The INKEY List 10% Azelaic Acid Serum for oily skin
Azelaic Acid
Allantoin
Glycerin
Hydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract
NiacinamideHigh
- HighOily Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
One of the best serums for oily skin.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily skin: shine, enlarged pores, blackheads, and blemishes. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Highly suitable for your oily skin, the azelaic acid in this serum effectively controls oil and reduces shine with its keratolytic and anti-inflammatory actions.
- The formulation also offers excellent treatment for reducing redness and evening skin tone, addressing your main goal of oily shine.
- This product is safe for your oily skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Use this serum in your PM routine. Start by applying it 3 times a week and build up to daily use if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply the serum after cleansing and toning, but right before your moisturizer for the best results.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin. Let it absorb ⏱ for a minute before applying the next product.
- Apply the serum on clean and dry skin since your skin is not sensitive and you want to target oily shine. This helps control excess oil throughout the night.
- Avoid the delicate eye area and do a patch test before using the serum for the very first time.
People Say
★4.3Overall rating based on 1.1k+ reviewsIt also often smooths skin texture and evens tone. Some users report it can be drying, necessitating immediate moisturizer application.
Highlights
Reduces redness Mostly Mentioned
- “calms redness instantly”
- “visibly less red”
- “green tint neutralizes flushing”
Clears acne Often Mentioned
- “cleared hormonal acne”
- “fades post-acne marks”
- “stops new breakouts”
- “shrinks cystic spots”
Affordable and effective Sometimes Noted
- “great value”
- “better than expensive alternatives”
- “unbeatable price point”
- “effective budget option”
Smoothes texture Sometimes Noted
- “skin feels softer”
- “reduced sebaceous filaments”
- “smoother complexion”
- “less bumpy texture”
Drying and tight Sometimes Noted
- “feels very drying”
- “skin felt tight”
- “needs heavy moisturizer”
- “dried out my face”
Itching and tingling Rarely Noted
- “itchy for 10 minutes”
- “tingles upon application”
- “mild stinging sensation”
- “itchy but no rash”
Small packaging Rarely Noted
- “tube is tiny”
- “runs out quickly”
- “hard to get last bit”
- “wish it was bigger”
Texture and pilling Rarely Noted
- “pills under makeup”
- “thick lotion not serum”
- “hard to layer”
- “chalky finish”
Sources: lovi.care, boots.com, lookfantastic.com, cultbeauty.com, hometesterclub.com, influenster.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes The INKEY List 10% Azelaic Acid Serum a great fit for oily skin?
This serum is a great fit for oily skin because it effectively controls oil, reduces shine, and calms redness. It is also very safe to use since it avoids harsh ingredients that might otherwise bother your skin.
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for oily skin?
Azelaic acid makes this serum a great fit for oily skin because it helps control excess oil and shine. Niacinamide and allantoin further support this by helping calm redness and even out skin tone.
What does Azelaic Acid do for oily skin?
Azelaic acid helps calm acne and clear out pores without changing how much oil your skin makes. It targets multiple causes of breakouts and helps fade dark spots left behind by pimples.
Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Acta Dermato-venereologica. Supplementum, 1989
What does Allantoin do for oily skin?
Allantoin helps calm oily skin and keeps it feeling soft and smooth by supporting skin healing and keeping irritation low. This ingredient works well for skin that gets easily bothered, helping it stay comfortable and balanced.
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for oily skin?
This serum goes in the evening routine, applied after cleansing and before moisturizing. Putting treatments in the evening helps keep things simple and adds safety around sun exposure.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this serum with retinol by applying the retinol first at night and following with this treatment, or by alternating the nights you use each product to help prevent any possible irritation. This careful approach keeps your skin calm while still helping to control oil and even out your skin tone.
How often should I use this serum?
Use this serum in your evening routine once a week to start, and carefully use it more often if your oily skin tolerates it well and shows good results. It is safe for your skin and helps control oil, reduce shine, and even out your skin tone.
