Green, Cooling Ampoule for Acne Spots | Anua Azelaic Acid 10 Hyaluron Redness Soothing Serum Review

Anua is one of the most popular ‘sensitive skin’ brands in K-Beauty. They rose to deep fame with their Heartleaf range, with their Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner rocketing across social media. They designed products that are non-irritating, nature-based and sustainable. They think hard on feedback and promise products that are safe for irritated, dry and especially acne-prone skin. But not all of them have been safe for acne-prone skin users – quite a few reviewers have experienced breakouts with some of Anua’s skincare products. Therefore, proving that ‘not one size fits all’ in skincare or YMMV. But their azelaic serum is different.  

Azelaic acid has been a rising star for acne treatment due to its ability to reduce acne-causing bacteria, which has been shown to immediate reduce acne outbreaks. It’s also rich in antioxidants to boost skin healing and calms inflammatory molecules in our skin cells to reduce redness, swelling, heat and more. Not only does it help calm skin and reduce the bacteria causing acne spots, but it also is ‘keratolytic’ meaning it breaks down dead skin cells, helping clear and refresh pores and blackheads. In short, there’s a reason everybody is excited about its application in treating acne.

The serum has almost universally positive reviews (apart from the occasional accusation of being overrated) and (apart from their Niacinamide/TXA serum) is a jewel in Anua’s crown. So, is it worth purchasing for acne-prone skin? Is it the secret to finally getting clearer, calmed skin that so many of us crave? Let’s find out!  

Azelaic Acid (10%): our starring exfoliating acid – designed to refresh, cleanse pores, reduce bacteria and calm redness and inflammation on the skin. 

Sodium hydroxide: this is a stabilizing alkaline added to ensure the pH of azelaic acid is not damaging to skin, making this serum low irritation and balanced to natural skin pH. 

Panthenol: moisturizing vitamin B5 that helps strengthen skin barrier, boost softness and improve texture. 

Allantoin: a soothing plant extract that helps reduce bacteria, whilst improving skin cell healing and evening skin appearance. 

Neem leaf extract: helps calm redness and irritation, whilst being rich in proteins that boost collagen and elastin for firmer skin. 

Green tea extract: rich in polyphenols and antioxidants that help protect skin against environmental damage, whilst improving natural healing and skin immune function. 

Aloe vera extract: deeply moisturizing and cooling succulent extract that helps stimulate collagen fibers in skin cells to lift fine lines and calm damaged skin. 

Centella asciatica extract: hydrating extract that helps accelerate wound healing, improving the appearance of acne spots and helping to strengthen skin to prevent recurrence. 

Madecassoside: helps even skin tone, by inhibiting the formation of melanin in damaged skin – whilst improving skin hydration, by boosting hyaluronic acid production. 

Azelaic acid is not recommended for young children or on a compromised, severely damaged skin barrier. Although it’s a great treatment, it’s still an acid – so directly placing it on broken, damaged skin is a no no. Instead, use a soothing aloe cream instead until skin is cooled and healing. It also has the potential to irritate eczema in some – so take that into consideration if you do have eczema. 

Otherwise, this serum has been carefully designed to balance out the potential irritation of azelaic acid (which can be drying) and infused it with plant extracts that hydrate really well; making this a very low-irritation serum for most skin types. Best results likely in redness and acne – otherwise it will just be a nice hydrating and skin balancing serum. 

I love a good azelaic acid serum – it can really be a game changer for acne-prone skin. It’s low irritation but also helps clear pores and calm general redness. I previously used the Nine Less Azelaic acid serum, during a rough outbreak and it had amazing results. I used the whole bottle to completion and was delighted at how it kept acne spots at bay. However, it was not enough to tackle general redness in my face – which is a constant. I am a pink, at all times, and a little crimson now and again. This serum has been marketed as not just for acne – but also for cooling skin redness.

It’s important to note that azelaic acid is slow-moving and takes about 6 weeks to show full results. I added the serum to morning and night routine (as I have before) as it helps accelerate results. I would use a good cleanser and then the azelaic serum straight after toning skin – to allow good pore contact. It’s an incredibly light and watery serum with zero irritation, even on active spots. It was nicely hydrating and interacted well with other products in my routine (i.e. vitamin C, niacinamide). It’s a high quality, quick-absorbing serum that worked well for my combination skin type. 

Here is the before and after (only 2 weeks – again, azelaic acid takes about 6 weeks for solid effect). I was excited to note that it helped vanish redness around my cheeks and nose. It was so cooling and hydrating I often didn’t feel like I needed a moisturizer at the end of my routine (I still did though, it’s good to be thorough). It’s obviously a very high quality azelaic acid serum, but if you have a robust skin type – it's not going to be a necessary purchase over other azelaic acid serums. 

I would recommend this serum the most to users struggling with irritated, sensitive skin types and fungal acne – as this serum is specialized to them and it is very much worth selecting this serum over other brands. Otherwise, most azelaic acid serums will have a similar effect and it’s worth getting some into your routine. 

This serum is incredibly non-irritating and hydrating – carefully balancing out the azelaic acid to maximize benefits so sensitive skin users can enjoy it. It’s definitely worth purchasing if you have sensitive skin or fungal acne (it’s designed to be fungal acne safe) - otherwise a lot of azelaic acid serums will be similar and have good benefit for dry, oily and combination skin types. 

Sensitive skin? Check out the entire range of Anua’s specialized skincare products now available on Arktastic. Including their brand-new Azelaic Acid 3 Skin Clarifying Toner – for the first time in Australia!