Index / Paula's Choice / 10% Azelaic Acid Booster
Paula's Choice

10% Azelaic Acid Booster.

Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster
Serums

About this product

A lightweight gel booster from Paula's Choice with 10% azelaic acid, made to reduce redness, brighten skin, and fade post-acne marks, and pregnancy-safe.

Best for

Sensitive skinAcne-prone skin
Serums

The Guru Index verdict

73%

Approved

Approved · 73%
13Reviewers
11Approved
2Mixed
0Skip
#17 in Best Serums

What the gurus are saying

Gurus consistently praise the formula's effectiveness for redness, inflammation, acne, and discoloration, and appreciate the lightweight texture that layers well. The dual-acid combo is seen as efficient for acne-prone skin, though some note the mild salicylic acid makes it less ideal for sensitive or compromised barriers. A recurring complaint is the product's unpleasant azelaic acid smell and tendency to pill, especially in the morning, leading many to recommend nighttime use only. Price sits at a middle ground, not cheap but reasonable for the concentration. One concern: the added salicylic acid may make it unsuitable for pregnancy despite azelaic acid's safety profile.
Synthesized from 13 expert reviews

Key actives & flags

Salicylic acid (BHA)Azelaic acidFragrance-freeAlcohol-free

Full ingredients

Water (Aqua), Azelaic Acid, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Caprylic/​Capric Triglyceride, Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Dimethicone, Salicylic Acid, Adenosine, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract, Allantoin, Bisabolol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Xanthan Gum, Sclerotium Gum, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol

