Azelaic Acid is a popular skincare ingredient which is known for its anti-inflammatory properties that help with acne and rosacea (source). It is an acid that is naturally found in grains and is a primary ingredient of a number of topical anti-acne creams. I was always curious to try out this acid on my oily to combination acne-prone skin and finally got to try it in the form of Aziderm cream, which is a prescription anti-acne cream available in India. Since it is a prescription cream, I urge all of you to consult a dermat and get a prescription for this cream in case you want to try it.
Today I am sharing my personal experience with the cream for your information, but in no way am I encouraging you to buy this without a dermatologist’s prescription. Without further ado, here is how the Aziderm Azelaic Acid Cream fared for me.
The Formula of the Aziderm Azelaic Acid Cream
The Aziderm Azelaic Acid Cream is available in two variants in India. One variant contains 10% Azelaic Acid whereas the other variant contains 20% Azelaic Acid. Since I was using Azelaic Acid for the first time, I opted for the 10% Azelaic Acid variant. The product comes in a tube with an outer cardboard box. The ingredient list on the tube reads 10% Azelaic Acid and 0.2% Benzoic Acid (as a preservative) in a cream base. The other components of the cream base are not specified on the packaging but I believe that it does not contain any other actives. The cream also does not seem to have any added fragrance and smells like a standard prescription anti-acne cream (nothing too strong).
The formula is in the form of a white cream in which you can feel some powderiness when you rub it between your fingers. A little goes a long way with this cream and it spreads easily on the skin and settles down to a matte finish without any white cast.
How To Use The Aziderm Azelaic Acid Cream
Just like I do with any new skincare product, I first performed a patch test with the Aziderm Azelaic Acid Cream before incorporating it in my skincare routine. Once I determined that my skin does not react adversely to this product, I started using it in my evening skincare routine as a spot treatment.
I take a very small amount of this cream and dab it gently on the areas where I have acne or hyperpigmentation left behind by acne. I use this cream on my face after using a gentle face wash and toner and apply a moisturiser on top of the cream. Personally, I do not like mixing actives therefore I try to avoid any other serums with active ingredients on the nights when I am using this cream. I have, however, used the Ponds Super Light Gel, which contains Niacinamide, on top of this cream and the combination worked well for me without any irritation to my skin. I also always use a sunscreen with SPF 50 during the day.
My Experience with the Aziderm Azelaic Acid Cream
From the very first use, I could notice that the Aziderm Azelaic Acid Cream felt very gentle on my skin and did not cause any redness, tingling or irritation. Bear in mind that my skin is used to actives such as Vitamin C and Retinol, so if you haven’t used any actives on your skin till now then your experience with the cream can be very different from mine.
Anyhow, within a week of using this cream, I could notice that it had a kind of blurring effect on my skin and had slightly lightened my hyper-pigmentation. It also helped my active acne heal faster without leaving a mark or scar. After a fortnight, I could notice that the redness and hyper-pigmentation on my skin had visibly reduced and my skin looked less bumpy too. Below are the before and after pics of an area of my skin where I have the most hyperpigmentation. The “After” pic was taken after 21 days of using the product daily at night. I have tried to keep the lighting as similar as possible in both the pics so that you can truly see the effect of the cream.
I feel that within a short span of 3 weeks, the Aziderm Azelaic Acid Cream has made a significant improvement to my skin. The redness and pigmentation is visibly reduced, and I haven’t had any new breakouts. No cream can work overnight and I wasn’t expecting miracles from this one, but it has done a really good job on my skin and has proved to be a nice affordable and gentle product for me.
Price and Availability
The Aziderm Azelaic Acid Cream is readily available at all pharmacies in India (prescription required). You may also be able to find it on Amazon and online medicine stores. I do not remember the exact price of this cream but it retails for around INR 200-300 for a 15gm tube, which is quite affordable for a skincare treatment.
As you can see, this cream has worked really well for me. If you too want to try it out then please consult a dermat and get a prescription for the cream if the dermat thinks that it is safe for you to use!
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