Review: The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%
As a longtime user of chemical exfoliants I have no fear when it comes to trying out new products in the same category because I don't have overly sensitive skin. However, it finally met its match in the Curology formulas I've previously blogged about. Even with sparing use and two years to adjust my skin around the nostrils/mouth was constantly losing the fight, flaking left and right and making my foundation look splotchy by mid-day (ew -_-).
In the end I started feeling neutral (and a bit bored?) about the benefits vs negatives of Curology so I decided to give myself a break and replace it with something new. (Yes, I do have a wandering eye hoo hoo.) The tretinoin ingredient in the Curology lotion was definitely the culprit for the unattractive skin shedding so I figured something with azelaic acid, the other active ingredient, would be a good option to explore. Azelaic acid is known to be anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory so good for treating acne, rosacea, inflammation and other skin issues.
There are Rx strength azelaic acid creams out there (hello
20%) but I didn't want to start so strong or spend $300+ O_O. Googling for azelaic acid products brought me to The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%. I actually hadn't heard of this Canadian brand before but my online research showed a lot of positive social media buzz for its straightforward formulas and low prices. I'm not on Instagram or Twitter so I rarely go for products due to online popularity. When I saw the marketing material for the brand, I did roll my eyes a bit. The larger company it's under, DECIEM, has a website with sweet graphics but it just seemed like another marketing gimmick to say "Oooh we're so clinical and science-based and our ingredients are awesome" when they look the same as any other company. Plus, the constant insertion of periods after non-sentences just rubbed me the wrong way. "The Ordinary." "The Abnormal Beauty Company." "Clinical Formulations with Integrity."
The low price points are definitely a plus, though, so I was still interested in giving them a shot. I'm a fan of cheap skincare because even when a product doesn't work well I'm not out too much $ (and it's more fodder for this blog).
Azelaic acid is a chemical exfoliant with both BHA and AHA properties. I like me a good BHA but have had mixed results with AHA so I don't currently use any chemical exfoliants besides Paula's Choice's version. I was glad to explore azelaic acid since it would let me dip my toes back into the AHA pool without having to get drenched. My skin is acne-prone and azelaic acid supposedly fights blemishes by being antibacterial and reducing keratin production. We naturally make keratin to tough up our outer skin layer but too much of this protein can clog pores and increase acne. Another benefit of azelaic acid is the brightening effect it can have on pigmented spots. I have so many from old breakouts I never say no to more brightening! It also has antioxidant behaviors so those looking for anti-aging will benefit, too.
I used this product at night after cleansing + essence and before my final moisturizer (Benton's snail steam cream) for about two weeks. Why only two weeks? Because I didn't realize this azelaic acid cream would be a one-way ticket to Breakout City =(
My forehead rarely freaks out so it's a good gauge of whether a product is really blowing up my skin or I just happen to be coincidentally blemish-prone at the time. Unfortunately, this azelaic acid cream left me with angry pimples within days. I gave it a bit more time before calling it quits (I foolishly hoped it was only a purging I need to be patient with) but when I reviewed CosDNA once more I realized I was better off stopping immediately. I have this bad habit of forgetting my love/hate relationship with silicones. A little extra slip in my skincare is always appreciated but when there's more than a few and they feature a lil bit too prominently (dimethicone is actually listed BEFORE the azelaic acid!) my skin rebels. The only bright spot was no skin shedding but I'll take that over breakouts any day.
It's possible the order I apply my nighttime products could make a difference. If this cream was my last step and I didn't use anything else to smother it (like a heavy moisturizer) maybe I'd have fared better. Or perhaps I could have applied it after cleansing, waited an hour or two, cleansed once more and then went on like normal with my other essences/serums/creams but DUDE this is a lot of work (I am a lazy ducky) and there's no guarantee things would improve. Instead of being a tourist to Breakout Land I could end up elected mayor LOL.
I briefly tried using this product as a spot-treatment because I figured that would lighten up the silicone load and for those super deep/painful lesions I'm already inflamed so what harm could it do? But alas it was not to be. My non-treated lesions progressed normally and the test spot took even longer than usual to heal blehhh...
So conclusion is that this product is not for me. Azaleic acid is still an amazing substance but not when it's housed in silicones like The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%. I will continue the search for a cleaner serum that my face can handle while others get to rave about this one. :-/
Summary:
- Packaging: 4/5 (professional design & sturdy; a bit boring)
- Smell: 5/5 (none, woot!)
- Performance: 1/5 (broke me out & slowed down healing; not drying)
- Value/Price: 5/5 ($8 is super cheap for a typically pricey ingredient)
- Recommend? Maybe (for folks without sensitive skin & silicone issues)
- Repurchase? Nope to the nope
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