The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Reviews & Unboxing
See the colour and consistency of Azelaic Acid before you buy it.
The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Reviews
- 75% of the Deciem Addicts love Azelaic Acid.
- 71% say it has improved their skin.
- 67% will repurchase it.
- Currently scores 4.5/5 on the Deciem website.
- Targets
- Uneven Tone
- Dullness
- Textural Irregularities
- Available in 2 sizes, 30ml &100ml

The Ordinary Azelaic Acid – Everything you need to know before buying
- What is The Ordinary Azelaic Acid, and what does it do?
- When and how do I use Azelaic Acid?
- Which products conflict with Azelaic Acid?
- The Ordinary Azelaic Acid PAO 12M
- Texture, smell, and colour of Ordinary Azelaic Acid
- Unboxing The Ordinary Azelaic Acid
- The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Reviews
- Azelaic Acid FAQS
- Available in 2 sizes, 30ml & 100ml. Check the price in your currency here.
What Is The Ordinary Azelaic Acid & What Does It Do?
Deciem´s simple explanation. For inexperienced users of direct acids, Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% is an excellent choice. Azelaic Acid is naturally produced by the skin’s microbiome and can also be found in grains. It is a multi-functional support ingredient for all skin types (including sensitive skin) that acts as an effective antioxidant while visibly targeting uneven tone, textural irregularities, and the look of blemishes.
Azelaic Targets
There are so many different reasons to add Azelaic Acid to your skincare routine.
- Works as an effective antioxidant
- Visibly targets uneven tone
- Helps textural irregularities
- Look of blemishes
- There are many more reasons to try this
- It can help with rosacea
- Melasma
- Hyperpigmentation
- Brightens your skin
- Helps acne as it is anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-comedonal.
Does The Ordinary Azelaic Acid work?
71% of the Deciem Addicts say it has improved their skin.

When and how do I use The Ordinary Azelaic Acid?
When: It is suggested that Azelaic Acid be used in the evening; however, some regimens suggest using it in the morning. If you´re going to use this during the day, make sure you avoid direct sunlight and use a really good SPF.
How: Azelaic Acid should be applied after your water-based products. Deciem has often said to apply this product before moisturiser but has also mentioned using this after moisturiser. See which way works best for you.
Which Products Conflict With The Ordinary Azelaic Acid?
Deciem says to avoid using the following products in the same routine. You can alternate your products morning/evening.
- Direct Acids
- Peptides
- EUK134
- The Ordinary also advises avoiding using retinol and pure vitamin C in the same routine to prevent irritation. See their response below.
- Have all look at this chart with all The Ordinary products you can and cannot use together.
This is the response from The Ordinary about mixing Acids & Peptides.
Our rule against combining strong antioxidants only applies to our products containing copper peptides. We would not recommend combining direct acids with peptides due to the susceptibility of peptides to hydrolysis (which breaks the bonds between peptides, reducing their efficacy and making them into individual amino acids). At low pH, the peptides undergo processes such as deamidation (the removal of an amide group) and oxidation, which compromise the activity of the peptides.
Having said that, if you have previously combined peptides with acids and have not experienced any negative side effects or discolouration, you may continue to combine the two products as so that the combination does not pose any potential harm. Our recommendations are meant to serve as a preventative measure to avoid any incompatibility between those combinations and also because skin tolerance is subjective.
What is The Ordinary Azelaic Acid PAO
The period after opening is 12 months
Rachel @beautyandtheballroom says: Azelaic Acid is probably my favourite product by the Ordinary, being the one that’s made the most visible difference to my skin. It’s helped to clear spots and uneven texture from my chin and also helped to improve pigmentation on my forehead. This is the one product I wouldn’t want to run out of! 😀
Jess @sk.insta.story Azelaic Acid is my favourite discovery from The Ordinary. It is a fantastic exfoliator and clears texture up like no other product I have ever used. I will never be without it. I also always have 1 or 2 spares of this in my stash to make sure I never run out.
SM says: I would prefer a little stronger percentage of the AA and, of course, no silicone 🙂 I use it for my decollete, where I used to have red pigmentation and pimples. For the face, I use AA without silicone. This combo works well for me. 🙂
JB says: I love this so much. It is gentle on the skin but very effective. It gives immediate results. I use this together with vitamin C, and it works wonders 👏👏 my skin looks smoother and brighter, and my redness patches are gone the day after. This is one of my ride-and-die products. 5/5
CG says: Love it; it gives a nice smooth texture and reduces my redness. I find I need to wait a while before applying it after other products as it can pill. Would also like a higher strength. 3.5/5
More Azelaic Acid Reviews
EKR says: I like azelaic Acid, and it had good results for improving skin texture and hyperpigmentation. I rate it 4/5, the only downside being the silicone. This makes it difficult to layer with other products. I have recently swapped from the ordinary to the garden of wisdom Azelaic acid as it is silicone-free, so easier to incorporate into my routine.
THG says: I would give it a 6! I use you at night, especially after an AHA peel! You have helped me with my years of acne scarring! If what I have read is accurate, the skin heals while it is at rest. You need this! Use it at night! This is a must-have!
MA says: Has the tendency to pill, I think due to the silicone. Feels nice, though. I don’t think it’s doing much for my PIH on my Medium skin tone. Been using it for a couple months now. 3/5
NA says Not strong enough and has too much silicone. 3/5, being generous.
What is the colour, texture and smell of this product?
- White cream
- Suspension
- It’s quite thick, as you can see in the photos and video below.
- Slight smell to it
Photos of The Ordinary Azelaic Acid
This was purchased directly from Deciem. Depending on the country of purchase, tubes and boxes may vary slightly. Always buy from an authorised stockist.

