A lightweight gel serum containing 10% azelaic acid with added salicylic acid and licorice root extract, designed to reduce redness, treat acne, and address post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
This booster earns consistent praise for its ability to calm redness, clear acne, and fade post-acne marks, all in a lightweight texture that layers easily or mixes into moisturizer. The added salicylic acid makes it particularly effective for oily and acne-prone skin, though a few experts note it changes the safety profile for pregnancy, azelaic acid alone is safe during pregnancy, but the salicylic acid combination raises caution. Those with sensitive skin may want to start slow with the added exfoliant.
Synthesized from 22 expert reviews · most recent take September 2026
"I'm a fan of azelaic acid 10%. You can find this with Paula's Choice, which makes an affordable solid version. Azelaic acid is an anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial ingredient that supports your skin microbiome without being harsh."
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"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."
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"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."
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"I'm a fan of azelaic acid 10%. You can find this with Paula's Choice, which makes an affordable solid version. Azelaic acid is an anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial ingredient that supports your skin microbiome without being harsh."
"The Paula's Choice Azelaic Acid Booster was one of the first products to come out with an azelaic acid emulsion. When it hit shelves, people noticed that even at only 10% they got a lot more prickling with it than with some of their other higher strength options, because this 10% azelaic acid is actually delivering a full 10% azelaic acid result thanks to its bioavailability. It's phenomenal and holds a special place in my heart because it led the way as one of the first emulsions on the market. It isn't the cheapest product out there, and there are some other more affordable options on the market."
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"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."
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"The Paula's Choice Azelaic Acid Booster was one of the first products to come out with an azelaic acid emulsion. When it hit shelves, people noticed that even at only 10% they got a lot more prickling with it than with some of their other higher strength options, because this 10% azelaic acid is actually delivering a full 10% azelaic acid result thanks to its bioavailability. It's phenomenal and holds a special place in my heart because it led the way as one of the first emulsions on the market. It isn't the cheapest product out there, and there are some other more affordable options on the market."
"Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster for redness relief, which is $39. It's got the 10% azelaic acid and then 0.5% salicylic acid, making it great for acne-prone skin and licorice root extract as well. I'm on my third tube of it."
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"Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster for redness relief, which is $39. It's got the 10% azelaic acid and then 0.5% salicylic acid, making it great for acne-prone skin and licorice root extract as well. I'm on my third tube of it."
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"Paula's Choice has azelaic acid serums that a lot of people love, but they're getting so expensive."
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"The PA's Choice Azelaic acid um I I think the ordinary acid also contains a combination of both of them"
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"The Paula's Choice Azelaic Acid Booster is 39 bucks, it's got 10% azelaic acid, 0.5% salicylic acid, licorice and bisabolol, nice creamy texture."
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"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."
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"I have used a couple tubes of it and I don't have one to show because I finished them and I recycled them."
"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."
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"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."
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"Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster helps reduce redness and inflammation while brightening the skin. It has a really lightweight gel texture that layers well with other products. It also contains salicylic acid for that really mild exfoliation and to help unclog pores. The key ingredient is azelaic acid 10% which will visibly clarify uneven skin tone, brighten star spots, and fade some of those post-acne marks. It also contains salicylic acid or BHA at 0.5% concentration which will penetrate into the pores to help smooth bumpy texture, and it has licorice root extract which will calm the redness and soothe signs of sensitivity and visibly brighten the skin."
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"Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster will help if you have any PIE or post-inflammatory erythema from acne or rosacea. It helps reduce some of the redness and inflammation. It can also help brighten the skin with the azelaic acid ingredient. It's a super lightweight gel texture that layers really well with other products. It does contain a little bit of salicylic acid for really mild exfoliation. The key ingredients are the 10% azelaic acid, the salicylic acid or BHA at only 0.5% so it's good for even sensitive skin, and the licorice root extract."
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"Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster is a great option. It helps brighten pigmentation and improve skin texture."
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"The first one's Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster. It helps brighten the skin and smooth out the bumps. It will help prevent clogged pores as well as that post-inflammatory erythema that you get after acne. It's good for layering with other treatments because it's really lightweight and dries pretty quickly. It does contain a little bit of salicylic acid for that really mild exfoliation to help unclog your pores."
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"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."