Every take, in full

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Approved only Skip only Mixed only Hide sponsored
Approved
"Paula's Choice 10% azelaic acid booster helps reduce redness and inflammation while also helping brighten the skin. It's a super lightweight gel texture that layers well with other products. It does contain a little bit of salicylic acid for that mild exfoliation to help unclog pores. The key ingredients here are the azelaic acid 10% and salicylic acid 0.5% as well as licorice root extract."
All 2 takes from Dr. Aleksandra Brown
Adult Acne in Your 40s? A Dermatologist Explains Perimenopause Breakouts
"Paula's Choice 10% azelaic acid booster helps reduce redness and inflammation while also helping brighten the skin. It's a super lightweight gel texture that layers well with other products. It does contain a little bit of salicylic acid for that mild exfoliation to help unclog pores. The key ingredients here are the azelaic acid 10% and salicylic acid 0.5% as well as licorice root extract."
Azelaic Acid: The Underrated Ingredient Every Skin Type Can Benefit From
"Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster helps reduce the redness and inflammation while brightening the skin. It's a pretty lightweight gel texture and layers pretty well with other products. The Paula's Choice azelaic acid does have a little bit of salicylic acid, so it's a little bit better for oily, acne-prone skin or if you want to do some exfoliation to unclog the pores. The key ingredients are azelaic acid 10%, salicylic acid or the BHA 0.5%, and licorice root extract."
~Mixed
"I also have some azelaic acid serums with a nice texture. Azelaic acid is a bit of an annoying ingredient for me. There is some evidence that it's good for a whole bunch of things like acne, hyperpigmentation, even rosacea. And it is approved as a drug for some of these which is cool because most treatments for these are pretty irritating. But azelaic acid is a bit of a pain. The first product I tried was the Paula's Choice serum and that had an okay texture but it was pretty small."
Approved
"I love Paula's Choice Azelaic Acid Booster 10%. It's got salicylic acid as well which helps to unclog the pore."
Approved
"I love their azelaic acid. I don't really have huge complaints. They don't put fragrance in them. I think they do a good job educating people. I don't really have any qualms with Paula's Choice."
All 2 takes from Dr. Mamina
Dermatologist Ranks Popular Skincare Brands (Some Might Shock You!) | part 1
"I love their azelaic acid. I don't really have huge complaints. They don't put fragrance in them. I think they do a good job educating people. I don't really have any qualms with Paula's Choice."
Having Redness from Rosacea?
"When it comes to over-the-counter anti-rosacea ingredients, things I like are azelaic acid and there's some good ones out there by the Ordinary and Paula's Choice."
Approved
"It's really well balanced with the azelaic acid. This is a product that I use once a week at night and I have seen a massive improvement in my skin as a result of this, specifically the reduction in the salicylic acid. My skin has adapted relying heavily on the tretinoin and I don't need to be piling on these other exfoliants. As far as treatments, tretinoin is very much my hero and azelaic acid with just a dash of salicylic acid."
~Mixed
"Paula's Choice has azelaic acid serums that a lot of people love, but they're getting so expensive."
All 3 takes from No BS Beauty
Azelaic Acid - Why You Need Azelaic Acid in Your Skincare - The Best Azelaic Acid Products & How to
"Paula's Choice has azelaic acid serums that a lot of people love, but they're getting so expensive."
Dr Sam's Flawless Neutralizing Gel with Azelaic Acid and Salicylic Acid Review, How to, and Dupes
"In terms of performance I'm really impressed with this. I love the combination of azelaic acid and salicylic acid. It's not exactly new because there's several products now that use the combination of both of them, but I like it being a two for one product. For troubled acne prone skin it could be a total winner. For people that are able to find benefits from a small amount of azelaic acid and BHA it's great. It certainly helps with clogged pores, also helps calm skin down a bit. I also found this helps brighten my skin up. For acne prone skin there's only two ingredients of note: squalene and glycerol stearate, so it's pretty friendly for all skin types, dry, oily, sensitive and acne prone. I love the two for one. This retails for 39 bucks so it's a little pricey. It's a super nice, super wonderful product. Something I definitely would consider repurchasing."
Theramid 15% Azelaic Acid Treatment Review, How to Use, and Dupes
"The one from Paula's Choice, which is also 1 oz, the azelaic acid which is only 10% azelaic acid, that one's $39, so I was like right on the edge of it. I gave them the point for the price, it's not terribly expensive, and the fact that it's a little bit stronger form of azelaic acid, it's right on the edge there. I'm really happy with this one. I definitely consider repurchasing this one again. No real close dupes to this. The texture and finish is really nice, and it plays great with other products."
Approved
"Paula's Choice has her Azelaic Acid Booster at 10%. It does have a little bit of an azelaic acidy scent to it which is not my favorite, but it is a staple and a go-to for redness. It calms inflammation, it has antioxidant protection in it, and it can help minimize the look of dilated blood vessels, especially if you have rosacea."
All 4 takes from Dr. Shereene Idriss
40s Skincare Must Haves for YOUTHFUL Aging (Anti-Aging) from a Dermatologist! | Dr. Shereene Idriss
"Azelaic acid is a nice one to add in during this step if you're somebody who needs an additional boost when it comes to whether it is hormonal breakouts or discoloration or both. I will preface it by saying that it stinks. Paula's Choice 10% azelaic acid at 10% over the counter is ideal, otherwise get yourself a 15% prescription. It will pill, and azelaic acid is one of those ingredients that I use at night and not necessarily in the morning because it's just not cosmetically elegant. I have yet to find a pure azelaic acid that doesn't pill, so you incorporate it at night if you have breakouts or pigmentation issues."
Top 5 Ingredients for Acne, Breakouts, Blackheads, Oily Skin! | Dr. Shereene Idriss
"Paula's Choice has her 10% azelaic acid booster. It doesn't smell great but it's not meant to smell great. If you can't tolerate it, just use it at night. Don't use it during the day underneath makeup because it will pill."
Best Skincare of 2024: Top Dermatologist Picks from High-End to Affordable! | Dr. Shereene Idriss
"Paula's Choice has her Azelaic Acid Booster at 10%. It does have a little bit of an azelaic acidy scent to it which is not my favorite, but it is a staple and a go-to for redness. It calms inflammation, it has antioxidant protection in it, and it can help minimize the look of dilated blood vessels, especially if you have rosacea."
