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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Dermatica Azelaic Acid 20% Cream versus FaceTheory Azeclear Azelaic Acid Serum A15 .

Last updated on November 16, 2023. Published on June 27, 2021

Overview

What they are

These products are both vegan . They have a total of 5 ingredients in common

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, dry skin, brightening skin, reducing pores, scar healing and dark spots

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, fragrances, oils, parabens or sulfates

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

Facial Treatment British Brand United Kingdom
Serum British Brand United Kingdom

Facial Treatment

Facial treatments are specially designed to treat a skin concern. Acne treatments and anti-aging products are common examples of facial treatments.

Serum

Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Price

Shop

Buy Azelaic Acid 20% Cream

Shop

Buy Azeclear Azelaic Acid Serum A15

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Notable Ingredients

Vitamin E
Ceramides (3)

Benefits

Hydrating (5)
Redness Reducing (4)
Reduces Irritation (2)
Reduces Large Pores
Anti-Aging (2)
Dark Spots
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting
Brightening (2)

Notable Ingredients

Exfoliators

Benefits

Hydrating
Redness Reducing
Reduces Large Pores
Dark Spots
Scar Healing (2)
Acne Fighting (2)
Brightening
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Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

1
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

Dermatica Azelaic Acid 20% Cream contains this as ingredient number 1.

FaceTheory Azeclear Azelaic Acid Serum A15 contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Buffering, Masking
Community Rating: Loved

Azelaic acid is a naturally occurring acid that is derived from grains. However, the lab-created form is typically used within cosmetic products as it has better shelf-stability.

It has been shown to be effective in the treatment of acne, rosacea, and other skin conditions. Azelaic acid helps reduce the growth of bacteria that cause acne and helps to reduce inflammation.

It also helps to improve the appearance of skin by reducing the production of sebum and unclogging pores.

Azelaic Acid also has antioxidant properties. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells, such as pollution.

One of the main benefits of azelaic acid is that it is gentle and well-tolerated by most people. It is also non-comedogenic, meaning that it will not clog pores.

Learn more about Azelaic Acid

Dermatica Azelaic Acid 20% Cream contains this as ingredient number 2.

FaceTheory Azeclear Azelaic Acid Serum A15 contains this as ingredient number 4.

3
What it does: Solvent
Community Rating: Liked

Propanediol helps absorb ingredients into your skin, boosting their benefits. It can act as an emollient, making your skin softer. Propanediol can help products last longer by boosting the properties of preservatives within the formulation.

Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use.

It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.

Learn more about Propanediol

Dermatica Azelaic Acid 20% Cream contains this as ingredient number 3.

FaceTheory Azeclear Azelaic Acid Serum A15 contains this as ingredient number 2.

4
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.

A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.

As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.

Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.

Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.

In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.

This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Learn more about Glycerin

Dermatica Azelaic Acid 20% Cream contains this as ingredient number 6.

FaceTheory Azeclear Azelaic Acid Serum A15 contains this as ingredient number 6.

5
What it does: Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Disliked

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

Learn more about Xanthan Gum

Dermatica Azelaic Acid 20% Cream contains this as ingredient number 20.

FaceTheory Azeclear Azelaic Acid Serum A15 contains this as ingredient number 15.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

57% are loved or liked
5% have mixed ratings
33% are disliked or very disliked
5% have no rating yet
56% are loved or liked
6% have mixed ratings
11% are disliked or very disliked
28% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Dermatica Azelaic Acid 20% Cream 21 ingredients

5.0 /5
from 2 ratings
Absorbs Well (2) Light (2) No Scent (1) Works Well (1)
Facewasher's avatar

Facewasher

2 months ago · Oily Skin
Review

Absorbs well, feels nice and light on the skin.

John1's avatar

John1

1 month ago · Oily Skin
Review

20% AA OTC with amazing ingredients. Best AA in the the market, imo.

FaceTheory Azeclear Azelaic Acid Serum A15 18 ingredients

2.0 /5
from 1 rating
AnaRitaSantos's avatar

AnaRitaSantos

11 months ago · Oily Skin
Review

I really wanted to like this
Unfortunately this did not work out for me, everytime I tried to use it my skin would become red, very irritated ,...

I really wanted to like this
Unfortunately this did not work out for me, everytime I tried to use it my skin would become red, very irritated , feeling burned and it would not go away. I had high hopes because the ingredient list was great and it was very pricey. Maybe 15% concentration is too high for me, maybe the antioxidants are too much (though my skin loves green tea)...I suspect the culprit might be Oat Extract ( I also had this red burning reaction with Aveeno Calming & Restore products which are all Oat based). I cannot say for sure what happened but this was too irritant for my skin.

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Our Dupe Finder has found 36 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Dermatica Azelaic Acid 20% Cream.

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Our Dupe Finder has found 28 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to FaceTheory Azeclear Azelaic Acid Serum A15.

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