The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% for redness

Which kind of redness are you treating?

Azelaic acid reduces inflammation and is used for rosacea with inflamed bumps. Persistent facial colour, flushing and visible blood vessels can need different treatments, which makes "redness" a rather ambitious job description for one tube. For rosacea, prescription azelaic acid treats the bumps and may also reduce lasting colour.12

If your main concern is constant colour or visible vessels rather than bumps, a dermatologist can assess whether rosacea is responsible and discuss treatments aimed at that specific sign. These include medicines that temporarily reduce persistent colour and laser or light treatments for colour and visible vessels. Redness alone does not diagnose rosacea.1

How should you use it?

Follow the suspension's own label for frequency, amount and layering. The following is general azelaic acid care, not The Ordinary's product directions.3

1. 1Wash with a mild cleanser and gently pat the skin dry. If you have rosacea, avoid alcoholic cleansers, scrubs, astringents and peeling agents.
2. 2Apply the product as its label directs, keeping it away from your eyes and mouth. General directions for medicinal azelaic acid cream and gel call for a thin layer on affected skin.
3. 3Let the product dry before applying makeup. Wash your hands after application.

Keep a gentle cleanser, moisturiser and sunscreen in your routine. Rosacea care also includes identifying triggers such as overheating, alcohol or spicy foods and avoiding the ones that cause your flares. If you already use prescription skincare, tell your doctor or pharmacist what you use before adding azelaic acid.13

How long does redness take to improve?

For medicinal azelaic acid used for rosacea, improvement can take up to 12 weeks. Topical rosacea medicines generally produce slight improvement in bumps after 3 to 4 weeks and a noticeable difference after 2 to 3 months. These are treatment timelines for rosacea medicines, not a promised deadline for this suspension or for flushing.12

Who should be careful, and when should you stop?

Very sensitive skin and eczema can make azelaic acid irritating. Burning, stinging, itching and dryness are possible side effects. Stop and seek medical advice for severe redness, scaling, itching or burning, or symptoms that persist. Do not use azelaic acid if you are allergic to it or to a component of the product.2

If you are pregnant, planning pregnancy or breastfeeding, discuss azelaic acid with your clinician before use. Tell them about asthma and report worsening asthma or new skin colour changes. Stop using azelaic acid and get urgent medical help for difficulty breathing or swallowing, facial or throat swelling, or hives. Eye symptoms associated with rosacea also need medical assessment.123

The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% for acne marks

Azelaic acid also targets excess pigmentation, making it relevant to persistent brown marks after acne. A flat brown acne mark is a pigment problem, while an indented scar is a texture problem, so "acne marks" is doing quite a lot of administrative work. Brown marks are called postinflammatory hyperpigmentation: excess pigment left after inflammation. They are not the same target as rosacea redness.245

A 20% azelaic acid cream improved acne pigmentation during a 12 week trial; that result is not a timeline for The Ordinary's 10% suspension. Pigmentation can develop even after mild acne without obvious inflammation and can last months to years. Avoid picking or squeezing breakouts, which increases inflammation, discoloration and scarring risk.4567