Azelaic Acid FAQS
Questions have been found on social media and answered by Deciem.
What´s the difference between azelaic and mandelic? The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% visibly targets uneven tone, textural irregularities and the look of blemishes. The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA targets uneven tone, textural irregularities as well as fine lines.
What does azelaic acid do for your skin? Azelaic Acid visibly targets uneven tone, textural irregularities and the look of blemishes.
What should I not mix with Azelaic Acid? Other acids, retinol/retinoid, direct vitamin c. Check The Ordinary Conflicts chart here.
I usually use Azelaic as the last step of the routine after moisturiser. We generally recommend a moisturizer after suspensions. You know your skin best! This is only a suggestion.
Can I use this Azelaic Acid with the Granactive Retinoid 2% emulsion? We would recommend alternating them in your PM routine.
Is Azelaic Acid suitable for someone with Rosacea? We’d recommend applying test patches to see how your skin likes the formulation.
Can I use the Azelaic Acid with Buffet and Niacinamide? For best results, we suggest alternating between Azelaic Acid and “Buffet”. Niacinamide can be used with both solutions.
I´m planning to use Azelaic Acid after the Niacinamide. Should I still apply moisturizer after that? This combination sounds great for your concerns! You may indeed apply a moisturizer after use.
Can Mandelic Acid be used in the same PM routine as Azelaic Acid? We recommend alternating between them to avoid irritation
Can I mix the Azelaic Acid with my moisturizer, or do I apply it before or after moisturizer? You may wish to apply the moisturizer before the Azelaic Acid.
Can I layer Azelaic Acid with Ascorbic Acid 8%+AA 2%? Ideally, the two should be used separately to avoid irritation.
I can use Azelaic Acid and Magnesium Ascorbyl Glucoside in the same routine? Yes, you can use Vitamin C derivatives.
More Azelaic Acid Faqs
I use Niacinamide, Azelaic Acid, and Rosehip Seed Oil. Is this routine okay, and should Azelaic come last? Looks like a great routine! Oils should be applied before suspensions.
Can we use The Ordinary Azelaic Acid with Niacinamide? Yes, you may.
Can The Ordinary Azelaic Acid help with brown spots? Yes, it can help target hyperpigmentation.
Why can’t The Ordinary Glycolic Toning Solution be used in the same routine as Azelaic Acid? In order to avoid/minimize the risk of skin irritation and moisture barrier compromise, we recommend alternating them in different evening routines. However, if you’ve been doing this and had no issues so far, you may continue doing so if you wish.
Can you use The Ordinary Azelaic Acid with The Ordinary Retinol? We recommend alternating them in different evening routines?
Azelaic Acid – should it be used before or after moisturizer? Either way is fine.
Final Thoughts On The Ordinary Azelaic Acid
It’s clear to see that 75% of the Deciem Addicts love Azelaic Acid, and 71% have seen an improvement in their skin. 73% of the Deciem Addicts had no issues using this product, and 67% of the Deciem Addicts will repurchase.
Other The Ordinary Acids
There are lots of The Ordinary Acids to choose from, so have a look here and don´t forget to join the Facebook Group.
Azelaic Acid 30ml & 100ml
The Ordinary Azelaic Acid comes in 2 sizes. Hyaluronic Acid, Multi-Peptide Serum + HA (Buffet), Niacinamide, Natural Moisturizing Factors and Squalane Cleanser all come in 2 sizes.
