
Redness/IrritationAcne Spot Treatment
Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% — Reddit Reviews
by The Ordinary
Updated October 5, 2026
Azelaic acid 10% for redness, acne, and dark marks; pills hard.
What the community says
A 10% azelaic acid suspension with a silicone-heavy, matte cream texture. Redditors use it for acne, rosacea redness, and leftover marks, but the pilling, stinging, and drying make it a YMMV pick. The studies back acne improvement.
What this means for you
What people love
- 10% azelaic acid for acne and marks
- Helps calm rosacea redness
- Cheap, easy OTC trial
Watch out for
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: Hormonal jawline cysts are a standout use, with one user saying it helps a lot. 62 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: 17 studies tested it on its own. See all 20 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
Hyperpigmentation
Strong evidence
Azelaic Acid: 12 studies tested it on its own. See all 16 studies
On Reddit: Months of consistent use gradually lighten dark spots, though people say the change takes time. 54 mentions
What the studies found
- In melasma, it often made patches lighter and less widespread
- It worked about as well as hydroquinone in some studies, and better than weaker hydroquinone in others
- It also helped fade dark marks left after acne in one study
- The most common side effects were burning and stinging, and severe side effects were not reported
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 — 685 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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