What is Azelaic Acid?

A multi-tasker that works on the look of redness, dark marks and breakout-prone skin at the same time.

What else is Azelaic Acid called?

On a label you may see Azelaic.

How often can you use Azelaic Acid?

Daily, all over the face, not the eye area.

Where do you apply Azelaic Acid?

All over the face, not the eye area. Keep it off your lips too.

Can you use Azelaic Acid around the eyes?

No. Azelaic Acid goes all over the face, not the eye area.

Does Azelaic Acid make skin more sensitive to the sun?

No. Azelaic Acid is not flagged as increasing sun sensitivity.

What should you not use with Azelaic Acid?

Space it apart from Exfoliants and Eye-area retinol.

Is there a cosmetic limit for Azelaic Acid?

Only some regions set one. The maximum strength for Azelaic Acid in a cosmetic is 14% in Canada. No maximum is set in the United States, the European Union and Great Britain. A cap is a limit on the rules, not a signal to use more. Some products containing this ingredient at higher strengths are prescription medicines, not cosmetics.

Azelaic Acid — What It Does & How to Use It

What does Azelaic Acid do?#

A multi-benefit leave-on formula with azelaic acid that helps improve the appearance of redness, uneven skin tone, and breakout-prone skin.

Benefits

Helps reduce the visible appearance of redness
Supports a more even, balanced-looking skin tone
Helps improve the appearance of breakout-prone skin

How it works

Azelaic acid is a naturally occurring compound found in grains like rye, wheat and barley. It works on multiple visible concerns at once — helping to improve the look of redness, uneven tone, and breakout-prone skin for a clearer, calmer-looking complexion.

What to expect

Expect mild tingling on application during the first few weeks — it usually settles as your skin adjusts. Any change in the look of redness and tone tends to be gradual, so give it several weeks before judging. We file it for the look of the redness that comes with blemishes and bumps, rather than for visible facial veins.

How to use Azelaic Acid#

How often
Twice a day is the usual pattern, and once a day is usually the evening. It is fine from the start — unlike stronger actives, it does not need weeks of easing in.
Where it goes
After cleansing, before moisturizer.
Where to apply
Across the whole face rather than dabbed on individual spots, and keep it away from the eyes and lips. Rinse with plenty of water if any gets in your eyes.
How to apply
On clean, dry skin — use a mild or soap-free cleanser first and pat dry.
Leave it uncovered — do not seal it under a pimple patch or any airtight cover.
Let it dry before makeup, and wash your hands afterwards.
Alongside others
Keep it to a different evening from exfoliating acids, scrubs and alcohol-based toners, which can make the tingling sharper.
What to expect
Mild tingling or warmth is normal when first starting — this typically fades over the first few weeks.
If it doesn't suit
If it stings more than you would like, use less or drop to every other evening until it settles.

Mild stinging or tingling may occur during initial use. Discontinue use if persistent irritation occurs, or if any area starts to look lighter than the skin around it.

The form you will see it in

Azelaic acid serum

Where it goes: Before moisturizer

Using Azelaic Acid with other ingredients

Pairs well with Azelaic Acid

Niacinamide

Works well together

Complementary approaches to a more even-looking, calmer complexion.

What not to use with Azelaic Acid

Exfoliants

Different times

Both are active on the skin’s surface and combining them can increase the chance of irritation.

Glycolic Acid (AHA) · Lactic Acid (AHA) · LHA · Mandelic Acid (AHA) · Salicylic Acid (BHA)

Eye-area retinol

Different times

Azelaic acid goes all over while the eye cream stays around the eyes — keep them to separate evenings so the eye area has time to settle.

Retinol (Eye Area)

Who should avoid Azelaic Acid?#

Six situations change whether Azelaic Acid suits your skin right now. Each one is either a reason to skip it, a reason to go slowly, or nothing to watch for.

Fragile or Sensitive: Skip it
Recent Facial or Laser: Skip it
Maternity & Nursing: Go slowly
Dry or Itchy Patches: Go slowly
Recent Shave or Wax: Go slowly
Prone to Redness: No caution

Maternity & Nursing — If you are pregnant or nursing, you may prefer to check with your healthcare provider before use.

Dry or Itchy Patches — Keep the rest of your routine well moisturized, and use it less often — or stop — if you notice tightness or itching.

Recent Shave or Wax — Avoid for 24 hours after waxing, threading, or dermaplaning.

