Q + A Zinc PCA Facial Serum Versus FaceTheory Azeclear Azelaic Acid Serum A15

See how these products line up with your preferences

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Q + A Zinc PCA Facial Serum versus FaceTheory Azeclear Azelaic Acid Serum A15 .

Last updated on November 16, 2023. Published on November 28, 2022

Overview

What they are

These products are both vegan and cruelty-free serums. They have a total of 6 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, silicones 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.

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Q + A Zinc PCA Facial Serum

FaceTheory Azeclear Azelaic Acid Serum A15

Serum British Brand United Kingdom

Serum

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

Serum

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

Price

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Buy Zinc PCA Facial Serum

Starts at $12.00

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Buy Azeclear Azelaic Acid Serum A15

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.

Q + A Zinc PCA Facial Serum 19 ingredients

FaceTheory Azeclear Azelaic Acid Serum A15 18 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

Q + A Zinc PCA Facial Serum 19 ingredients

FaceTheory Azeclear Azelaic Acid Serum A15 18 ingredients

Notable Ingredients

AHA

Benefits

Hydrating (2)

Redness Reducing

Reduces Irritation

Skin Texture

Reduces Large Pores

Anti-Aging

Dark Spots

Scar Healing (2)

Acne Fighting

Brightening (2)

Concerns

Irritating

Rosacea

Eczema (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 Compared

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

Q + A Zinc PCA Facial Serum 19 ingredients

FaceTheory Azeclear Azelaic Acid Serum A15 18 ingredients

Water • Propylene Glycol • Lactobacillus • Betaine • Pentylene Glycol • Zinc PCA • Lactobacillus Ferment • Lonicera Caprifolium Extract • Lonicera Japonica Leaf Extract • Lactic Acid • Glyceryl Caprylate • Biosaccharide Gum-1 • Collagen • Glycerin • Leuconostoc Ferment Filtrate • Sodium Levulinate • Sodium Anisate • Sodium Gluconate • Xanthan Gum

Water • Propanediol • Butyloctyl Salicylate • Azelaic Acid 15% • Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate • Glycerin • Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate • Avena Sativa Kernel Flour • Glyceryl Caprylate • Sodium Anisate • Sodium Levulinate • Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate • Rosa Canina Fruit Extract • Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose • Xanthan Gum • Sodium Phytate • Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice • Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

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.

Water

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

Q + A Zinc PCA Facial Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

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

Glyceryl Caprylate

What it does: Emollient, Emulsifying

Community Rating: Mixed

Glyceryl Caprylate comes from glycerin and caprylic acid, a fatty acid from coconut.

Glyceryl Caprylate is used for its emollient and emulsifier properties.

As an emollient, it helps hydrate your skin. Emollients work by creating a barrier on your skin to trap moisture in, helping to keep your skin soft and smooth.

Glyceryl Caprylate helps keep the ingredients such as oil and water together as an emulsifier.

Learn more about Glyceryl Caprylate

Q + A Zinc PCA Facial Serum contains this as ingredient number 11.

FaceTheory Azeclear Azelaic Acid Serum A15 contains this as ingredient number 9.

Glycerin

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

Q + A Zinc PCA Facial Serum contains this as ingredient number 14.

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

Sodium Levulinate

What it does: Skin Conditioning

Community Rating: Liked

Sodium levulinate is the a sodium salt of Levulinic Acid. If dissolved in an aqueous solution, the two ingredients become identical.

It is a skin conditioning agent, meaning it helps soften and hydrate your skin.

According to Cosmetic Ingredient Review, the highest amounts of sodium levulinate are found in mouthwashes at 0.62%.

Learn more about Sodium Levulinate

Q + A Zinc PCA Facial Serum contains this as ingredient number 16.

FaceTheory Azeclear Azelaic Acid Serum A15 contains this as ingredient number 11.

Sodium Anisate

What it does: Antimicrobial

Sodium Anisate comes from fennel. It is used as a preservative and to add flavoring.

Sodium Anisate has antimicrobial properties.

Q + A Zinc PCA Facial Serum contains this as ingredient number 17.

FaceTheory Azeclear Azelaic Acid Serum A15 contains this as ingredient number 10.

Xanthan Gum

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

Q + A Zinc PCA Facial Serum contains this as ingredient number 19.

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.

Q + A Zinc PCA Facial Serum 19 ingredients

FaceTheory Azeclear Azelaic Acid Serum A15 18 ingredients

53% are loved or liked

16% have mixed ratings

11% are disliked or very disliked

21% 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

Q + A Zinc PCA Facial Serum 19 ingredients

FaceTheory Azeclear Azelaic Acid Serum A15 18 ingredients

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Q + A Zinc PCA Facial Serum 19 ingredients

Zinc PCA Facial Serum hasn't been rated yet.

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FaceTheory Azeclear Azelaic Acid Serum A15 18 ingredients

2.0 /5

from 1 rating

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.