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily skin?
This serum is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for oily skin, as its ingredients help control oil and reduce shine safely without harsh components. It may rarely cause a mild tingling sensation, but reviewers generally find it comfortable to use.
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Azelaic acid nanocrystal hydrogel 10% achieved a higher success rate and greater lesion reduction than azelaic acid cream 20% in patients with mild to moderate facial acne.
Pharmaceutics, 2021Application of 15% azelaic acid gel significantly reduced post-inflammatory erythema and hyperpigmentation, decreased hemoglobin and melanin content, improved quality of life, and contributed to acne improvement in patients with mild to moderate acne compared to placebo.
Dermatology and Therapy, 2024Niacinamide significantly decreased hyperpigmentation and increased skin lightness compared with vehicle alone after 4 weeks of use in women by inhibiting melanosome transfer.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Topical application of a dermocosmetic containing Myrtus communis extract and azelaic acid reduced acne relapses and helped maintain remission compared to a light moisturizing cream in adult females in the acne maintenance phase over 16 weeks.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2023Topical administration of 20% azelaic acid cream and 5% tranexamic acid solution comparably improved acne-related postinflammatory hyperpigmentation in patients with acne vulgaris, while tranexamic acid demonstrated a significantly better safety profile at week 4.
Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, 2023Azelaic acid 15% gel showed comparable efficacy to adapalene 0.1% gel in reducing lesions, severity, and Dermatology Life Quality Index in women with adult acne, with significantly lower dryness and scaling, and demonstrated superiority during maintenance compared to no further treatment.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2015Topical gel containing chitosan, 0.2% chlorhexidine, allantoin and dexpanthenol did not improve postoperative comfort regarding swelling and pain, but improved the wound's aesthetic appearance following impacted lower third molar extraction compared to no gel.
Medicina Oral, Patologia Oral Y Cirugia Bucal, 2016A topical gel containing chitosan, chlorhexidine, allantoin, and dexpanthenol significantly reduced postoperative pain, trismus, swelling, and analgesic consumption, while improving wound healing after third molar surgery compared to a placebo.
Medicina Oral, Patologia Oral Y Cirugia Bucal, 2020An overnight patch containing Allium cepa extract and allantoin safely promotes scar healing after dermatologic surgery, resulting in significantly greater reductions in observer- and patient-assessed POSAS scores compared to no treatment.
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 2018A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017The emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001Gardenia jasminoides extract protected against blue light digital stress and premature aging with a decrease in wrinkle number by -21% compared to placebo.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2023Crocin exhibits antioxidant potential, protects squalene against UVA-induced peroxidation, prevents inflammatory mediator release, and modulates NF-kB-related and glycosylation-related gene expression in normal human epidermal keratinocytes and human dermal fibroblasts in vitro.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2018Gardenia jasminoides extract dose-dependently enhanced cell viability, attenuated UVB-induced mRNA expressions of IL-1β and TNF-α in HaCaT keratinocytes, and indirectly inhibited MMP-1 protein expression in human dermal fibroblasts compared to UVB exposure alone.
Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2014Topical post-laser application of human adipocyte-derived mesenchymal stem cell media combined with niacinamide significantly improved wrinkle index, melanin index, patient satisfaction, and investigator esthetic improvement scores compared to vehicle cream in patients with aging skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Topical nicotinamide prevented solar-simulated UV-induced immunosuppression in healthy volunteers, and men experienced immunosuppression at solar-simulated UV doses three times lower than those required for women.
The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2008Topical 5% niacinamide applied twice daily for 12 weeks reduced fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmented spots, red blotchiness, and skin sallowness, and improved skin elasticity compared to vehicle control in 50 female white subjects with facial photoaging.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2005
Ingredients
Water, Azelaic Acid, Propanediol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum, Allantoin, Glycerin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Maltodextrin, Sodium Hydroxide, Hydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Polylysine
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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