Top 8 Ingredients to Treat Redness & Rosacea from a Dermatologist! | Dr. Shereene Idriss
"Paula's Choice, this is a 10% azelaic acid booster. It has a little bit of licorice and it does have salicylic acid. If you're sensitive or you think your barrier is inflamed, beware, don't go for it because the salicylic acid might mess you up. But azelaic acid regulates your anti-inflammatory properties and antibacterial properties and it helps as an antioxidant as well."
Approved
"It's a 10% azelaic acid with licorice root and salicylic acid. The formula is much nicer than grittier options, it rubs in beautifully and is very elegant. Azelaic acid is great for acne, dark spots or discoloration, and people who get acne followed by post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. It's great for rosacea and it's one of the few acne ingredients that's safe in pregnancy. The downside is that they threw salicylic acid in it, which makes it a product you would have to questionably recommend in pregnancy. We don't know with those concentrations how safe they are topically for pregnancy. It would be much nicer if it was just azelaic acid, because that's when we consistently use azelaic acid in the office, for the pregnant patient with acne. You'd probably exclude this just out of caution."
Approved
"If you don't have access to prescriptive azelaic acid at 15 and 20%, Paula's Choice do a nice one at 10 and 15 that you can use, and they're normally available as creams or gels which are really quite nice. Azelaic acid helps with redness but also will help with pigmentation as well, so it can treat that, and in pregnancy you can get some acne as well, so azelaic acid will help that too. It's that superstar ingredient that you can use that will just protect your skin over time."
All 3 takes from Dr. Somji Skin
The Best Way to Treat Pregnancy Mask (Melasma) Safely : Doctor Recommends
"If you don't have access to prescriptive azelaic acid at 15 and 20%, Paula's Choice do a nice one at 10 and 15 that you can use, and they're normally available as creams or gels which are really quite nice. Azelaic acid helps with redness but also will help with pigmentation as well, so it can treat that, and in pregnancy you can get some acne as well, so azelaic acid will help that too. It's that superstar ingredient that you can use that will just protect your skin over time."
Is It Better Than High Street Skincare? Doctor Recommends
"Paula's Choice 10% azelaic acid which is at a low percentage so I'm like what's the point. If you look at the ingredient list they're quite different. There's other emollients, other humectants, water, all of that sort of stuff in that formulation that essentially azelaic acid is a lot lower down. There's a difference between different products. One kind of feels a little bit nicer, let's say I'm not going to say dilute but there's other products that are higher up there and you'd worry about the efficacy of azelaic acid so how much azelaic acid is in that formulation per gram of product."
The Ultimate Acne Treatment Azelaic Acid | What Causes Acne and How To Treat It?
"Paula's Choice azelaic acid is actually formulated with salicylic acid in there as well so it's kind of a double whammy and I think if you use this product it's a very intelligent formula that probably will give you the same type of result that you can get from 20 percent prescription grade but you've got that added exfoliation within it as well. I would be careful about using it alone I would be supplementing your skin barrier and making sure that you're not stripping your skin of those vital lipids that we know and love so much."
Approved
"Not only has azelaic acid 10% but also BHA or salicylic acid 5% so that's an exfoliant and can help even more with lifting some stubborn pigment or post-acne marks. This one also has licorice root extract which is another one of our ingredients for brightening and helping to lift pigment. So all in all this is a wonderful choice if you're struggling with some post-acne marks, if you still have active acne or rosacea, but you are trying to conceive, pregnant or breastfeeding, this is a good option for you."
Approved
"This is the 10% Azelaic Acid Booster. This was actually the very first azelaic acid product that I ever used and then of course I fell in love with this ingredient. It's a 10% azelaic acid but it also contains licorice root which can help to brighten up your complexion and it can help to reduce redness, and there is salicylic acid in here which can also help with that even skin tone but it can help to unclog your pores and prevent breakouts. If you have any texture on your skin or post-acne marks this does a really good job to get rid of texture and to improve your tone where it's more even in time with consistent use. This is also a very gentle formulation that I've never seen irritation or dryness with. If you are somebody that is sensitive to salicylic acid start slow and gradually increase because perhaps that added ingredient in here might make your skin a little irritated or it might not, but it really is effective."
Approved
"For those of you looking to streamline and condense everything down and not have too many steps in your routine, I would recommend Paula's Choice Azelaic Acid Booster 10% strength, which is great for treatment. The benefit of this is it can be mixed, in fact they encourage it to be mixed into your moisturizer. Azelaic acid isn't pH sensitive, so you don't need to worry about that in the same way you might with vitamin C. So if you're someone that thinks I want to try azelaic acid but I don't want to have an extra step in my routine, don't worry about it, just put a couple of drops of this into your favorite moisturizer, apply it to the skin, and you'll get all those wonderful benefits. This is also beautifully formulated with some great humectants and hydrators. If you're looking to streamline and you want azelaic acid and be able to mix it with something else, this Paula's Choice one is a great option. Not the cheapest, but that flexibility is why I think this is next level."
Approved
"Paula's Choice 10% azelaic acid booster with salicylic acid would not be recommended if you're pregnant or breastfeeding just because it does have that salicylic acid which might not be good for baby, but for just about anyone else including people who have active breakouts and acne this is a great one. Azelaic acid is a pretty friendly ingredient if you wanted to layer it with other things or mix it with other things. It really plays well with other things and there aren't any major concerns when it comes to putting it into your routine. I would recommend it in leave-on products and not in rinse-off products. You could use it morning or evening, but night is probably better because you'll have it on your face and you can lock it in with a moisturizer."
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