Review of the UK’s first “over the counter” 20% Azelaic Acid from Dermatica

I’m super chuffed to announce that Dermatica have launched their first so called over the counter 20% Azelaic Acid acne treatment, which means that you don’t need a prescription or subscription- you can just get it whenever you want it. As an acne sufferer who lives in the UK, this is fantastic news and a big relief for me. So I’m going to tell you why you need it, how to get it and whether the product is actually any good (it’s sooo good). 

Get 10% off  with my code NIAP1 from Dermatica.com

(Disclaimer- Dermatica sent me their Azelaic 20% Cream to try for free, they are not paying me to write this article and my opinions are my own. I am a long time Dermatica user and attribute my current good skin to their online prescription service. I use Tretinoin 0.05% regularly for aging and Hydroquinone 4% off and on. Here is my post reviewing their online prescription skincare service. I have a promo code NIAP1 for a free month and 20% off your second month. The links may be affiliate, meaning I get a small percentage if you click and spend.)

If you are a fellow British acne sufferer, you will know the difficulty in getting hold of prescription strength acne treatments in the UK. You have to ask your GP, who may or may not be interested and who might decide to prescribe something you’re not too keen on. I found out years ago that Azelaic Acid is a reliable treatment for my acne and generally had a good effect on my skin all round, but I’ve not found it easy to get my hands on it. I’ve resorted to asking friends in other countries to send it to me (thank you Cristina!), because it’s not so difficult to get hold of elsewhere. So Dermatica have really made life easier for UK acne sufferers.

Why you need Azelaic Acid 20% in your skincare routine

Azelaic Acid is one of those ingredients that can really work for anyone. It’s known for it’s easy going nature- it’s non irritating (in the main, there’ll alway be someone who can’t get on with it but generally it’s well tolerated), it doesn’t cause sun sensitivity or go off easily. You can use it when you’re pregnant or breastfeeding.

Azelaic acid has these many wonderful effects on the skin

• Anti inflammatory
• Anti oxidant
• Anti microbial
• Melanin inhibition

Conditions it is effective for-

• Acne
• Melasma
• Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation
• Rosacea
• Bumpy, textured skin
• And potentially Male Androgenic Alopecia, Keratosis Pilaris, Periorofacial Dermatitis, Psoriasis and Hidradenitis Suppurativa

Lots of the scientific research into Azelaic as a treatment for acne and melasma is based on 20%. There is a school of thought that there is no need to use such a high percentage when you can get results from lower percentages, with less irritation. Speaking from personal experience, I have never had the same results from 10% in terms of acne reduction, 20% has always worked much better for me so I will always go with that strength. You could try the lower percentage product first, like The Ordinary Azelaic Suspension 10%.

Azelaic Acid 20% From Dermatica- Ingredients

Aqua, 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.

Ingredients list

So now we know who needs this and what it can do, let’s find out why you need this particular Azelaic Acid. Dermatica‘s first “over the counter” product has a more rounded ingredient list than most prescription skincare creams have, making it a real powerhouse. It combines a prescription strength concentration of a well studied dermatological treatment with some beneficial ingredients that work together to make this a great treatment moisturiser. I’ll break down what’s in there (aside from the obvious like water, texture enhancers, preservatives and Azelaic)-

• Propanediol- An oily substance that creates a smooth vehicle for the actives and helps with penetration. It’s fine for sensitive and acne prone skin and helps to moisturise
• Squalane- A hydrocarbon that has an oily texture, it’s highly stable, moisturising and anti microbial
• Dimethicone- An inert silicone which helps trap moisture in the skin and gives skincare a nice feel
• Glycerin- A humectant which brings water to the skin
• Fatty Acids- Moisturise the skin and help improve spreadability
• Ceramides- Improve skin health and support the moisture barrier
• Cholesterol- A fatty substance essential for a good moisturiser in combination with fatty acids and ceramides

There are plenty of lovely moisturising ingredients to reduce any irritation you might get from the active and to make this a multi tasking moisturiser/acne cream. There are a couple of ingredients in there that might be acne triggers for those with particular sensitivities- the dimethicone and glyceryl stearate. It’s great that there is no fragrance.

What is Azelaic Acid from Dermatica Like?

It comes in an airless tube, which is the ideal packaging for skincare, it’s easy to dispense and keeps the product away from oxidants. I wasn’t sure if they can be recycled, but according to Dermatica they can, which is a real plus. The packaging is very plain and clinical but I think it looks really stylish and functional.