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"Azelaic acid is anti-inflammatory and also antimicrobial. Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster is a good product recommendation to consider for targeted treatment of these skin concerns."
"A second option I recommend is Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster. This one also includes salicylic acid, making it great for oily or acne-prone skin."
"Paula's Choice azelaic acid 10% booster really saved my skin when I was going through a crazy breakout phase. Including azelaic acid in my skincare routine has been like a game changer for me in every aspect. It's such a gentle exfoliant but it also helps to reduce redness. If you are experiencing big painful breakouts or rosacea, azelaic acid is a pretty popular ingredient for that. This is 10%, so it's low and it's not prescription, you can just get it over the counter. The 15 and 20% you have to get a dermatologist's prescription, but I didn't really need anything higher than that. I love having the booster because you can mix it in with your moisturizer, you can apply it to your skin and then put moisturizer on top, or add it to a serum. It's fragrance free, doesn't irritate my skin. It's one of those things that I'll always have. I probably use it like once a week or so now."
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"Paula's Choice azelaic acid 10% booster really saved my skin when I was going through a crazy breakout phase. Including azelaic acid in my skincare routine has been like a game changer for me in every aspect. It's such a gentle exfoliant but it also helps to reduce redness. If you are experiencing big painful breakouts or rosacea, azelaic acid is a pretty popular ingredient for that. This is 10%, so it's low and it's not prescription, you can just get it over the counter. The 15 and 20% you have to get a dermatologist's prescription, but I didn't really need anything higher than that. I love having the booster because you can mix it in with your moisturizer, you can apply it to your skin and then put moisturizer on top, or add it to a serum. It's fragrance free, doesn't irritate my skin. It's one of those things that I'll always have. I probably use it like once a week or so now."
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"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."
"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."
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"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."
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"There's Paul's choice at 10%"
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"The next one I discovered was Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster, a great formula, an improved formula compared to The Ordinary, except this one has salicylic acid in it, which makes it not safe to use during pregnancy, and then it no longer becomes a universal recommendation."
"Another suspension that's available out there is Paula's Choice. This is a really nice formula as well, but it has salicylic acid, which is generally not considered safe in pregnancy. So if you're using this during pregnancy, this is one that I would avoid."
"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."
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"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."
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"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."
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"I like azelaic acid so up top you'll be able to see things like Paula's Choice azelaic acid which is a fantastic product to help with redness and sensitivity that's going to be your go-to."
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"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."
"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."
"Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster is almost always going to make an appearance in these Sephora what to buy type videos [...] because when it comes to azelaic acid, an ingredient that is very helpful for redness, for hyperpigmentation, for acne breakouts, as a cosmetic ingredient there are a handful of products out there that have this ingredient, this has to be the best one in my personal experience testing out many. Azelaic acid that you buy in cosmetic products here in the US is not the same strength as what you get from a prescription product, but it shows promise as being helpful especially for addressing some of these issues. In addition to azelaic acid though, this has licorice root which again is good for redness dark spots and it also has a little bit of salicylic acid 0.5% so helpful for breakout prone skin cutting down on blackhead and whitehead formation. Azelaic acid can kind of tingle a little bit maybe make your face itch a bit. I have never found that to be the case with this product specifically, but it does happen for some people. By and large azelaic acid is well tolerated and it can be used alongside other ingredients. This is a great product to complement, maybe even a retinol. You could use it in the morning if you wanted to in an effort to help hasten the clearance of say dark spots for example."
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"I also like this product from Paula's Choice, the 10% Azelaic Acid Booster with licorice root. You can use azelaic acid in your morning routine and or in your evening routine, technically you could use it three times a day if you wanted to. It can be drying, it can sting, but otherwise it's pretty well tolerated. It's also a helpful ingredient for rosacea and it's a helpful ingredient for hyperpigmentation, so it has multiple benefits."
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"One of my favorite products for comedones is actually the Paula's Choice azelaic acid booster. Not only does that product have azelaic acid, it has licorice root, which is anti-inflammatory, which is really important because oxidation of sebum is very inflammatory and that can favor more whitehead formation. But this product has another fantastic whitehead-busting ingredient, and that is salicylic acid. Salicylic acid is really good for whiteheads because it is an exfoliant that really, really, really gets into the pore to specifically exfoliate the pore, so it's a really good choice and it's anti-inflammatory. So it's a great ingredient for tackling any type of comedone, whether it be a whitehead or a blackhead. That Paula's Choice product has both ingredients, so it's really beneficial. You could just use it on your nose if that is a main area where you are getting closed comedones. I find that formula is not as drying as one might expect. It's really well developed."
