The Ordinary vs Naturium: Which Is Better for Men?
Naturium sells bigger numbers: 12% niacinamide against 10%, 2% zinc against 1%, for about 2.8 times the price. That comparison is the whole reason this page exists — because a higher concentration is the most persuasive thing a skincare label can print, and one of the least reliable.
By Nate Calder · Updated
The Ordinary on the Simple Actives, Naturium on the Hard Ones
A bigger percentage is not a better product. The research behind niacinamide used roughly 2–5%. Above that there’s no evidence of extra benefit and a rising chance of irritation, so Naturium’s 12% at $16.99 is not a stronger version of The Ordinary’s 10% at $6.00. On niacinamide, hyaluronic acid and retinol, buy the cheaper one.
Where Naturium earns its price is the actives that are hard to formulate. The Ordinary’s azelaic acid is famously gritty and its vitamin C oxidises or feels like sand. Naturium’s versions of both are products you’ll still be using in month three, which for actives that need twelve weeks is the only measure that counts.
So buy by product, not by brand. The difference isn’t which company is better — it’s which of them solved the specific problem you’re buying for.
Niacinamide Head-to-Head
 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $6.00 | $16.99 |
| Active | Niacinamide 10%, Zinc PCA 1% | Niacinamide 12%, Zinc PCA 2% |
| Does the Extra Strength Help? | 10% is already well above the studied 2–5% | 12% + 2% zinc — more ingredient, no additional evidence |
| Best Skin Types | oily, combination, normal | oily, combination, normal |
| Fragrance-Free | Yes | Yes |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 4.4 / 5 |
marks the better value on that row only — not an overall verdict, and not a product rating. Rows where the two are equal are left unmarked.
Detailed Breakdown
Why Concentration Is a Bad Proxy for Strength
Most actives have a range where they work and above which they simply irritate. Niacinamide’s evidence sits around 2–5%; retinoids are dose-dependent but tolerance-limited; vitamin C above 20% is less stable, not more effective. A label printing a bigger number is making a marketing claim, not a pharmacological one.
It persists because it’s the easiest thing to compare on a shelf. Two serums, one says 10% and one says 12%, and the second looks like more product for your money. It isn’t — and on niacinamide specifically, the higher figure raises the chance of the flushing that makes people quit.
Where Texture Beats Potency
Azelaic acid is the clearest case. It’s an excellent and underused active — it treats acne and the redness that comes with it, and it suits skin that can’t take benzoyl peroxide. The Ordinary sells it as a suspension that many people describe as gritty, and a gritty product needing twelve weeks of daily use is a product that gets abandoned in week four.
Naturium’s derivative complex is less potent per application and far more likely to still be in the rotation come December. Same argument applies to vitamin C. See our acne treatment picks for where azelaic fits against the alternatives.
What This Means for How You Buy
Split the list. Commodity actives — niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, retinol — from The Ordinary, because formulation adds little and the price difference is real. Difficult actives — azelaic acid, vitamin C — from Naturium, because the formulation is the entire product. That’s a roughly $40 routine that outperforms buying either brand’s full range.
Choose The Ordinary if... / Choose Naturium if...
Choose The Ordinary if...
- +You're buying niacinamide, hyaluronic acid or retinol
- +You understand that a bigger percentage isn't a stronger product
- +Budget is the binding constraint
- +You want the deepest catalogue at this price
Choose Naturium if...
- +You want azelaic acid you'll actually keep using
- +Gritty vitamin C has defeated you before
- +A serum has pilled under your moisturizer
- +You'd rather pay more than abandon the active
Top Picks from Each Brand
The Ordinary
Naturium
The Ordinary
Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
Niacinamide and zinc at $6. The best pore-minimizing, oil-controlling serum at any price.
Best for
Oily, Combination, Normal
Key ingredients
Niacinamide 10%, Zinc PCA 1%
When to use
Morning & night
Naturium
Niacinamide Serum 12% + Zinc 2%
A step up in strength from The Ordinary's — which is not automatically a step up in results.
Best for
Oily, Combination, Normal
Key ingredients
Niacinamide 12%, Zinc PCA 2%
When to use
Morning & night
The Ordinary
AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution
The red mask. Use it once a week and watch your skin texture change in a month.
Best for
Normal, Combination, Oily
Key ingredients
AHA 30%, BHA 2% (salicylic acid), Hyaluronic acid
When to use
Night only, 2–3x per week
Naturium
Azelaic Acid Derivative Complex 10%
The acne active nobody talks about, and the one that suits redness-prone skin best.
Best for
Oily, Combination, Normal, Dry
Key ingredients
Azelaic acid derivative 10%, Niacinamide, Vitamin C
When to use
Morning & night
The Ordinary
Buffet — Multi-Technology Peptide Serum
Anti-aging without retinol irritation. Peptides that rebuild collagen the gentle way.
Best for
Normal, Combination, Dry
Key ingredients
Matrixyl 3000, Matrixyl Synthe'6, Argirelox peptide, Hyaluronic acid
When to use
Morning & night
Naturium
Vitamin C Complex Serum
Vitamin C that doesn't feel gritty — which is most of why people quit vitamin C.
Best for
Normal, Combination, Dry, Oily
Key ingredients
Vitamin C complex, Hyaluronic acid, Vitamin E
When to use
Morning only
Compare The Ordinary with
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Naturium better than The Ordinary?
Not on the actives they share. Naturium's niacinamide is 12% with 2% zinc against The Ordinary's 10% with 1%, for $16.99 against $6.00 — and the studies behind niacinamide mostly used 2–5%, so the higher number isn't buying results. Where Naturium does win is the products The Ordinary makes badly: its azelaic acid and vitamin C are far more usable.
Is a higher percentage of niacinamide better?
No, and this is the most useful thing to know about buying actives. The research behind niacinamide's benefits for oil, pore appearance and tone mostly used concentrations between 2% and 5%. Above that there's no evidence of additional benefit and a rising chance of irritation. A 12% serum isn't a stronger version of a 5% one — it's the same effect with more of an ingredient that stopped adding value several percent ago.
Which brand is better for azelaic acid?
Naturium, clearly, and it's the best reason to buy the brand. The Ordinary's azelaic acid suspension is famously gritty — it works, and plenty of people stop using it because of how it feels. Naturium's derivative complex at $19.88 trades a little potency for a texture you'll keep applying, which for an active that needs twelve weeks is the better trade.
Which is better for vitamin C?
Naturium, for most men. Vitamin C is unstable and unpleasant in cheap formulations — The Ordinary's suspension goes gritty and its L-ascorbic solutions oxidise quickly. Naturium uses gentler derivatives with vitamin E, which is less potent on paper and far more likely to still be in your routine in three months. The most potent vitamin C is worth nothing in a drawer.
Should you buy from both brands?
That's the sensible answer. Take The Ordinary's price on the actives that are simple to formulate — niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, retinol — and Naturium's textures on the ones that are hard: azelaic acid and vitamin C. Nothing conflicts, and buying by product rather than by brand is how you avoid paying a premium for a commodity.
Which Actives Do You Actually Need?
Answer 5 quick questions — we'll tell you which steps your skin needs before you compare percentages on a label.
Build My Routine