The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% for combination skin
Azelaic Acid
Dimethicone
Tocopherol
Chlorphenesin
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
High
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
One of the best serums for combination skin.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with combination skin: an oily T-zone, enlarged pores, and dry cheeks. 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
- Offers moderate exfoliation and brightens skin tone for your combination skin, as azelaic acid in a 10% concentration targets oiliness and improves texture. Dimethicone provides emollient properties without being overly occlusive, complementing your skin type.
- This formula is highly suitable for combination skin, addressing oily shine and improving skin texture with its anti-inflammatory and mild keratolytic actions.
- The product has a good safety profile, with no risks of irritation for your combination skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Use your serum as part of your PM routine. Start using it 3 times a week and move to daily use if your skin likes it.
- Apply the serum after cleansing and toner, and right before your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and wait a minute ⏳for it to soak in.
- Apply the serum on clean and dry skin since your skin is not sensitive.
- Always do a patch test before using the serum for the first time, and avoid the eye area .
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 10% a great fit for combination skin?
This treatment is a great fit because the 10% azelaic acid targets oiliness and smooths out texture while brightening your skin tone. It also has a safe formula with dimethicone to soften your skin without feeling too heavy, making it very comfortable for combination skin.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for combination skin?
Azelaic acid makes this cream a great fit for your combination skin because it targets oily shine and brightens your skin tone while gently smoothing rough texture. Dimethicone also complements this skin type by keeping it soft and smooth without feeling heavy or greasy.
What does Azelaic Acid do for combination skin?
Azelaic acid helps combination skin by calming redness, clearing breakouts, and fading dark spots while keeping the skin smooth. It is unlikely to irritate dry areas while working on oily spots. Combination skin of this type needs a balanced routine with gentle exfoliants and soothing hydrators.
Postepy Dermatologii I Alergologii, 2023Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2015
What does Dimethicone do for combination skin?
Dimethicone helps protect combination skin by forming a light barrier that smooths the surface without feeling heavy or greasy. It may keep skin soft and comfortable, though it is unlikely to deeply moisturize dry areas or control excess oil on its own.
Military Medicine, 2024Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2014
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for combination skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine after cleansing and toning, and before moisturizing. Start using it just once a week, and if your skin feels comfortable, you can carefully use it more often.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this treatment with retinol by applying your retinol at night and this product either in your routine or on alternating nights to keep your combination skin calm. Because both ingredients gently resurface the skin, using them together carefully helps you avoid irritation while smoothing out your texture and tone.
How often should I use this cream?
Start by using this treatment once a week in the evening, and if your skin feels comfortable and results look good, you may carefully use it more often. It is unlikely to cause irritation for your combination skin due to the safe formula.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?
This treatment is unlikely to clog pores or cause purging for combination skin because it targets oiliness and smooths texture without using heavy oils. However, some users find the formula drying, which may lead to irritation or stinging.
Is this cream 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, 2024Topical 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, 2015Wearing 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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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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