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"Paula's Choice azelaic acid booster is great if you have dark spots that you're looking to fade. Azelaic acid helps with hyperpigmentation, redness, and acne. This particular booster also has licorice root which is anti-inflammatory, good for redness and hyperpigmentation, and it has salicylic acid to help exfoliate the pores and give a little bit of acne control. It's a very good product, though it is a little on the pricey side."
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"Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster is almost always going to make an appearance in these Sephora what to buy type videos [...] because when it comes to azelaic acid, an ingredient that is very helpful for redness, for hyperpigmentation, for acne breakouts, as a cosmetic ingredient there are a handful of products out there that have this ingredient, this has to be the best one in my personal experience testing out many. Azelaic acid that you buy in cosmetic products here in the US is not the same strength as what you get from a prescription product, but it shows promise as being helpful especially for addressing some of these issues. In addition to azelaic acid though, this has licorice root which again is good for redness dark spots and it also has a little bit of salicylic acid 0.5% so helpful for breakout prone skin cutting down on blackhead and whitehead formation. Azelaic acid can kind of tingle a little bit maybe make your face itch a bit. I have never found that to be the case with this product specifically, but it does happen for some people. By and large azelaic acid is well tolerated and it can be used alongside other ingredients. This is a great product to complement, maybe even a retinol. You could use it in the morning if you wanted to in an effort to help hasten the clearance of say dark spots for example."
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"One of my all-time favorites from Paula's Choice, arguably the best in this category, is the Azelaic Acid Booster. In my opinion, of all the azelaic acid products I have ever tried, this comes in as number one. Azelaic acid is really good for redness, for acne breakouts. It's also very good for hyperpigmentation, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Azelaic acid also shows promise for those little Demodex mites if you're someone who gets what looks like little thread-like projections out of your pores. Azelaic acid can help with all of those things. It's anti-inflammatory and it is generally pretty well tolerated, although some people find that it is a little itchy when they put it on. [...] This also has salicylic acid, which is good for exfoliating the pores and helping to smooth out skin texture. Salicylic acid can also be helpful when used consistently for dark spots. It also has an anti-inflammatory effect that may be helpful in the long run for reducing the risk of dark spots. In addition to salicylic acid, this has licorice root, which is anti-inflammatory and very good for the moisture barrier, good for redness and for dark spots. You don't need a lot of this. You can use it on the entire face or just to a particular area of concern to make the product last you longer."
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"I really like this product a lot. It has azelaic acid and it also has licorice root and salicylic acid, which is going to be helpful for those of you who maybe have hyperpigmentation or discoloration. Salicylic acid is anti-inflammatory and it also can help if you have combination skin with prominent pores because it will help exfoliate the pore and help with controlling blackheads. So that's another really good one for those of you out there who have combination skin."
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"Paula's Choice azelaic acid booster is one of the best over-the-counter azelaic acid cosmetic products that I have ever tried. Azelaic acid is an ingredient that is great for rosacea, it's great for hyperpigmentation, it is great for acne, and it's also mildly exfoliating so it can smooth the skin surface. It's anti-inflammatory and it's antimicrobial. In addition to the azelaic acid, this product also has licorice root which helps to address redness, hyperpigmentation, and skin sensitivity via its beneficial soothing and anti-inflammatory properties. This also has 0.5% salicylic acid in it, which is good for dark spots, for skin smoothness, for acne control. It is a lower percentage strength but it also may help in enhancing penetration of the azelaic acid."
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"The azelaic acid is by far one of my favorites."
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"I have to say the Paula's Choice azelaic acid booster is a good one."
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"One of my favorite azelaic acid products is the Paula's Choice Azelaic Acid Booster, I've talked about this before and I've raved about that product, it's very good."
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"This is another pigment corrector that I have strongly recommended on this channel. I have used it myself, it is effective. It has azelaic acid, licorice root, and salicylic acid. That one is thirty nine dollars for an ounce."
