Azelex : Azelaic Acid (20%) Cream

Brand:
Reviews
3.7
312 Reviews
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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
29.8%
4
34.9%
3
18.9%
2
10.3%
1
6.1%

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July 19, 2017
Made my skin oily
Didn't work well at all for me. I started this topical treatment at the same time as I started an oral antibiotic (erythromycin) treatment. The cream made my face (and back and chest) really itchy when I first put it on - even after weeks of taking it, this happened. Regardless, I left it on, tried not to scratch it. I would put it on twice a day, when I woke up and when I went to bed. I noticed that whenever I woke up in the morning or when I went to put my makeup on in the morning, my skin would be really oily. I don't know if the cream just irritated my skin, making it overproduce the oils, but of course this didn't help my acne at all. I came off of the topical treatment of my own accord and felt my acne was better managed without it.
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Kimbyron172
December 11, 2017
Azelex is makes your skin dry which causes it to become itchy. When your skin is dry your body will produce more oils to counter act being dry. My best advice is after you apply the Azelex, you should use a non grease moisturizer over it.
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November 26, 2013
2 week review

Pros:

Easy to use
Deep penetration of getting into pores
Reduces inflammation

Cons:

Burn/sting
Expensive retail 300.00 insurance made it 100.00
Takes time to see results

So far it's only been 2 weeks of using this product I have moderate acne with past scars from cystic acne. My dermatologist prescribed this cream to me with benzoyl as my face wash. I apply twice a day after washing my face it does burn and sting for a little while and then goes away, so far I'd say its working as far as minimizing the cystic acne I have broke out a little more from using this product but not too much, and the inflammation has gone done but il give it some more time and see what better results il have
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July 8, 2012

Pros:

Goes on smooth and clear
Makes skin feel soft
Kinda moisturizing

Cons:

Didn't help at all
Kinda made skin a little more oily

I used this for a month and it didn't help at all. It didn't make things worse but it didn't help them either. But that doesn't mean it won't work for you what I learned is everyone is different and will respond differently so you just gotta keep trying and see what works for you.
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August 31, 2011

Pros:

fades red marks slightly (new ones)

Cons:

broke me out in small bumps after the fourth week, some of them have started to head.
left me with more red marks than before I used the cream.

I wish I didnt try azelex. My skin was looking pretty good before I went on it but I really wanted to get rid of those red mark.. I don't think what I had was an initial breakout since I got little bumps at the end of the 3rd week of use.
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April 11, 2011

Pros:

Smooth skin the morning - after.

Cons:

Stinging after application is absolutely unbearable - especially with a sensitive skin

Burning, burning, itching, itching, please help me fire brigade! I have a very sensitive skin, I have no clue what development team thought they should think of a 20% acidic cream but well, hey, if it seems to work in vitro? Anyway, no one's skin should have to deal with such a harsh acidic product. Made me want to scratch my skin off, tried it three nights in a row but could bear it the third night anymore. Going to hand it back in to the phamacy tomorrow.
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51 user(s) found this helpful

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August 27, 2010

Pros:

2 weeks in so far...

No pros that I can think of. Hasn't had an effect on my acne whatsoever.

Cons:

Leaves my skin feeling very greasy.

Constantly trying to wash the grease off my face, which makes my acne feel worse.

Using it twice a day (as per doctor's recommendation), at night is ok but during the day it's difficult to wear makeup over the top. Makes my skin very sticky and has increased my morning routine by about 45 minutes (while waiting for it to 'dry' as much as possible).

First few days it stung a little when applying, now every time I apply it makes my ski

Hasn't changed my acne whatsoever, is leaving my skin very greasy and difficult to wear under makeup. Will persevere for another couple of weeks to see if it makes any difference, but so far nothing. Not as bad as some side effects I've had, but of everything I've tried (10 or so different pills and/or solutions) it's been the least effective.
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30 user(s) found this helpful

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September 1, 2009

Pros:

Didn't experience any of the painful itching or stinging other people have.

Cons:

Painful cystic breakouts, worse than before I started!

I've only been using this product for 2 - 3 weeks. I keep hoping that things'll settle down as my skin gets used to it, but so far... no sign of improvement. The acne on my chin and jawline is worse than ever! So far... definitely not recommended. I'm going to try it for one more week; then it's back to Proactiv for me. If I really do have rosacea, per the dermatologist that prescribed this stuff, I'll try a new pair of creams from Prescriptives.
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July 29, 2009

Pros:

it didnt dry out my face like most other topicals do and it also is invisible when you put it on.

Cons:

it didnt work what-so-ever. it made my face more oily, especially at night. i'd wake up the next day with such oily skin. it doesnt get rid of blackheads which was what i told me dermatologist i wanted to do in the first place and i still broke out.

i dont recommend this to anyone who has a more oily skin with blackheads. it just doesnt get to the root of the problem like its designed to do. it just makes you break out more due to the stress of its inability to do the job.
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March 17, 2009

Pros:

Drys out skin

Cons:

Drys out skin- causes breakouts

I have been using this cream for about two weeks. I have mild acne which looks a lot worse on my fair skin. I tried this cream hoping it would burn off my acne bumps- it did just that literally. I use CeraVe Cleanser and lotion (they work great BTW) and I would put this on after I washed my face and before I put on moisturizer. This stuff really dried out my skin- actually made it flaky and by the 2nd week, my skin was worse. I think if you dry out your skin too much it can alos cause more acne- you need some moisture. I am now on Spironolactone (Oral medicine) as I have tried every anitbiotic out there and all topicals- I am hoping this works as I heard great reviews
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4 user(s) found this helpful

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February 1, 2009

Pros:

* Based on the research I did, azelaic acid is not only safe, but good for your skin.

Cons:

* Almost unbearable itching sensation for the first 30 minutes after application (this went away after 3-4 weeks)
* More expensive than BP.
* Dry skin.

I started using Finacea because I was looking for a safer alternative to BP and had read fantastic reviews here. Unfortunately after 12 weeks of twice daily use I have seen no improvement in my acne. Studies show that it can often be effective though, so I would encourage others to try it and wish you better luck than I had.
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