Azelaic acid... something i didnt know!!

[Emy10]

So.... i have constant facial redness.

Quite a few years ago, maybe around 3 years ago, i found out about Azelaic acid.

I ordered the one from The Ordinary.

I have ultra crazy very sensitive and reactive combo skin more towards oily.

So, i tried the AA from The Ordinary, and it stinged my face. 

It was not super crazy, but it was not pleasant.

I thought it was too much for my skin, so i stopped and threw it in the trash.

I just found out today, by reading online, that it can be normal for the skin to itch when starting using AA.

It supposedly can itch for 2 to 4 weeks, and then it should stop.

People also suggested to use it every other day instead of everyday to start. Also that a moisturizer can be applied to the skin before using AA.

Because i didnt understand the itching, because AA is said to diffuse redness and calm it, my original plan was to try another AA other than The Ordinary, but now im not sure.

Now im wondering is i should try the same again; or what do you guys think ??

Which Azelaic acid is your favorite and why?? And what was your experience?

Thank you 🙂

[WinglessOne]

@Emy10  Sorry you had a reaction to The Ordinary Azelaic Acid 10% Suspension Brightening Cream 1 oz/ 30 mL, though yeah, it sounds like you experienced the same itchy side effect many people get when first using azelaic acid. My first azelaic acid experience years ago was the Paula’s Choice serum. It did make me itchy, but my biggest side effect was lots of purging. My dermatologist had to convince me to give it a second chance, and I’m glad he did! 😅 The itching and purging stopped after maybe 3 weeks of consistent use. 

I apply azelaic acid to my whole face (except my eye area) twice a day (eh, sometimes I forget in the morning). For me, it’s great at reducing PIH (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation—in my case, dark marks left by acne) and helping BHA clear acne faster. It does also help with the surface redness on and around my nose. 

My feedback on the 10% azelaic acid serums I’ve used, listed in order of “love it” to “heck no” (your experience may vary, of course): 

Product	Texture	Performance	Key helper ingredients
Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster	Cream	Spreads easily, penetrates skin quickly, doesn't leave much of a finish behind. Can pill if overapplied.	0.5% salicylic acid, licorice root, adenosine, allantoin, bisabolol, boerhavia diffusa root
Peach Slices Redness Relief Azelaic Acid Serum	Light lotion	Spreads very easily, penetrates skin quickly, leaves a slightly hydrated feel. Green tint may help mask some redness.	Centella asiatica, spirulina, mugwort, allantoin, arginine; also contains gardenia extract which might bug sensitive skin
Facetheory Lumizela A10 Serum (no longer available; it’s been renamed & maybe reformulated)	Milk	Easiest of these to spread. Leaves an emollient finish, feels kinda moisturizing.	Oats, aloe, green tea, rosehip extract (not oil, according to brand)
The Inkey List Redness Relief 10% Azelaic Acid Serum	Cream	Spreads fairly easily, penetrates quickly, leaves my skin feeling dry/matte. Green tint may help mask some redness.	Allantoin; also contains 2 forms of gardenia extract which might bug sensitive skin
Skinfix 2% BHA Acne Spot Treatment	Cream	Moderate spreadability (to be fair, it's meant as a spot treatment). Pilled so badly on me, I had to wet-wipe it off my skin—so I can't say what kind of finish it leaves behind.	2% salicylic acid, kaolin clay, green tea, niacinamide, licorice root, zinc PCA

#Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Booster for Redness Relief 1 oz / 30 ml is what I still use each night. On most mornings, I use the Peach Slices serum. The Paula’s Choice serum works best for my reactive mostly-dry combo skin, thanks to its anti-inflammation helper ingredients. At some point, I might start Rx-strength azelaic acid. When that happens, I’ll probably use the Rx in the morning and keep using the Paula’s Choice serum at night. 

The Facetheory serum was really nice on very cold windy winter mornings; it’s so emollient, it helped keep my skin from chapping/flaking. Facetheory has renamed it to Blemicalm Azelaic Acid 10% Clarifying Serum and at first glance, the INCI list looks like the old formula—but now I see they list rosehip oil instead of extract, which is good. (Pretty sure the old formula did use rosehip oil, otherwise it wouldn’t feel so emollient.) 

I keep thinking I’ve tried The Ordinary’s azelaic acid serum, but I never took notes on it. Hmm… I do remember it having a very silicone film feeling, so maybe I’ve tried a tester on the back of my hand before. If you liked the way that serum felt on your skin, then I see no harm in trying it again vs. trying something different. 

[Ispend2much6]

@Emy10   One thing that I've read that is good to do when using retinol, and I'm sure it works with acids because I use it with them, is to apply a vitamin b serum (another name for it is niacinamide,) first, then your AA, then an oil or moisturizer on top of it all.  This will lessen the intensity of your AA, but still give you some benefits.  Or maybe just a moisturizer on top of the AA.  I do that most of the time actually.