Edit - Its actually 3 products 🤣
Hi guys, I want to get some opinions.
I have PIE and acne, and I'm looking for an azelaic acid serum/product.
I've been reading about AzA and how difficult it is to solubilize in water, and also how hard it is to get a meaningful amount of AzA to actually penetrate the skin (stratum corneum) in the first place. I know this isn't 100% accurate, but can I compare different AzA products and estimate how effective they'd be based on their penetration enhancer ingredients?
I found a few:
Product 1 - Cos de Baha has 15% Aza– has MSM at 1%
Ingredients: Water/Aqua, Propylene Glycol, Azelaic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polysorbate 20, Dimethyl Sulfone, Propanediol, Betaine, Panthenol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Allantoin, Ceramide NP, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Centella Asiatica Extract, Madecassoside, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Polyacrylate, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract, Momordica Charantia Fruit Extract, Leontopodium Alpinum Extract
- Product 2 - Kisocare 15% Aza Serum -
Ingredients: Water, Azelaic Acid, DPG, Propanediol, Sodium Hydroxide, Tromethamine, Pentylene Glycol, PEG-6, PEG-32, Panthenol, Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide, Madecassoside, Asiaticoside, Gluconolactone, Succinic Acid, Citric Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid Crosspolymer-2-Sodium, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Centella Asiatica Extract, BG, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethylcellulose
- Cream/Lotion Texture 15% Aza
Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Azelaic Acid, Betaine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Lauryl Glucoside, Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Niacinamide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Panthenol, Sclerotium Gum, Chlorphenesin, Escin, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Ruscus Aculeatus Root Extract, Ammonium Glycyrrhizate, Citric Acid, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Sodium Citrate
My questions are:
Looking at these INCIs, can we rank them by efficacy given they're all 15%?
In serums like Cos de BAHA (and I'm guessing this isn't specific to them — most AzA serums seem to use PG as the second ingredient after water) — what's the typical percentage range of PG used? I'm asking because I've been reading about how long-term PG use could potentially cause skin barrier issues. I get that there's no definitive yes or no on this, and I also understand it's going to be very person-specific — someone might not tolerate AHA at 10% while someone else uses it daily with no barrier damage. And yes, I know the mechanism of penetration with AHA is completely different, just bringing it up as a comparison.
Which of these would be the most barrier-friendly while still performing well for hormonal acne, PIE, etc.?