Cosmetic strength limits for Azelaic Acid where you live#

Region	Most a cosmetic may contain
United States	No explicit cap
The FDA restricts a short list of ingredients and sets no general strength ceiling on the rest. A figure marked "guidance, not law" is the Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel's recommendation. 21 CFR part 700, subpart B — Requirements for Specific Cosmetic Products (FDA)
Canada	14%
One list does the work — Health Canada's Hotlist of prohibited and restricted cosmetic ingredients. Health Canada — Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist
European Union	No explicit cap
The Cosmetics Regulation's annexes, consolidated to 1 May 2026. A figure marked "guidance, not law" comes from the EU's cosmetic safety committee rather than from the annexes. Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Annexes II–VI
Great Britain	No explicit cap
Great Britain kept the annexes as its own law and updates them only when it chooses; Northern Ireland follows the live EU Regulation, which is why some rows read differently for each. Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 as it applies in Great Britain · Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Annexes II–VI
India	No explicit cap
India writes its own standard, aligned to the European rules as they stood in 2012. Mandatory since 9 February 2026. IS 4707 (Part 2):2025 — restricted and prohibited cosmetic ingredients · IS 4707 (Part 3):2025 — preservatives · Cosmetics Rules, 2020, Ninth Schedule
Brazil	10%
ANVISA rewrote its restricted list in June 2026, and a companion act amended the prohibited list at the same time. RDC 1.029/2026 — restricted ingredients · RDC 529/2021 — prohibited ingredients, as amended by RDC 1.030/2026 · RDC 528/2021 — preservatives
Japan	No explicit cap
Japan's cosmetics standard keeps drug ingredients out of cosmetics, so most of its figures sit in the ministry's list of the ones a cosmetic may still contain. Cosmetics Standards (化粧品基準), Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare · Cosmetics Standards — the ministry's own English translation · Drug ingredients permitted in cosmetics — 2007 notification
South Korea	Not permitted in cosmetics
One MFDS regulation carries both the prohibited list and the restricted list, in force 18 March 2026. Sunscreens and a few other categories are cleared product by product instead. Regulation on Safety Standards for Cosmetics (MFDS Notification 2026-19) · Regulation on the Review of Functional Cosmetics (MFDS Notification 2025-88)
Kenya	No explicit cap
Kenya's standard applies the EU annexes as they stand rather than copying them, so its ingredient limits are the EU's — including the 2024 additions. A figure marked "guidance, not law" sits outside the annexes and does not carry over. KS EAS 377-1, -2 and -3:2022 — cosmetics safety requirements, published by KEBS · Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Annexes II–VI
Namibia	No explicit cap
Namibia sets no ingredient limits at all. Its cosmetic rule is a single line requiring a product to be free of any harmful ingredient. Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Ordinance 18 of 1979, and the regulations under it
Ukraine	No explicit cap
Ukraine's own transposition of the EU annexes, as they stood before the 2024 additions, fully in force since 3 August 2026. A further revision is due on 1 February 2027. Technical Regulation on cosmetic products — Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 20 January 2021
Georgia	No explicit cap
Georgia has no cosmetics rulebook — its register of technical regulations carries no cosmetics entry — so only the general product-safety duty applies. Register of technical regulations — no cosmetics entry
Australia	No cap (scheduled substance — Caution labeling required)
Australia writes no cosmetic ingredient list. A figure here is the point at which a substance becomes a medicine or a scheduled substance carrying Caution labeling, so its numbers sit well above other markets'. Poisons Standard — June 2026 · Therapeutic Goods (Excluded Goods) Determination 2018
United Arab Emirates	No explicit cap
The Gulf standard points at the EU annexes as amended, so its ingredient limits are the EU's. A figure marked "guidance, not law" sits outside the annexes and does not carry over. GSO 1943:2024 — Cosmetic products: safety requirements (Gulf technical regulation) · Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Annexes II–VI
Kuwait	No explicit cap
The Gulf standard points at the EU annexes as amended, so its ingredient limits are the EU's. A figure marked "guidance, not law" sits outside the annexes and does not carry over. GSO 1943:2024 — Cosmetic products: safety requirements (Gulf technical regulation) · Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Annexes II–VI
Hong Kong	Not applicable (sold as a medicine, not a cosmetic)
Hong Kong writes no cosmetics rulebook. Its Poisons List (Cap. 138A, Schedule 10) decides which substances may be sold only as medicines, and general safety is judged case by case against whichever overseas standard the enforcer considers reasonable. Pharmacy and Poisons Regulations (Cap. 138A), Schedule 10 — the poisons list · Pharmacy and Poisons Board — Guidance Notes on classifying pharmaceutical products, April 2026
Singapore	Not permitted in cosmetics
Singapore writes the ASEAN annexes into its own schedule, and its regulator tells companies to check the current ASEAN release as well — which is why a figure here can read "guidance, not law". Health Products (Cosmetic Products — ASEAN Cosmetic Directive) Regulations 2007, Third Schedule · ASEAN Cosmetic Directive annexes — release 2026-1, 22 June 2026
Brunei	No explicit cap
Brunei carries the 2007 ASEAN annexes in its own schedule and has not updated them since, so it reads differently from Singapore on several ingredients. Medicines (Cosmetic Products) Regulations (Cap. 285 Rg 1), Schedule 1 — revised edition 2024
Jordan	No explicit cap
Jordan's cosmetic rules defer to "the approved references" and name none of them, so there is no Jordanian figure to read. The only number in the instrument governs the ingredient list on the pack. JFDA instructions on cosmetics and pharmaceutical cosmetics, 2026
Trinidad & Tobago	No explicit cap
Trinidad and Tobago has had the power to set cosmetic standards since 1960 and has never used it. The regulations made under the Act cover food and drugs, with no cosmetics part; what binds is the Act's general rule against selling a cosmetic that may injure the user. Food and Drugs Act, Chap. 30:01 · Food and Drugs Regulations

