Azelex : Azelaic Acid (20%) Cream

Brand:
Reviews
3.8
270 Reviews

Active Ingredient: Azelaic Acid (20%). Inactive Ingredients: Cetearyl octanoate; glycerin; glyceryl stearate and cetearyl alcohol and cetyl palmitate and cocoglycerides; PEG-5 glyceryl stearate; propylene glycol; and purified water. Benzoic acid is present as a preservative.

Items marked with red have tested a 3 or above (out of 5) in comedogenic (pore-clogging) testing.

The list of ingredients above is provided for informational purposes only. Always check the actual product label in your possession for the most accurate ingredient information due to product changes or upgrades that may not yet be reflected on our web site.

5
30.4%
4
35.2%
3
18.9%
2
10.4%
1
5.2%

Used Azelex : Azelaic Acid (20%) Cream? Rate It:

Choose from 1 to 5 stars
January 5, 2007

Pros:

NONE

Cons:

severe itching and burning, my face peeled miserably when I washed it off. then i started to break out even worse when I went back on BP. It has been 4 months since I used it and I am still living in the aftermath.

Do not use this if you have even slightly sensitive skin, try Klaron or Clindamycin instead. They prescrtibe this for sensitive skin, but it is not for sensitive people at all. If you have the slightest sensitivity to BP (redness, dryness, itching) do not try this it will make your skin so much worse. Also, the skin can hold on to an allergic reaction for months, so you can't go back to whatever you used to use until it clears completely.
August 8, 2009

Pros:

Acts fast on pustule cysts and whiteheads.

Cons:

Expensive but insurance reimbursed me. It burns and stings like hell for about 10 minutes. Started to itch and dry up resulting in dryness on one side of my jawline.

I just started using it because I started breaking out like crazy. I was using hormone pills, progesterine, for pregnancy. After 3 months, I had to stop the pills because my face broke out. I haven't been out in public for about 2 weeks. It's so embarrassing. I only had like 5 big pustule cysts and other marks so In desperation, I went to Rite Aide to purchase benzoyl peroxide and salicic acid which I used the first day. Then I made an appointment with my Dermatologist the next day for a chemical peel which I used to get every month at no cost to me due to insurance covering. The second day I received my chemical peel at 12pm at seemed worse but within a few hours I noticed inflammation decreased. I used Azelex the third day and saw some change. I noticed my scars decreasing in color and size. However, I noticed that I was starting to dry up on one side of my face. I started using Aloe Vera gel and seems like its working. Today I am in my 4th day and am seeing a major improvement. AMEN
May 6, 2009

Pros:

Gets rid of oily skin

Cons:

Doesn't stop whiteheads, turns your face very red, and causes itching so bad you would pay to take a wire brush to your face.

I was only on this for 7 days so I'm not the best judge. I was on Clyndamycin and switched to this and I had to spend the next week locked up in my apartment. I never quit medication no matter what but I just couldn't stay on this one. You say to yourself that the itching is no big deal but when you combine incredible itching with steps in the wrong direction it was an easy decision. I can't imagine that this wouldn't turn anyone's skin into a crust filled wasteland but then again everyone is different. Definitely use at your own risk!!
November 24, 2007

Pros:

great thing for the price, pretty effective on blackheads, not hard to apply, does not cause long- lasting redness or anything, a bit smoothers the skin

Cons:

itching is excruciating, a bit burning; applying consumes a lot of time, you can only see any results after a month or so

This thing is pretty good if you have problems like blackheads but it won't work on your breakouts, at least, it didn't heal mine. Applying is easy but needs some time, after that your skin is all itching and a bit burning for a while, totally unbearable but after a week or so using it these side effects will certainly diminish. I've used this thing for countless months, it didn't heal my breakouts; definitely- a lot of my clogged pores were gone but otherwise I could hardly see any improvement. This thing is great though if you have really really mild acne, check this out before trying anything stronger, it won't make your skin look bad and will smoother your skin.
November 2, 2007

Pros:

Works better than anything else i've ever used in the 10 years i've been struggling with acne. Clears up breakouts while i sleep so i wake up to clear skin.

Cons:

its kind of costly if you don't have insurance

I've used everything for my face, and i mean EVERYTHING over the counter to prescription and this is by far the best cream i have ever used. it doesn't make my face red, itchy, or flakey. i have had big red cystic pimples and small "normal" ones and my advice (well for girls i guess) i went on the pill, used minocycline, and used azelex, has worked better than any other combination ever! it finally made me feel normal again instead of the girl with acne. SO bottom line is! AMAZING and i would recommend it to anyone
July 29, 2007

Pros:

worked for the first week

Cons:

after the first week i continued to break out

i was put on finacea and the first week it made my acne subside. After the first week i continued breaking out in a lot of pimples all over my face. i've used other products such as oral antibotics, retin-a-micro, and others. so far nothing has worked. i've been using finacea and it hasnt helped my acne at all. i dont know what else to use because my face looks so disasturous i dont want to leave the house.
January 1, 2009

Pros:

smoother skin, less cystic acne, is not irritating or drying, fades red marks faster than they would fade on their own

Cons:

seems to lighten entire face and make it a lighter/white color, doesnt totally prevent acne

this is an effective topical that has a lot less negative side effects than most other topicals. be careful though!! I used azelex for about two months when i stopped using it almost entirely- massive breakouts followed. In the description of side effects it does say "if you stop using azelex too soon, your acne may return the same or worse than before." So true! If you get clear skin with this, don't stop completely- my advice would be to continue using it but just less frequently.
January 21, 2008

Pros:

This medication got to work right away! I saw reddness reduced after a week. After about 3 weeks people that knew me came up to me telling me how great my face looks.

Cons:

It's not a miracle. I didn't expect to find a miracle drug though. Around my period I still break out, however not NEARLY as bad. I used to get hard painful bumps on my cheeks and jaw that would last forever!

I only use this product. No moisturizer or any other acne product. I wash my face with AVEENO baby hair and body wash. Then apply this medication twice a day. It itched the first week and it was more like a tingling that lasted for about 15 minutes. I don't feel that at all anymore. TRY IT!!! You'll be happy you did! The tube lasts me about a month and a half and my insurence covers half. A bit expensive, but I like the results so I will pay.
January 8, 2008

Pros:

I have used this cream for about four days and my husband has noticed a difference. I hope it will help my acne scars.

Cons:

I burning and itching is very hard to deal with!! Is there anyone out there that can recommend a non-greasy moisturizer for the face. My face is very dry and starting to peel.

It's only been a few days. I am using this with Doxy 150mg a day, Ziana gel at night and this cream in the day time. I hope it works!! P.S. the product is very expensive without insurance.
December 30, 2007

Pros:

I've only used it for a couple of days, but I can already see the results! My acne has shrank considerably and the redness is always gone when I wake up in the morning!

Cons:

A little bit of itching...nothing I can't simply ignore. I mean WHO CARES if it works right?

I really like this product!! TRY IT!!