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Tone and texture · #18 skin Generated scene, not a product photo
The Ordinary · Skin · Serums

The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%

Ten percent azelaic acid in a thick silicone cream, aimed by the maker at uneven tone and texture. It works for many owners, but the pilling is hard to get around.

30 mlCreamAzelaic acidFragrance-free
$12.20 MSRPAmazon price not shown
Check price on Amazon →

Amazon link · we earn a commission if you buy · $12.20 MSRP · Amazon price not shown · verified Nov 1, 2026. More stores appear here as each affiliate program approves the site.

Buy it if

  • You want a more even look to your skin tone and texture
  • You want azelaic acid for little money
  • You want no added fragrance

Walk past if

  • You layer other products; owners report pilling and flaking
  • You want a clear, light serum; this is thick and silicone-heavy
  • You want it to last; owners say the small tube runs out quickly

What's in it

The ingredients that do the work, from the maker’s label.

Azelaic acid

Sulfate-free →Fragrance-free →

Not in it: fragrance, essential oils, drying alcohol, sulfates. Nothing on our flag list.

Full ingredient list, from the maker

Aqua (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

Known issue

Owners report pilling however they layer it, burning around the nose and lip, and a small tube that empties within weeks.Ulta and Sephora reviews

What owners say

Filled by the research pass: two or three owner reports from named venues, each linked, each with the date it was read.

If it's not right

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%$6 MSRPTen percent niacinamide with zinc PCA in a water-based serum. Cheap enough to try, and sticky enough that owners complain about what it does under the next layer.CeraVe Moisturizing CreamNo maker list price for this sizeThree ceramides, cholesterol, hyaluronic acid and petrolatum in a thick cream for face and body. The plain standard for dry skin, developed with dermatologists according to the maker.

Sources

  1. Maker's US page: ingredient list, 30 ml list price, targets, skin types.
  2. Ulta reviews, about 2,500: pilling, flaking, burning on the upper lip, a thick feel and tubes that seem mostly air.
  3. Sephora reviews, about 1,600: pilling, a thick texture, breakouts, burning and a tube one owner finished in three weeks.

Ingredient lists from the maker's label, not our measurements.