Where a figure appears, that is the maximum strength allowed or advised for azelaic acid in that market — some are set in cosmetics regulation, others are the ceiling a cosmetic safety panel recommends. Where no figure appears, the market either sets no cosmetic maximum or handles this ingredient outside its cosmetic rules. These are limits, not targets — the right strength for a formula is the formulator's decision. Some products containing this ingredient at higher strengths are prescription medicines, not cosmetics.

Open a market to see the rulebook its figure comes from. Those notes describe each market's own rules as we read them, current to August 24, 2026; the linked documents are the authority, and nothing here is legal advice.

Sample products with Azelaic Acid#

A few well-known products, not a full list — product names are each brand's own. We don't sell them — the shop prices them in US dollars and ships from Hong Kong, so delivery and duties come on top. It may not ship everywhere.

We may earn a small commission when you buy through these links.

Serums · 10

Cos De BAHAAzelaic Acid 10% Serum (AZ) - 30ml$9.19Also on YesStyle

CELDYQUEAzelaic Acid 12% Serum - 30ml$12.00

TIRTIRAzelaic Acid 12% Serum - 30ml$12.50Also on Stylevana

Dr.CeuracleAzelaic 10 & Madeca Ampoule - 30ml$12.89Also on YesStyle

SKIN1004Madagascar Centella Azelaic Acid 10 Ampoule - 30ml$13.99Also on Stylevana

VTAzelaic Acid A1 Calming Ampoule - 30ml$18.00Also on YesStyle

NINELESSA-Control 10% Azelaic Acid Serum - 30ml$18.20

ANUAAzelaic Acid 10 Hyaluron Redness Soothing Serum - 30ml$22.00Also on YesStyle

Already have one? Check how it fits your skin with Pick.

Common questions about Azelaic Acid#

What is Azelaic Acid?: A multi-tasker that works on the look of redness, dark marks and breakout-prone skin at the same time.
What else is Azelaic Acid called?: On a label you may see Azelaic.
When should you apply Azelaic Acid?: Morning or evening.
How often can you use Azelaic Acid?: Daily, all over the face, not the eye area.
Where do you apply Azelaic Acid?: All over the face, not the eye area. Keep it off your lips too.
Can you use Azelaic Acid around the eyes?: No. Azelaic Acid goes all over the face, not the eye area.
Does Azelaic Acid make skin more sensitive to the sun?: No. Azelaic Acid is not flagged as increasing sun sensitivity.
What should you not use with Azelaic Acid?: Space it apart from Exfoliants and Eye-area retinol.
Who should avoid Azelaic Acid?: Skip it if any of these apply: Fragile or Sensitive and Recent Facial or Laser. Go slowly with Maternity & Nursing, Dry or Itchy Patches and Recent Shave or Wax.
Is there a cosmetic limit for Azelaic Acid?: Only some regions set one. The maximum strength for Azelaic Acid in a cosmetic is 14% in Canada. No maximum is set in the United States, the European Union and Great Britain. A cap is a limit on the rules, not a signal to use more. Some products containing this ingredient at higher strengths are prescription medicines, not cosmetics.

Niacinamide Glycolic Acid (AHA)Tranexamic Acid Salicylic Acid (BHA)

How we check this#

Everything on this page traces to the sources listed below — regulators' own publications and published studies. Where the evidence does not answer a question, it is left unanswered.

Some sources below are the official product information for prescription medicines — some contain this ingredient at higher strengths, others are cited for how they interact with it. We use them for their safety and handling detail only. A cosmetic product is not one of those medicines and is not intended to treat any condition.

Our review is AI-assisted and is not a named expert's opinion. Last reviewed August 1, 2026.

Think something here is out of date or wrong? Email us at wiki@skinintelligence.ai with your reasoning and where you read it. We read what people send, and we update the page when the sources support it.

Regulators and official bodies · 18

Studies and references · 38