Azelaic acid

Azelaic acid is a ingredient underrated, under-used by skin addicts and rarely found in the cosmetics industry. If you suffer from acne, redness, pigmentation spots, blackheads or simply have a texture problem, this active ingredient is for you. In this guide, we'll take a look at the many actions of azelaic acid, its fortuitous discovery which demonstrates the power of this ingredient, but also its weaknesses, and of course my cosmetic product recommendations.

What azelaic acid does for the skin

Here are the best azelaic acid serums

Azelaic acid's mechanisms of action are not yet fully understood, but we do know that it regulates and restores sanity to cells that have gone a little crazy, as in melasma, where cells produce pigments uncontrollably, or in acne and rosacea, where cells overreact to inflammatory phenomena.
To go into a little more detail, there are 5 actions on the skin on which everyone agrees.

Antibacterial

Azelaic acid has an anti-bacterial action on Cutibacterium Acnes and Staphylococcus aureus, making it effective in the fight against acne.

Regulates epidermal cell proliferation

Azelaic acid normalizes keratinocyte proliferation on the skin's surface. In short, it provides the same benefits as exfoliating acids, but is less irritating. Since the two mechanisms of action of exfoliating acids and azelaic acid are different, they work very well together to improve skin texture and dilated pores.

Reduces lipids on the skin's surface

Another interesting fact is that azelaic acid is involved in the lysis of lipids on the skin's surface, as well as blackheads. This is why people with combination or oily skin appreciate it.

Reduces pigmentation spots

The fourth action is that azelaic acid acts on tyrosinase, the enzyme responsible for melanin production in the epidermis, helping to reduce sun spots and even out skin tone.

Anti-inflammatory

Last but not least, azelaic acid is an anti-oxidant with an anti-inflammatory action, so it's ideal for people with sensitive skin and those prone to redness.

The history of azelaic acid

Azelaic acid is a dicarboxylic acid derived from the fermentation of wheat, barley and rye seeds, but can also be obtained by the degradation of nanonic acid present on the skin's surface by yeast. This is an interesting fact, as it led to the discovery of azelaic acid's incredible capacity. Indeed, the scientific interest in this active ingredient is a bit of a coincidence. The story begins in the late 70s, when doctors noticed that a yeast called Malassezia furfur was creating white spots and destroying skin pigments in the areas where it was spreading. They soon realized that this yeast produced azelaic acid, studied it and discovered azelaic acid's impressive depigmenting properties. Since then, interest in this active ingredient has grown steadily, although its cellular mechanisms of action remain something of a mystery.

Concentration of cosmetic products with azelaic acid

In terms of concentration, it's easy to find cosmetic products with 10% of azelaic acid, but in terms of formulation, things are more complex. Azelaic acid is generally in powder form, so it's quite difficult to formulate at high concentrations. This powder form has two consequences: on the one hand, azelaic acid-based products tend to lint. One explanation is that once the product has been absorbed by the skin, a little azelaic acid remains in powder form, which tends to fluff up. Of course, this effect varies according to the product formulation.
The other thing to note about powder ingredients is that they mattify the skin after application.

Side effects of azelaic acid

Now let's talk about the undesirable effects of this ingredient. As with most active ingredients, the higher the concentration of azelaic acid, the more frequent the side effects. If you have healthy skin, there's little risk of experiencing them, but if you have sensitive skin, I recommend gradually introducing azelaic acid into your skincare routine.

Why isn't azelaic acid more widely used?

So, to sum up, azelaic acid is an excellent anti-oxidant that has an anti-inflammatory action, helps reduce blemishes, fights redness, evens skin tone and improves the appearance of pores, but why isn't it used more in cosmetics? I don't have a clear answer to this question, perhaps because it's too difficult to formulate, or because their marketing department tells them that they have to focus on hyaluronic acid because it sells, or because they haven't yet realized the multiple beneficial effects of azelaic acid. But you should know that this is a question I won't hesitate to ask cosmetics brands that don't have an azelaic acid product.

My cosmetics recommendations

How to use azelaic acid in your skincare routine?

The advantage of azelaic acid is that it's easy to integrate into a skincare routine, as it's not irritating, as we saw earlier, even if it can be tingling at first. If this is your case, you can start using it every other day. But if you tolerate it perfectly well, you can use it every day.

The best combinations of ingredients

In terms of association, this ingredient works well with retinol and exfoliating acids. As far as exfoliating acids are concerned, the benefits of this combination are quite simple to understand: exfoliating acids and azelaic acid reduce the number of dead cells on the skin's surface via two different mechanisms. Exfoliating acids break the bonds between these cells and perform genuine exfoliation, while azelaic acid sends signals to the cells, asking them to regulate their life cycle. Two mechanisms of action for the same result. This combination is ideal when you have problems with pores or texture, for smoother skin.

The other ingredient that goes well with azelaic acid is retinol, for two reasons. Firstly, retinol also has an action on the phenomenon of hyperkeratosis, so it combines perfectly with the action of azelaic acid. The second is that azelaic acid is also an anti-inflammatory, which helps to better withstand the irritation created by the application of retinol.

A simple way to incorporate it into your skincare routine is to use it after your cleanser and lotion, but before your sunscreen or moisturizer. But to take it a step further, I'll give you a few examples of skincare routines.

Anti-blemish/blackhead/blemish skincare routine

And I'm going to start with a skincare routine to improve the appearance of pores and reduce skin imperfections.
In the morning, after gentle cleansing, you can use a salicylic acid lotion or a face vinegar lotion, then apply a moisturizing serum such as Mineral 9 probiotic fraction or Klairs Fundamental Watery Oil Drop and after that and after that you can introduce your azelaic acid product and finally don't forget to apply sun protection. In the evening, after double cleansing, you can use a niacinamide serum, followed by retinol and a moisturizer suited to your skin type.
One alternative I like is to alternate every other evening between a retinol product and a copper peptide product.

Anti-spot care routine

If you have a hyperpigmentation problem, I recommend starting your routine with a pure vitamin C serum, followed by a moisturizing lotion with anti-spot action, such as habalabo's shiro juyin Premium lotion, after which you can introduce an azelaic acid product and finish with a sunscreen. In the evening, after double cleansing, you can use The Ordinary serum with hyaluronic acid and alpha arbutin, followed by a serum with tranexamic acid and retinol. A good way to introduce niacinamide into your skincare routine is to use a moisturizer that contains it.

Of course, you need to adapt these routines to your skin type and your various skin problems.

Why does azelaic acid reduce the appearance of pimples?

Hyperkeratinization can lead to pimples. Sometimes, keratinocyte proliferation gets out of control, creating hyperkeratinization. The problem is that this results in a dull complexion, and the accumulation of dead cells can alter the appearance of pores and create blackheads. And that's where azelaic acid comes in. Instead of creating a genuine exfoliation effect by destroying the links between the skin's surface cells, like glycolic acid or lactic acid, azelaic acid forces these cells to regulate their development and reduce hyperkeratinization. As a result, dead cells accumulate less inside pores, improving their appearance and reducing the appearance of pimples.