Sesderma Azelac RU Serum for sensitive skin
Liposomal Azelaic Acid
4-Butylresorcinol
Tranexamic Acid
Niacinamide
RetinolAverage
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for sensitive skin; other serums fit it 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
- Offers moderate skin brightening for your normal skin due to the presence of 4-butylresorcinol and azelaic acid, which inhibit melanin production and offer anti-inflammatory benefits.
- While the product provides general hydration and soothing effects, it lacks specialized ingredients to effectively target your redness and irritation concerns.
- The formulation is safe for your sensitive skin, as it avoids harsh ingredients and potential irritants.
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
★4.4Overall rating based on 300+ reviewsUsers report this serum effectively brightens the complexion and fades post-acne marks and sunspots, often showing visible results within a few weeks. It is praised for its lightweight texture and ability to control mild acne, though some users note it requires patience for older, deeper pigmentation and can be slightly drying.
Highlights
Fades dark spots Mostly Mentioned
- “faded my post-acne marks”
- “removed stains from my face”
- “huge difference in pigmentation”
- “sunspots were barely there”
Brightens skin tone Often Mentioned
- “skin looked brighter”
- “leaves skin really glowy”
- “face acquires a natural glow”
- “less dull”
Lightweight texture Often Mentioned
- “absorbs fast”
- “not at all oily”
- “feels luxe going on”
- “non-greasy formula”
High price Often Mentioned
- “it is expensive”
- “pricey”
- “not very accessible”
- “worth it but expensive”
Controls acne Sometimes Noted
- “kept breakouts at bay”
- “smaller pimples heal faster”
- “anti-bacterial properties”
- “no big breakouts”
Gentle on skin Sometimes Noted
- “suitable for sensitive skin”
- “no irritation”
- “gentle formulation”
- “tolerates this depigmenting treatment”
Slow results Sometimes Noted
- “not gonna erase years-old pigmentation in a month”
- “hoped for more dramatic fading”
- “oldest PIH is still there”
Drying effect Rarely Noted
- “can dry you out”
- “cheeks felt tight”
- “need to moisturize to avoid dryness”
Sticky finish Rarely Noted
- “feels a little bit sticky at first”
- “slight tacky feel”
- “sticky texture”
Sources: lovi.care, influenster.com, flipkart.com, notino.ie, lyskin.com, perfumesclub.co.uk, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Sesderma Azelac RU work for sensitive skin?
Sesderma Azelac RU Serum is an average fit for sensitive skin because it provides general hydration and soothing effects while being safe for sensitive skin, but it lacks specialized ingredients to effectively target redness and irritation concerns. Treatment products of this type need effective ingredients that provide excellent skincare benefits for redness and irritation, along with potent antioxidants, hydrating components, and skin-repairing ingredients to truly suit sensitive skin.
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for sensitive skin?
This serum is a safe fit for sensitive skin because it avoids harsh ingredients and potential irritants. To best care for sensitive skin, a treatment of this type needs soothing ingredients like niacinamide and snail secretion filtrate to calm redness and irritation.
What does Azelaic Acid do for sensitive skin?
Azelaic acid helps calm sensitive, easily irritated skin by soothing redness and reducing swelling. It works gently to quiet inflammation without causing extra irritation, making it a safe choice for reactive skin types.
Experimental Dermatology, 2010Archives of Dermatological Research, 1991
What does 4-Butylresorcinol do for sensitive skin?
Using 4-butylresorcinol on sensitive skin requires caution because it may cause irritation if not used carefully. This ingredient is potent for fading dark spots, but sensitive skin needs a gentle formula with soothing ingredients and a low concentration to avoid redness.
Where does it go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine. Treatments with active ingredients are placed at night for simplicity and extra safety around sun exposure.
Can I use this serum with AHA, and in what order?
You can use this serum with AHA, but to keep your sensitive skin calm, apply the AHA first and follow with this treatment once your skin has adjusted. This serum is safe for your sensitive skin because it avoids harsh ingredients and potential irritants, but a product of this type needs soothing plant extracts and extra hydration to properly target redness and irritation.
How often should I use it?
Use this treatment in the evening as part of your nighttime routine, starting once a week to see how your skin feels. While the formulation is generally safe and avoids harsh irritants, a sensitive skin type needs gentle soothing ingredients and extra hydration to properly manage redness and irritation.
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
Sesderma Azelac RU Serum is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for sensitive skin because its formula avoids heavy, pore-clogging ingredients. However, because it contains retinol, you may experience mild initial purging or peeling as your skin adjusts.
Is it fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It contains fragrance (parfum) and drying alcohol (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, 2023The 4-n-butylresorcinol dissolving microneedle patch demonstrated safety and was more than two times more effective than the control patch in skin depigmentation among 45 subjects over 8 weeks.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 20164-n-butylresorcinol inhibits human tyrosinase and melanin production more potently than hydroquinone, arbutin, and kojic acid, and visibly reduces age spots within 8 weeks.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2013Combined application of dissolving microneedle patches on serum-treated skin successfully delivered more 4-n-butylresorcinol and showed higher efficacy in reducing patients' melanin index and hyperpigmented regions compared to traditional DMN-only and serum-only applications.
Molecular Pharmaceutics, 2017Topical 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, 2005Topical 0.4% retinol significantly increased epidermal thickness, dermal vascularity, and extracellular matrix production by stimulating keratinocyte proliferation, endothelial cell proliferation, and fibroblast activation in naturally aged human skin compared to vehicle.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2017Topical bakuchiol 0.5% applied twice daily compared with retinol 0.5% applied daily significantly decreased wrinkle surface area and hyperpigmentation with no statistical difference between the compounds in 44 patients over 12 weeks, while retinol users reported more facial skin scaling and stinging.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 2019Silicone particles encapsulating retinol increased its half-life by 9-fold and yielded 12-23% lower skin irritation in human subjects compared to Microsponge particles while maintaining biological activity.
Journal of Controlled Release, 2018
Why other serums fit sensitive skin better
Topical application of TAT-SOD significantly suppresses UVB-induced erythema formation, blood flow rise, and apoptotic sunburn cell formation in human volunteers compared to a vehicle control.
European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, 2016
Ingredients
Water, Propylene Glycol, Alcohol, Peg Ppg-20 6 Dimethicone, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, 4-Butylresorcinol, Azelaic Acid, Retinol, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Niacin, Undecylenoyl Phenylalanine, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Diacetyl Boldine, Citronellyl Methylcrotonate, Sodium Oxalate, Parfum, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Tocopheryl Acetate, Polysorbate 20, Bht, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Caprylic Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Chloride, Bha, Hydrochloric Acid
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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