Azelaic acid is a type of dicarboxylic acid found in natural grains. But its benefits far exceed contributing to freshly baked bread. As it turns out, azelaic acid packs a powerful skincare punch.
When one ingredient can cover a lot of ground, it’s valuable to have it in your skincare toolkit. Enter: azelaic acid. This humble organic ingredient can help prevent breakouts in sensitive skin, balance your uneven skin tone or complexion, and keep your pores squeaky clean, free from dead skin cells—all in one fell swoop.
Today, we’ll take a look at azelaic acid benefits and the ways that you can easily incorporate it into your skin care routine.
AZELAIC ACID AND ITS SKIN BENEFITS
Azelaic acid is an acid extracted from grains like rye and wheat. It has both antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties that make it ideal for treating a number of skin issues.
At just a glance, azelaic acid can:
- Clean your pores, remove dead skin cells, and help prevent future outbreaks
- Dry-up acne that has already shown up
- Combat uneven skin tone and skin discoloration like rosacea
- Even out darker patches from melasma or hyperpigmentation
Of course, the effects of azelaic acid can differ from person to person and product to product. Its properties are particularly beneficial for those dealing with inflammatory acne. It might take you a while to find the product with the right amount of azelaic acid for your particular skin concern.
KEY USES OF AZELAIC ACID IN SKINCARE
Because of its oil reduction and cleansing properties, many anti-acne treatment products rely on azelaic acid because:
- Azelaic acid is relatively gentle on sensitive skin
- Despite its gentleness, it’s still good for exfoliation and encouraging cell turnover no matter your skin type
- It helps get rid of acne and prevent it from coming back
Understanding how to reduce sebum production is crucial in acne management, and azelaic acid plays a significant role in this process. If you struggle with acne and have tried other anti-acne treatment products and found them too drying, give azelaic acid a try. The gentle exfoliating effects are easy to monitor, and if you use it properly, it has a lower chance of stripping your skin dry like other acne fighters.
Though it’s primarily known for its use in anti-acne products, it also encourages faster cell turnover. This makes it a great tool in anti-aging products, too. You can also commonly find azelaic acid in:
- Toners
- Acid boosters
- Face serums
- Anti-redness products
- Brightening products
You can find azelaic acid on its own, but most commonly, it’s mixed in with other ingredients to boost its powerful properties. For those interested in understanding how azelaic acid compares with other ingredients, such as in the retinoid vs retinol debate, it's important to note that each has unique benefits for skin health.
Seven:Thirty’s LUMEN Corrective Serum is one such holistic product. This gentle exfoliating serum boasts azelaic acid as one of its ingredients, highlighting all of its greatest strengths. It helps reduce inflammation, lighten redness, and reduce the scarring or discoloration left behind by acne scars, sun damage, and rosacea.
You can also use our LUMEN Corrective Serum as a tool for antifungal and antibacterial protection, to help stop breakouts before they start.
HOW AZELAIC ACID IMPROVES YOUR SKIN
With all of its positive properties, azelaic acid can give your skin a well-deserved spa day.
Azelaic acid benefits include the reduction of the free radicals that contribute to inflammation and redness. This means using it can:
- Make your skin appear tighter and more youthful
- Reduce the appearance of spots or discoloration, giving an even, smooth tone
- Brighten dark areas
- Reduce or soothe redness
- Reduce acne and scarring
AZELAIC ACID FOR HYPERPIGMENTATION AND SKIN BRIGHTENING
Hyperpigmentation is a skin condition that involves the darkening of the skin. It can happen for several reasons, like acne scarring, overexposure to the sun, or melasma.
Azelaic acid is known for its ability to help lift the color from these dark, discolored patches. The use of azelaic acid can give you a more even complexion for your skin type without ever having to wear foundation.
APPLICATION TIPS: HOW TO USE AZELAIC ACID
Generally speaking, how you use azelaic acid will depend on the skin care product you’re applying and the skin concern issues you want to address.
For problems like acne or rosacea, you want to use the least amount of product possible by applying a thin layer to the affected areas of your skin. Typically, you’ll want to apply it twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. However, you should always defer to your dermatologist’s recommendations for your unique skin condition needs.
Try not to mix azelaic acid with other drying products like alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs), or even beta-hydroxy acids (BHAs) like salicylic acid. Combining too many drying products can result in itchy, flaky, scaly, or irritated skin.
If you opt to use Seven:Thirty’s LUMEN Corrective Serum, you have an easy-to-follow set of instructions to guide you through the process of incorporating it into your routine:
1. Apply a moisturizing product first, such as the THIRSTY Hydrating Serum. Then, apply 3 to 4 drops of LUMEN Corrective Serum every other day. Do this for the first two weeks.
2. For the second week, simply monitor your skin’s response. Take note of any irritation, dryness, or flakiness.
3. If you don’t experience any adverse issues in the first two weeks, switch to daily application on the third.
It’s possible to experience dryness, especially in low-humidity, cold weather. If your skin begins to feel dry, simply stop using LUMEN Corrective Serum for a few days. When you resume, reduce the frequency—for example, try using it just two or three times a week.
CHOOSE SEVEN:THIRTY FOR BRIGHT, HEALTHY SKIN
Azelaic acid is a wonderful tool to add to your skincare lineup. As long as you use it with care and follow the directions provided with your product, you can reap the potential benefits like clear, bright, and balanced skin.
If you have acne, rosacea, or pesky long-term scars that refuse to fade, azelaic acid may hold the key to improvement. LUMEN Corrective Serum has all the benefits of azelaic acid and more.
Whether you’re looking for a new azelaic acid product to test out or just want to peruse a fresh line of skincare products, Seven:Thirty has your back. See the difference for yourself.
Sources:
Healthline. Treating Acne with Azelaic Acid. https://www.healthline.com/health/azelaic-acid-acne
Mayo Clinic. Azelaic Acid (Topical Route). https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/azelaic-acid-topical-route/proper-use/drg-20062084