3 min readfrom Beauty

Comparing 3 AzA 15% serums by INCI — can penetration enhancers tell us which one actually works better?

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Hey everyone! I'm diving into the world of azelaic acid (AzA) serums, specifically those with 15% concentration, and I'm curious about their efficacy based on ingredient profiles. With my struggles with post-inflammatory erythema (PIE) and acne, I want to understand if penetration enhancers within these products can reveal which serum truly delivers results. I've found three contenders, each with unique ingredients, and I'm eager to hear your thoughts on how they might rank in terms of effectiveness while being gentle on the skin.

Hi guys, I want to get some opinions.

I have PIE and acne, and I'm looking for an azelaic acid serum/product.

I've been reading about AzA and how difficult it is to solubilize in water, and also how hard it is to get a meaningful amount of AzA to actually penetrate the skin (stratum corneum) in the first place. I know this isn't 100% accurate, but can I compare different AzA products and estimate how effective they'd be based on their penetration enhancer ingredients?

I found a few:

Product 1 - Serum which has 15% Aza– has MSM at 1%

Ingredients: Water/Aqua, Propylene Glycol, Azelaic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polysorbate 20, Dimethyl Sulfone, Propanediol, Betaine, Panthenol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Allantoin, Ceramide NP, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Centella Asiatica Extract, Madecassoside, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Polyacrylate, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract, Momordica Charantia Fruit Extract, Leontopodium Alpinum Extract

  1. Product 2 - Serum which has 15% Aza -

Ingredients: Water, Azelaic Acid, DPG, Propanediol, Sodium Hydroxide, Tromethamine, Pentylene Glycol, PEG-6, PEG-32, Panthenol, Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide, Madecassoside, Asiaticoside, Gluconolactone, Succinic Acid, Citric Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid Crosspolymer-2-Sodium, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Centella Asiatica Extract, BG, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethylcellulose

  1. Cream/Lotion Texture 15% Aza

Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Azelaic Acid, Betaine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Lauryl Glucoside, Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Niacinamide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Panthenol, Sclerotium Gum, Chlorphenesin, Escin, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Ruscus Aculeatus Root Extract, Ammonium Glycyrrhizate, Citric Acid, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Sodium Citrate

My questions are:

  1. Looking at these INCIs, can we rank them by efficacy given they're all 15%?

  2. In serums like Cos de BAHA (and I'm guessing this isn't specific to them — most AzA serums seem to use PG as the second ingredient after water) — what's the typical percentage range of PG used? I'm asking because I've been reading about how long-term PG use could potentially cause skin barrier issues. I get that there's no definitive yes or no on this, and I also understand it's going to be very person-specific — someone might not tolerate AHA at 10% while someone else uses it daily with no barrier damage. And yes, I know the mechanism of penetration with AHA is completely different, just bringing it up as a comparison.

  3. Which of these would be the most barrier-friendly while still performing well for hormonal acne, PIE, etc.?

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#beauty pageant#beauty standards#Azelaic Acid#serum#penetration enhancers#acne#PIE#MSM#propylene glycol#hyaluronic acid#skin barrier#ingredients#centella asiatica#panthenol#tolerance#hormonal acne#propanediol#Glycyrrhizate#aqueous solution#crosspolymer