Dermatica recommend one or two pumps twice a day (under sunscreen in the day). One pump is a good amount to cover the whole face. It has a heavy creamy texture but isn’t greasy at all. It doesn’t spread that easily, I feel that I need a little moisture with it to spread it well. If you know anything about me from my podcast or YouTube videos, you’ll know that I’m all about a hydrating mist to help my skincare layers absorb and with the Dermatica Azelaic 20% Cream I feel like I need a little spritz to smooth things along. It absorbs well with no pilling.

Bit of history from my side- I suffer with acne and melasma. My melasma is kind of under control after using Hydroquinone and Tretinoin but I’m on a break from the Hydroquinone so I could do with some bonus depigmentation which know Azelaic is good for. I get nasty spots around my period and little spots around my lower face all month long, yey!

The first couple of times I used it, I felt a bit of a tingle with it, particularly around my nose area. That tingling went away after the first day of use and now it feels very comfortable. I have no irritation or redness with it. I could tell straight away that this stuff is gold for my skin. I haven’t used the Dermatica cream for very long but I’ve used Azelaic before with great results. I only really stopped using it because I couldn’t get hold of it very easily.

Dermatica Azelaic Results

Here is a bit of a skincare saga, bear with. I’ve got to be honest, I haven’t been using this specific Azelaic for mega long time. I have used Skinoren before over a much longer period (Skinoren is a 20% Azelaic treatment cream) so that’s basically the same thing. I know that 20% Azelaic does control my persistent acne but I haven’t used it for a while because I’ve been concentrating on my Tretinoin. So I’m a solid Tretinoin user- 0.05% every night, also from Dermatica, it is really improving my aging skin (I’m 41), fine lines, texture and pores but I’m still getting chin acne and the odd blackhead so I was very happy to try and introduce Azelaic to see if it can help get my acne under control.

In the first few weeks of using Azelaic cream from Dermatica I’ve experienced a reduction in my acne, I haven’t had a big outbreak or any cystic spots. My skin felt smoother from the word go, like it had had a really gentle exfoliation. I haven’t had any redness or irritation, so it can be used alongside tretinoin. I’ve got my fingers crossed for melasma reduction, I haven’t seen much improvement in that area yet but it hasn’t been long enough and the sun has started to come out in Wales so its a bad time of year for pigmentation.

How to fit Dermatica 20% Azelaic into your routine

As it is an active we want that as close to our clean skin as possible, BUT, as nice and moisturising as this is if you don’t put any hydration under it, your skin is going be dry toast. A few layers of light hydration, well soaked in underneath will go a long way. Check out my 7 Skins post for essential learning about hydration, it’s really important if you’re using prescription strength skincare.

You can check out Deciem’s regimen guide for conflicts with Azelaic, they list other strong acids (because of the risk of over exfoliation), EUK-134 (as is sensitive to low pH) and peptides (for the same reason). You probably won’t need other acid exfoliants, the Azelaic should do a good enough job of keeping your skin turning over.

Dermatica recommend using their cream twice a day over the whole face under moisturiser and or spf. The way I have been slotting this into my routine is might sound a bit involved but it gets around the issue of not being able using it at the same time as tretinoin. My routines look like this-

Morning

• Cleanse with LVCE by NIOD
• Hydration- layers of SDSM by NIOD, Iunik Snail Serum, The Ordinary Amino Acids
• Antioxidant- Ascorbyl Isotetrapalmitate The Ordinary
• Dermatica Azelaic Cream 20%
• Altruist Face Fluid spf 50

Evening (After work/kids bedtime about 8pm)

• Cleanse LVCE by NIOD
• Hydration- layers of SDSM by NIOD, Iunik Snail Serum, The Ordinary Amino Acids
• Dermatica 20% Azelaic

Nighttime (After eating my tea and watching telly, just before I go to bed about 11pm)

• Dermatica Tretinoin 0.05% + Hydroquinone 4%
• Heavy moisturiser eg The Ordinary NMF, Aveeno Skin Relief

And that’s honestly what I do, day in day out. It’s all about skin nourishment, hydration and protection to support my skin while I’m using irritating prescription actives. And this really works for me. I have real skin issues (the cystic acne and melasma) so I need this kind of full on routine and I don’t put my moisture barrier at risk by chucking in Ascorbic Acid and Glycolic Acid, or anything else which might send my skin over the edge.

The main points to remember-

• Use plenty of hydration and allow the layers to absorb fully before applying the Azelaic
• Don’t use at the same time as any other acids, you shouldn’t need more exfoliation and you could cause barrier damage
• You can use at the same time as your tretinoin or retinol but if your skin is new to it you can use the azelaic in the morning and retinoids in the evening
• It might cause some irritation (read redness, dryness and itching) so pair with moisturising layers and B vitamins and non foaming cleansers
• If you are using at the same time as tret, allow the cream to absorb thoroughly before moving on to the tret

Head to Dermatica for more information and for 10% off, use my offer code NIAP2