
Redness/IrritationAcne Spot Treatment
Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% — Reddit Reviews
by The Ordinary
Updated October 21, 2026
Studies found azelaic acid clears acne; Redditors report fading marks; texture divides.
What the community says
This 10% suspension targets acne, post-acne marks, redness, and uneven texture; studies found topical azelaic acid beats placebo and performs about like tretinoin. Redditors say it can work beautifully, but the thick silicone texture pills and irritates reactive skin.
What this means for you
What people love
- Reddit HG for acne and post-acne marks
- 10% OTC starter strength for redness-prone skin
- Studies find azelaic acid clears acne about as well as tretinoin
Watch out for
- Thick silicone texture pills under makeup and sunscreen
- Stings, burns, or dries reactive skin
- Can trigger breakouts and closed comedones
Product details
Use caution
Skin Type
Product Traits
Key Ingredients
Where to buy
What the science says vs. what Reddit says
Acne
Strong evidence
Azelaic Acid: 22 studies tested it on its own. See all 31 studies
On Reddit: Cystic flares may stay away for months with nightly use, one user reports. 64 mentions
What the studies found
- Most studies found it helped clear acne
- It cleared acne better than a placebo in several studies
- It often worked about as well as tretinoin and some other common acne treatments
- Some studies found it worked less well than benzoyl peroxide or benzoyl peroxide with clindamycin
- Side effects were usually local and moderate, with fewer local side effects than tretinoin in one study
Studied at 5–20%this product: 10%
Rosacea
Strong evidence
Azelaic Acid: 15 studies tested it on its own. See all 17 studies
On Reddit: Newcomers can start at 10%, with one user reporting more-manageable redness and bumps after a month of consistent use. 67 mentions
What the studies found
- Most studies found azelaic acid helped rosacea more than a placebo
- It often reduced bumps and redness from rosacea
- It worked about as well as metronidazole in some studies, and better in others
- It did not seem to help visible blood vessels
- Side effects were mainly mild to moderate, including stinging
Studied at 15–20%this product: 10%
Hyperpigmentation
Some evidence
Azelaic Acid: 9 studies tested it on its own. See all 12 studies
On Reddit: Months of consistent use gradually lighten dark spots, though people say the change takes time. 54 mentions
What the studies found
- Most studies found it helped fade dark patches, especially melasma
- It faded melasma better than a placebo in one clinical trial
- It often worked about as well as hydroquinone, and some studies found it worked better
- It may help dark marks left after acne, but one study found no clear benefit for sun spots
- The most common side effects were irritation, burning and stinging
Studied at 15–20%this product: 10%
Research context, not treatment advice. Studies are about the ingredient, not necessarily this exact product.
Real Reddit threads — 727 mentions across 28 threads
The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% on Reddit, in one place — 28 threads from r/30PlusSkinCare, r/AsianBeauty and 5 more, summarized.
“Infrequent use of their Azelaic Acid”
Positive
“I also have some redness in my cheeks that Azelaic Acid seems to help with”
Positive
“I mainly focus on hydration and sun protection these days when it comes to topicals.”
Positive
“PM: The Ordinary Azelaic acid 3x/wk”
Positive
“Yeah the texture is a little odd.”
Positive
“the way that it mattifies and pills up if you move it too much”
Positive
“sampling the Ordinary's in-store and not liking the texture”
Cautionary
“I also definitely agree with the TO azelaic being very sensorially and cosmetically unpleasant”
Cautionary
“It has a hard time not just pulling with ITSELF”
Cautionary
“I use TO azelaic acid suspension with Stridex max for salicylic acid...”
Mentioned
“The azelaic acid suspension has a conflict with their 2% salicylic acid, so should I not combine azelaic and salicylic acid?”
Mentioned
“Wait wait wait, peptides conflict with azelaic acid??”
Mentioned
“The Ordinary Azelaic acid has done wonders to calm my skin and give me a more even tone. And it’s very gentle.”
Positive
“I was layering niacinamide from TO and then AZ but I realized it wasn’t getting down to my skin so I switched the order and it’s evening out much better.”
Positive
“Paula’s choice Azelaic Acid booster is great and the Ordinary’s Azelaic Acid works well too and is pretty inexpensive.”
Positive
“On non tret days I use the ordinary azelaic acid.”
Positive
“Been using Estée Lauder products, Origins and The ordinary.”
Positive
“I swear by The ordinary products. I use them on non tret days”
Positive
Dupes & Alternatives
Compared with
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