinc serum for the price of a couple of coffees, aimed at the appearance of an even tone and balanced shine. The 12% is more than some skin wants, but on disclosed active per dollar it is very strong value.
- Evidence17 / 30
Strength of the research behind the key actives
- Niacinamide: moderate evidence
- Zinc PCA: limited evidence
- Score is the average of the key actives’ evidence grades.
- Potency25 / 25
Dosed at studied levels, not fairy-dusted
- Niacinamide (12%): dosed at a clinical, high-end level for its category
- Zinc PCA (2%): dosed at a clinical, high-end level for its category
- Potency tracks how strongly the actives are dosed, led by the strongest, not how many there are.
- Delivery & stability14 / 20
Delivery tech + packaging that protects fragile actives
- Delivery: standard
- Packaging: tinted glass
- No fragile actives here, so packaging barely moves the score.
- Formulation9 / 10
Disclosure, active breadth, and ingredient generation
- 2 of 2 actives disclose a concentration
- 2 key actives (breadth credit caps at 3)
- Current-generation or synergistic: Niacinamide, Zinc PCA
- Value14 / 15
What a month of use costs vs. the category
- About $10 per month to use
- $17 for 30 ml, used about twice a day (about 0.3 ml each time), so a bottle lasts about 1.7 months
- Band: $6/month or less earns full marks, $60/month or more hits the floor.
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What’s inside
| Active | Disclosed | Dose |
|---|---|---|
| Niacinamide | 12% | Clinical |
| Zinc PCA | 2% | Clinical |
12% niacinamide with 2% zinc PCA, both disclosed, over a little hyaluronic acid, in an opaque dropper bottle. 12% is at the high end for niacinamide and can feel like too much for reactive skin or pill under other layers. Neither active is fragile, so the packaging is a non-issue.
How it’s delivered
Air- and light-sensitive actives (vitamin C, copper peptides) lose potency fast in the wrong packaging, so delivery and the bottle are scored, not just what’s on the label.
The actives, explained
Cosmetic information for general education, not medical advice. The SerumProof score reflects our reading of publicly available research and formulation disclosures. See how scoring works.