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"I have to give a shout out, not sponsored, to the Paula's Choice azelaic acid booster. I've tried so many over the counter azelaic acids, just kind of feel them out, and that one has to be the top performing one just in my personal experience using it, in my opinion. It also has salicylic acid in it though, so that may be doing a lot of the work, and it has licorice root which is anti-inflammatory. It's a good option for hyperpigmentation, like if you have acne that heals with redness and or hyperpigmentation, this might be a good choice for you to experiment with."
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"One product I have a lot of confidence in, because I've used it personally, is the Paula's Choice Azelaic Acid Booster. It has ten percent azelaic acid and it also has salicylic acid and licorice root, so it's good for hyperpigmentation and good for acne. I feel like the penetration has to be reasonable with that, but I don't have any studies to back it up. I do find it to be an effective product, but the efficacy observed could also be related to the other ingredients in it, the salicylic acid and licorice root."
"The over the counter azelaic acid products you can buy now are only 10%, and we have no studies at that lower percentage to show that it works for anything. So the 10% azelaic acid in products like the Paula's Choice azelaic acid booster, those aren't necessarily approved treatments, because they're cosmetics, and who knows if that strength is effective or if their formulation is right, since they don't necessarily need to demonstrate efficacy at all."
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"The azelaic acid booster is a really good investment. It has azelaic acid in it, which is great for acne, rosacea, and hyperpigmentation. It's a good ingredient that's anti-inflammatory and helps with skin cell turnover. This particular product also has salicylic acid in it and licorice root, so it's a great formulation for hyperpigmentation. It's a great azelaic acid product to use. I would suggest trying it out if you're in the market for an azelaic acid."
"Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster is a really great azelaic acid product using 10% of azelaic acid and it's also been combined with salicylic acid which I absolutely love because azelaic acid is a team player, so this is a really nice combination for really helping to clear out the congestion in the pores. I also like that they've combined it with niacinamide which is a nice soothing ingredient, it's nice to see that alongside the azelaic acid, and licorice root extract which is an ingredient that can also help with brightening the skin, so you can see how the azelaic acid is being complemented and boosted with these other ingredients. I really like the texture of this. Most azelaic acid products will come in a cream type of texture. This has a really pleasing one. It is creamy and silky but it's not overly moisturizing, [...] it doesn't have an oil feel or anything like that. [...] You would apply it in a thin layer right before your moisturizer and it just feels really nice on the skin. It's not heavy, it's not silicone, it doesn't pill at least in my experience, and it's not very rich like it's leaving your skin greasy. I think it'll work for a lot of different skin types. [...] It's quite pricey though."
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"Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster is moisturizing, a little bit balmy, definitely nourishing but not greasy. It has really good absorbency into the skin, it's not too shiny but it is quite occlusive, which is another important component to keeping hydration into your skin. I think combo folks who lean a little bit more dry are going to enjoy this. Azelaic acid is just my ingredient, like chef's kiss. This is what I'm picking for my skin with congestion because it just works so well. Azelaic acid is an exfoliating ingredient that works similar to a BHA. It's oil soluble, gets deep into the pore lining, and exfoliates inside there to release the clogs. That's incredibly beneficial if you have deep down congestion in your skin texture, if you are suffering with breakouts and with active acne. Azelaic acid can get down deeper to the source and it can also work as a preventative to keep those pores clear in the long run. But it also reduces inflammation and redness, it's antibacterial. It's treating the pimples at all the different cycles. It's exfoliating in the pore to help prevent the pimple, exfoliating inside of the pore if there is a clog or a pimple, helping to reduce the inflammation, the redness and the swelling of an active pimple, but it's also working to brighten up the potential hyperpigmentation."
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"Paula's Choice has a really good one"
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"The one from Paula's Choice is really really beautiful, really easy to use texture, really elegant formulation. [...] Both are offering 10% azelaic acid."
"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."
"Next you could consider Paula's Choice Azelaic Acid Booster, which contains 10% azelaic acid and 0.5% salicylic acid and also some licorice extract, which is good for pigmentation."
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"Next you could consider Paula's Choice Azelaic Acid Booster, which contains 10% azelaic acid and 0.5% salicylic acid and also some licorice extract, which is good for pigmentation."
