The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% for sensitive skin
Azelaic Acid
Dimethicone
Tocopherol
Chlorphenesin
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
High
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A great choice for sensitive skin; a few serums fit it even better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with sensitive skin: redness, stinging, and reactions to new products. 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 normal skin and addresses your redness and irritation concerns due to the anti-inflammatory and melanogenesis-regulating actions of azelaic acid, complemented by tocopherol's antioxidant activity.
- The formula offers moderate exfoliation and brightens skin tone, which is beneficial for your skin concerns.
- The product is safe for your sensitive skin, as it lacks prohibited or harsh ingredients that could cause irritation.
How to apply
- Use your serum in the PM routine, starting 3 times a week before building up to daily use if your skin is happy.
- Apply the serum after cleansing and toning, but before putting on your moisturizer for the best results.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and wait a minute ⏱ for it to soak in.
- Since your skin is sensitive and easily irritated, apply the serum on completely dry skin to help keep it calm.
- Always do a patch test before your first use and avoid getting the serum too close to your eyes .
People Say
★4.3Overall rating based on 4.5k+ reviewsWhile many users report clearer and brighter skin within weeks, a significant portion of reviewers struggle with the formula's tendency to pill under makeup or other skincare layers. This summary is based on a very large amount of data and should be definitely taken into account.
Highlights
Reduces redness Mostly Mentioned
- “calms down the redness immediately”
- “decreases both redness and acne-like bumps”
- “saved my skin from constant flushing”
Pills under makeup Mostly Mentioned
- “crumbles and piles under moisturizer”
- “balls up immediately”
- “cannot layer anything over it”
- “pills hella bad”
- “rolls off my face”
Clears acne Often Mentioned
- “scars and hormonal acne faded”
- “keeps acne at bay”
- “cleared up my chin breakouts”
- “stopped new pimples from forming”
- “great for fungal acne”
Smoothes texture Often Mentioned
- “skin looks smoother and brighter”
- “tiny bumps are gone”
- “texture feels much softer”
- “got rid of closed comedones”
- “face feels like glass”
Fades dark spots Sometimes Noted
- “helped lighten post-acne scars”
- “hyperpigmentation is fading”
- “acne marks are less visible”
- “brightens dull skin tone”
- “spots are much lighter”
Matte finish Sometimes Noted
- “leaves skin feeling matte”
- “good for oily t-zone”
- “dries down to a powder finish”
- “controls oil production”
- “non-greasy finish”
Causes stinging Sometimes Noted
- “stings really bad upon application”
- “itchy tingly feeling”
- “burned my sensitive skin”
- “felt like ants crawling”
- “severe burning sensation”
Drying formula Sometimes Noted
- “incredibly drying”
- “made my skin flaky”
- “sucked the moisture out”
- “too drying for daily use”
- “left dry patches”
Thick texture Sometimes Noted
- “hard to spread”
- “feels like a thick paste”
- “heavy silicone feel”
- “doesn't absorb well”
- “sits on top of skin”
Unpleasant scent Rarely Noted
- “smell is unbearable”
- “weird chemical smell”
- “smells like glue”
- “earthy scent is off-putting”
- “has a funky odor”
Sources: lovi.care, ulta.com, sephora.co.uk, theordinary.com, influenster.com, lookfantastic.ie, and more
Questions and answers
What makes The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension a great fit for sensitive skin?
This product is a great fit because azelaic acid helps calm redness and irritation while vitamin E provides antioxidant activity. The formula safely avoids harsh ingredients that could upset your sensitive skin while offering moderate exfoliation to brighten your skin tone.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for sensitive skin?
Azelaic acid makes this cream a good fit because it helps calm redness and irritation, while tocopherol adds antioxidant support. The formula is safe for sensitive skin as it lacks harsh ingredients that could cause irritation.
What does Azelaic Acid do for sensitive skin?
Azelaic acid helps calm sensitive, red, or easily irritated skin by soothing inflammation and reducing redness. It is generally well-tolerated and is unlikely to cause severe reactions, making it a gentle option for skin that flares up easily.
Experimental Dermatology, 2010Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011
What does Dimethicone do for sensitive skin?
Dimethicone helps protect sensitive skin against irritants and can keep it feeling calm and comfortable. It is generally well tolerated and unlikely to cause adverse reactions on delicate or reactive skin.
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine after your toner and before your moisturizer. Starting it once a week helps your sensitive skin adjust safely, and you may use it more often over time if your skin tolerates it well.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream alongside retinol, but it is best to apply retinol and azelaic acid on alternate nights or separate times of day to lower the likelihood of irritation on sensitive skin. Using them carefully helps manage redness and uneven tone while keeping your skin calm and comfortable.
How often should I use this cream?
Use this treatment once a week in your evening routine, and if your skin feels comfortable and calm, you can carefully use it more often. This gentle approach helps prevent irritation while managing redness and uneven tone.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
This cream is unlikely to clog pores or cause purging for sensitive skin, as it lacks harsh ingredients that tend to cause irritation. However, it may feel a bit thick and drying for some, and some people experience mild stinging when using it.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Application 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, 2024A topical serum containing vitamin C, vitamin E, and raspberry leaf cell culture extract improved skin color, elasticity, radiance, smoothness, scaliness, and wrinkles compared to the untreated contralateral side in fifty female volunteers.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Azelaic 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, 2021Topical 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, 2023Wearing an N95 mask alone compared to using dimethicone cream or hydrocolloid dressing caused more adverse skin reactions among 73 military health care workers, with no significant differences in fit test failure rates between groups.
Military Medicine, 2024A dimethicone skin protectant lotion significantly decreased visual scoring and transepidermal water loss compared to vehicle control and SLS-only treated sites in 12 healthy humans exposed to sodium lauryl sulfate.
Skin Research and Technology, 2000Treatment with a moisturizer containing dimethicone and glycerine increased epidermal thickness by 0.019 mm, improved barrier function by decreasing transepidermal water loss by 13%, decreased melanin intensity, and induced keratins 6 and 16 in fifteen women with moderately photoaged forearms.
Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 2007Topical application of an antioxidant serum containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented particulate matter-induced degradation of extracellular matrix components, inflammation, and oxidative stress in the skin of 15 female volunteers compared to untreated controls.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Dermatological products containing d-alpha tocopheryl acetate showed non-comedogenic potential with less than a 50% increase in microcomedones in 12 healthy male subjects compared to octyl palmitate.
Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 2021Topical application of an antioxidant mix containing 15% ascorbic acid, 0.5% ferulic acid, and 1% tocopherol prevented PM and UV-induced skin barrier perturbation, lipid peroxidation, inflammatory markers, MMP9 activation, and Type I collagen loss in 15 healthy females compared to untreated exposed skin.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Ingredients
Water, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Dimethicone, Azelaic Acid, Dimethicone Bis-Isobutyl Ppg-20 Crosspolymer, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polysilicone-11, Isohexadecane, Tocopherol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Isoceteth-20, Polysorbate 60, Triethanolamine, Ethoxydiglycol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin
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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PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
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Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
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Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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