Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
Reviewed by SerumTruth Editorial · Updated July 2026
The value floor of the shelf, and a useful one: two disclosed, well-dosed actives for the price of a coffee. The evidence is solid without being spectacular, and 10% niacinamide is more than some skin wants. On proven active per dollar, though, almost nothing touches it.
- 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 (10%): dosed at a clinical, high-end level for its category
- Zinc PCA (1%): 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: clear dropper
- 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
- Value15 / 15
What a month of use costs vs. the category
- About $4 per month to use
- $6 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 | 10% | Clinical |
| Zinc PCA | 1% | Clinical |
A blunt, single-purpose formula: 10% niacinamide with 1% zinc PCA, both disclosed, in a plain water-based serum. The pairing is a classic, niacinamide for the appearance of an even tone and refined-looking pores, zinc to keep a shine-prone complexion looking balanced. 10% is at the assertive end and can pill under other layers or feel like too much for reactive skin. It ships in a clear glass dropper, but neither active is air- or light-sensitive, so that barely matters.
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.