This acne treatment is formulated around Azelaic Acid to clear breakouts and calm redness.
This calming serum is formulated around Azelaic Acid and Niacinamide to calm redness and clear breakouts.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAzelaic Acid
Buffering
Propanediol
Solvent
Squalane
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-75 Stearate
Surfactant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCeramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Water, Azelaic Acid, Propanediol, Squalane, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-75 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Cetyl Alcohol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Hydroxide, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Ceramide EOP
Water
Skin ConditioningAzelaic Acid
Buffering
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Citric Acid
Buffering
C12-14 Pareth-12
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientMelia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCoccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Linalool
Perfuming
Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract
EmollientSolanum Melongena Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningOcimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Antioxidant
Corallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Pantothenic Acid
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Hydrolyzed Pea Protein
EmollientPhytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Lecithin
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Squalane
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Water, Azelaic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Sodium Hydroxide, Propylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Citric Acid, C12-14 Pareth-12, Glyceryl Caprylate, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Linalool, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Allantoin, Centella Asiatica Extract, Panthenol, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Pantothenic Acid, Alcohol Denat., Hydrolyzed Pea Protein, Phytosterols, Lecithin, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Squalane, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Ceramide NP
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Azelaic acid is a multitasker ingredient that helps treat acne, pigmentation, and irritation. It is a great option for sensitive skin.
What makes it special?
OTC Azelaic acid is usually available in concentrations from 10-15% and anything over requires a prescription.
Here's what each tier does best:
Unlike other acids, azelaic acid will not make your skin more photosensitive/sun sensitive.
Though this ingredient is naturally occurring in grains like wheat, rye, and barley, it is usually synthetically created for cosmetics to ensure stability and effectiveness.
Learn more about Azelaic AcidCeramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
Learn more about Ceramide NPPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
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 PropanediolSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideSqualane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.
Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.
No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).
Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.
The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.
Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.
A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.
The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.
Learn more about SqualaneWater. 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. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
