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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Finacea (azelaic acid) Foam, 15% versus Dermatica Azelaic Acid 20% Cream .

Published on October 16, 2022

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe facial treatments. They have a total of 4 ingredients in common

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, 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 American Brand United States
Facial Treatment 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.

Facial Treatment

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

Price

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Buy (azelaic acid) Foam, 15%

Shop

Buy Azelaic Acid 20% Cream

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

Benefits

Redness Reducing
Reduces Large Pores
Dark Spots
Scar Healing
Acne Fighting

Concerns

May Worsen Oily Skin
Eczema (2)

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)
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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: 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

Finacea (azelaic acid) Foam, 15% contains this as ingredient number 1.

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

2
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

Finacea (azelaic acid) Foam, 15% contains this as ingredient number 11.

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

3
What it does: Buffering
Community Rating: Mixed

Sodium 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 Hydroxide

Finacea (azelaic acid) Foam, 15% contains this as ingredient number 12.

Dermatica Azelaic Acid 20% Cream contains this as ingredient number 14.

4
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

Finacea (azelaic acid) Foam, 15% contains this as ingredient number 13.

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

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

15% are loved or liked
15% have mixed ratings
46% are disliked or very disliked
23% have no rating yet
57% are loved or liked
5% have mixed ratings
33% are disliked or very disliked
5% 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

Finacea (azelaic acid) Foam, 15% 13 ingredients

(azelaic acid) Foam, 15% hasn't been rated yet.
Rate it now

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.

Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 7 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Finacea (azelaic acid) Foam, 15%.

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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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