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"You can certainly combine bhas nasolic acids together both of those are in neutralizing gel also in Paula's Choice [azelaic] acid booster"
"This one is probably my favorite by Paula's Choice. It's almost empty. Azelaic acid has no effect on pregnancy, no effect on the fetus, no effect on nursing, so this is a really good product. [...] You can use something like that while you're nursing, and then once you're done nursing you can start slowly stepping it back up."
"If you want something a little bit lighter or if you have oilier combination skin then check out Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster. It's a really popular one and it's popular for a reason. It's got 10% azelaic acid along with licorice root that's soothing, calming, and may help with hyperpigmentation, and salicylic acid that helps with pore congestion as well as offer some acne control. Together it's a more lightweight serum that absorbs fast, so better suited for oily, acne-prone, and combination skin or individuals that are looking for a lightweight liquid serum to use during the summer time."
"This is my personal second favorite product because azelaic acid is a great ingredient for my personal skin concerns. This product is great for people with rosacea prone skin, if you have dark spots or want to just brighten the skin. The 10 percent is a great concentration of azelaic acid. This also contains salicylic acid and licorice root which are going to help fade those dark spots and smooth the texture of the skin and unclog the pores. It's a medium weight cream texture and it's something that I think is an absolute standout product by Paula's Choice. It's hard to find comparable ten percent azelaic acid products like this one, so this is a must."
"The Paula's Choice Azelaic Acid Booster has ten percent azelaic acid and has really really helped with my rosacea redness and even breakouts. It's a good all-rounder for me. It's fragrance free and it's really nice and soothing, pairing high percentage actives alongside nice soothing and calming ingredients. It also has salicylic acid, which is great for breakouts. However, the Paula's Choice one gives me a tingling sensation that I can feel, especially around the eye area. Because I'm using it mainly for the redness on my cheeks, the product does slightly travel up and that's where I get a really tingling sensation."
"This was one of my favorite products back in the day when I first started to develop mild rosacea, it's a great product for rosacea, breakouts, uneven skin tone, dull looking skin, this one combines azelaic acid and salicylic acid which is great, however I did find the addition of salicylic acid to eventually be a little bit too much for my skin, and eventually I just wanted the azelaic acid alongside soothing ingredients."
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"The Paula's Choice Azelaic Acid Booster has ten percent azelaic acid and has really really helped with my rosacea redness and even breakouts. It's a good all-rounder for me. It's fragrance free and it's really nice and soothing, pairing high percentage actives alongside nice soothing and calming ingredients. It also has salicylic acid, which is great for breakouts. However, the Paula's Choice one gives me a tingling sensation that I can feel, especially around the eye area. Because I'm using it mainly for the redness on my cheeks, the product does slightly travel up and that's where I get a really tingling sensation."
"I love the one that Paula's Choice makes. Azelaic acid is antimicrobial. It's anti-inflammatory. It helps with pigmentation. It's kind of like a jack of all trades when it comes to clearing your skin. So it can be a nice add-on to your retinoid routine or you can use it on its own."
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"I love the one that Paula's Choice makes. Azelaic acid is antimicrobial. It's anti-inflammatory. It helps with pigmentation. It's kind of like a jack of all trades when it comes to clearing your skin. So it can be a nice add-on to your retinoid routine or you can use it on its own."
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"I have a little love affair with Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster. It is their best product by far."
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"Paula's Choice also makes a great over-the-counter azelaic acid serum."
"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."
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"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."
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"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."
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"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."
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"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."
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"Paula's Choice has a 10% azelaic acid serum that's great if you have rosacea or discoloration. It is not great alone though, you must use azelaic acid in conjunction with other ingredients, it [...] may pill so I'd use it at night, [...] and it smells a little powdery, but that's normal."
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"Paula's Choice Azelaic Acid is an ingredient that we prescribe in practice. It has antimicrobial properties, it has anti-inflammatory properties, and it also allows your skin to regulate itself much more cohesively so that buildup is not happening on your face. But it stinks—the azelaic acid smells bad—and it pills. So if you get away with using it during the day good for you and it's not pilling, but chances are it might be pilling, so use it at night. But this is 10 percent and that is the sweet spot that you need to be in in order to get actual benefit from it."
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"Paula's Choice also has a ten percent azelaic acid, but the smell just gets me."
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"Paula's Choice azelaic acid is a little bit tricky because it pills, so I personally just use it at night because I'm not so worried about the elegance of the products at night when I'm going to sleep. I don't use it in the morning because I don't want my skin to look dull or flat or have my products pill. It's a suspension and once the product dries out that powder kind of sits on top of your face, which is why you get that pilling effect."
