Topical Antibacterial
Acne.org’s Real World Take
At prescription strengths (15 - 20%) studies show it should help reduce mild-to-moderate acne by a significant and noticeable amount after 3 months or so of treatment, so that’s not too shabby. However, it is unlikely to completely clear the skin on its own.
Topical Antibacterial
How to Get It
Azelaic acid is available in 15% - 20% by prescription. Have a dermatologist? Make an appointment to get this medication. Don't have a dermatologist? See The American Academy of Dermatology Physician Database to find one. Azelaic acid is also available over-the-counter in strengths 10% and lower. Here are some places you can find it online.
Used Azelaic Acid? Rate It:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
February 25, 2016
Product used: Finacea (Azelaic Acid (15%) Gel)
Works for me in combination with Retin-A
I started using Finacea while I was pregnant because I was having terrible breakouts and couldn't use the acne medications I was on prior to pregnancy. It definitely helped, even with crazy pregnancy hormones throwing my skin completely out of whack. My skin still wasn't perfect though, so after I finished breastfeeding, I added Retin-A to my routine. My skin has been 90-95% clear since. I have been using both for a year and a half now. I use Retin-A at night and Finacea in the morning.
November 26, 2015
Product used: Azclear (Azelaic Acid (20%) Lotion)
Azclear Azelaic Acid
I have just started using this again for a week after finishing my first tube & not replacing it. I have moderate acne, I am 36 & have had every treatment available from Roaccutane, peels, lasers, everything. I had a big break out due to PMS & had a huge, multiheaded pimple on the side of my nose where my glasses rest & on my chin. I had squeezed them, they got worse. Nothing was helping. I then remembered this & overnight after one application the large, scabbed area on my chin had reduced by half. My nose had all the swelling go down but not a size reduction. It does cause a purge of any other trapped sebum so I got about 5 more spots on my chin the next day but they have resolved quickly. I find this a really good way to reduce a very large pimple that seems to keep refilling. It is a bit of a circuit breaker for the horrible rogue spots. I have now seen it is meant to be good for hyperpigmentation, which I have due to 10 years of acne treatment & the pill. I am very happy to no longer have painful, scabed, continuing pimples that had lasted 3 weeks.
October 21, 2015
Product used: Finacea (Azelaic Acid (15%) Gel)
My Last Hope
So I started using Finacea last night after I stopped using Clingadel, which I was using for the past couple months but didn't really see any results. Now started using finacea gel, I hope my clears my acne up because I have been struggling with acne since I was 16, now am 22. I been through so many topical, antibiotics, and even two round of accutane, and nothing seems to keep my acne at bay. I just hope this will be the one that clears my acne once and for all!!!
August 9, 2015
Product used: Azelex (Azelaic Acid (20%) Cream)
Goodbye comedy red nose
Had rosecea for years,spots and broken skin on my nose with redness... anti biotics didn't work, it was starting to get me down a bit so I self prescribed myself with a tube of azeliac acid from eBay, worth atry for 8 English pounds I thought, I cleanse my skin before bed and apply the cream, washing it off in the morning, within a week the rosecea was totally gone, I now cleanse and apply every other night, I now have a worry free social calendar, no more worrying about going out with a nose like coco the clown!
August 1, 2015
Product used: Skinoren (Azelaic Acid (20%) Cream)
The only thing that worked!
Hello, I'm 18 and I've had acne ever since I was 12. It had its ups and downs...mostly downs...and no matter to what dermatologist I went to, they just made it worse with all the products they would prescribe for me. Finally, about a month and a half ago I went to another dermatologist and she prescribed Skinoren for me, Aknicare lotion and a mattifying hydration cream. Honestly, its the first time in years my skin is clear, I get 2 or 3 pimples before my period but thats about it. My whole face was covered with whiteheads, blackheads, small cysts and they wouldn't go away, this is the only thing that helped me.
I apply Skinoren once every night and if I stay indoors for the day I'll apply it in the morning too. Definitely apply it at night, because your pores open, meaning that Skinoren is given the opportunity to enter and hit the problem to its core(in a way) and giving you better results.
I definitely do recommend this product, however, you should keep in mind that acne takes time to cure so be patient.
Hope this helps :)
Jessw
August 30, 2015
How long did skinoren take to work ?
Maryam.USE
May 31, 2018
Some doctors said 2 months for its results to be seen
July 21, 2015
Product used: Azelex (Azelaic Acid (20%) Cream)
Wonder Drug
I have had Rosacea for many years. I take antibiotics two times a day and have used Metrojel 1 percent with no relief. I felt so frustrated because it just got worse. My internist told me there was nothing else that could be done at this time. I received a coupon in the mail for $30.00 for a new product called Azelex Acid. I asked my doctor to write a prescription. With insurance I paid $130.00. I have used it only 5 days and already my skin is improving. I can't believe it. My skin has cleared up and is soft and smooth. The redness and pimples are gone. It is worth every penny.
July 28, 2015
I've been using Azelaic acid for a couple of weeks. No improvement yet.
I'm shocked that you have to pay so much. In the UK, all prescriptions cost about £8, regardless of the medication. I know the cost to the NHS is only about £3.50 per tube. It's a really cheap drug. I'm really hoping that there's a cheaper way for you to purchase this.
May 6, 2015
Product used: Finacea (Azelaic Acid (15%) Gel)
Works wonders on acne & the skin texture
The ONLY thing that has helped my acne for the past 10 years, has been birth control, but for health reasons I had to stop taking them last year and I was petrified of the horror to come. I tried Salicylic acid, then benzyl peroxide and zinc. SA didn't do much, BP tore my skin apart (I have very dry and sensitive skin), and Zinc only made my hair grow like crazy. I decided to take this matter to a doctor, who prescribed Finacea and told that it has great effects but takes about 2 weeks to work. I'm now 4 weeks in (I was patience as hell), and the real difference has happened now. So I wouldn't give up on this after a week. My extremely dry skin is smooth as a baby's butt, I have some scarring left but only get about one or two small pimples per week. But it's the texture of the skin that's the most impressive part! This also works great under make-up, just make sure you blend it well. A little goes a long way, it might itch a little bit but it's not too bad (for me it means, it's working). Apply it before your moisturizer (I did it the other way before). For me this is the closest equivalent what birth control would do to acne.
July 10, 2015
What face wash have you been using?
April 5, 2016
The itching means you have to wait longer after washing your face. Usually its 30min-hr if its itching, just means it irritating it
April 2, 2015
Product used: Skinoren (Azelaic Acid (20%) Cream)
Brilliant
I had severe acne for months and I thought it would never go away, I had used every product available and cleaned up my diet etc but nothing worked. Skinorem was the only thing that worked, the first few weeks I had even more severe breakouts but if you can endure this then it is worth it. It took two months for effects to show but if you stick to it it's going to pay off. I now have near flawless skin and have done for the past 6 months or so.
March 23, 2015
Product used: Skinoren (Azelaic Acid (20%) Cream)
Actual results!
I believe that I have adult acne(I'm 26 and it started a few years ago) caused by very minor rosacea; if you have acne vulgaris and not acne rosacea, this treatment might not work for you. Though I'd say it's still worth a try if nothing else works for you. So far, I have had consistent success with Skinoren(which I bought from an online pharmacy). The instructions are correct when they say that you have to wait between 4-8 weeks for results; for the first month, I suspected that it wasn't working because I was still popping pimples on my forehead like mad. But now it's been almost another month since then and so far I have almost no acne. I no longer have cystic acne and just a few really tiny, almost unnoticeable, whiteheads here and there. I'm very impressed! My skin is usually very sensitive(both salicyclic acid and benzoyl peroxide gave me worse acne along with rashes), yet Skinoren has given me no adverse reactions what so ever. I will say that even though it takes a while for the true results to show up, I did notice within the first week of using it that the texture and feel of my skin improved dramatically. My upper forehead felt much less flaky and got more soft and smooth. I am only disappointed that it hasn't reduced the blackheads or cloggy pores much and my skin still gets more oily than it should. But those things can be remedied in other ways, and it's no big deal if the rest of my acne is cleared! Great product. Now I can finally get back to dating with confidence!
July 31, 2017
Thank you for your review. I'm 2 weeks into using Skinoren and I'm getting breakouts which are making me doubt it. I'm defo gonna stick it out though. Would be interested to hear if you still use it?
October 21, 2014
Product used: Azelex (Azelaic Acid (20%) Cream)
LOVE it!
Birth-control pills made a HUGE difference in my cystic acne (life-changing), but I recently stopped taking it because I'm going to start trying to get pregnant soon. Before I was off the BC, I saw a dermatologist who recommended I try Azelex for some melasma as well as a way to treat the impending acne (it's baby-safe). I'm only two weeks off the BC, and so far I've had just 3 tiny bumps on my chin (which is my most problematic area). I realize it's still early days, but the Azelex has also made my skin so smooth and soft! It burned a little only the first time, and I've been applying it at night all over my face and then again on my chin in the mornings. I have GREAT insurance, and it still cost me $150/tube, but I think it might be worth it. If you can afford the price, DEFINITELY GIVE IT A TRY!
July 6, 2015
Try ordering this cream online from Australia to save heaps!! I only pay AUD $12-$15 at my local Pharmacy. The brand I use is by ego and it's called AZ Clear Lotion from memory it's 20% Azaleaic. I stopped using mine after starting a new skin care range and my skin flared up so I'm back using it twice a day and my skin is perfect and clear.. good luck! HTH