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"This retails for thirty-eight dollars. It does have a very nice texture but I will tell you it stinks, it smells like chalk to be very frank. So if you don't mind that scent then knock yourself out, this is a great product. I do not like the smell of this but I use it on occasion."
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"Paula's Choice has their ten percent azelaic acid, and the reason I like this is because it's extremely hard to formulate with azelaic acid. Azelaic acid has a tendency to pill, and so when you're using this as a kind of a corrective, treatment serum, you're using it intentionally, not just to throw it in there with something else that might make your other products pill on top of it. I recommend using this at night before you moisturize, and if you peel a little bit at night, it's okay—it's part of the process with azelaic acid. This one is at ten percent, and they combine this with licorice root extract as well to help even out your pigmentation. This one is thirty-six dollars. It does have a little bit of a weird scent, but it's all part of the game."
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"You can get it as a prescription, or they also have it over the counter. Paula's Choice has a 10 percent azelaic acid booster."
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"Paula's Choice ten percent azelaic acid like azelaic acid booster is one of my favorite ones over the counter. Azelaic acid is a powder and as such it can pill on top of products so I use this mostly just at night and it doesn't smell very good. But azelaic acid is one of those ingredients that can do everything, they can reduce inflammation they can even out pigmentation they can help repair your skincare's barrier, they are something that I use when you have hormonal acne and we're just trying to calm everything down but do they always deliver to the best? No, because they can be blindly optimistic like their counterpart."
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"Paula's Choice for example has a great azelaic acid booster."
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"She also has her 10% Azelaic Acid Booster. It kind of stinks, but it does the job if you have rosacea and underlying redness and even if you have melasma discoloration. Azelaic acid is one of those ingredients that I always like to include in the roundup for discoloration. It's hard to formulate with other ingredients, so that's why you usually find it in a single ingredient story because it can pill. 10% is where you want it to be if you're looking for results."
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"Azelaic acid is beautiful to help minimize inflammation. Paula's Choice has a ten percent azelaic acid booster. They may not be the most cosmetically elegant formulas so they pill. I would use these definitely at night without a doubt."
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"Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster is great if you are pregnant and looking to treat your acne, or if you're trying to block your redness, calm it down, or even your pigmentation."
"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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"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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"This is from Paula's Choice, a 10% Azelaic Acid Booster. You can use it on its own or with other products layered, but Paula's Choice did it right. I love this for rosacea as well as for anyone who is pregnant or breastfeeding and has acne because it works for both. Ten is something you can get over the counter. If you've really been struggling with your skin and you're on the waitlist to see a dermatologist or you haven't been able to see one yet, this is something you could pick up and use over the counter. For a lot of people who don't respond well to acne treatments and they have this redness as well as some of these papulopustule lesions, they find that azelaic acid works really well."
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"Azelaic acid is fantastic because it actually helps prevent tyrosinase in your face from making your skin darker and fight acne bacteria. It's really phenomenal and a lot of people don't see irritation with it."
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"There's one from Paula's Choice that I love, which is over the counter. It's like thirty or maybe thirty-five dollars on Amazon or on Paula's Choice dot com. You can also get azelaic acid in a prescription; you can get one from your doctor or dermatologist, you can get one in clinic or telehealth. Azelaic acid really is a hero ingredient, and if it's something you want, ask your care provider for it, especially if you think it'll be helpful for your skin. If you have rosacea and redness and you're worried about rhinophyma, azelaic acid is great. If you have acne, azelaic acid can help. Even if you have some pigmentary issues, azelaic acid can help. It's a really great option that you should look into."
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"One of my all-time favorite Paula's Choice products is something that I use all the time, not only on myself but for other people. I recommend this non-stop. This is the 10 percent azelaic acid booster. If you have rosacea, if you have redness in the skin, if you're pregnant or breastfeeding, of course speak with your doctor and your dermatologist, but azelaic acid is safe to use while breastfeeding and it works wonderfully for rosacea or postular rosacea alongside acne. This is so good, and there are prescription treatments of azelaic acid usually like 15 to 20 percent, those are great, but this is 10 percent, so you're getting a pretty high strength over the counter. This can be blended into other products or it can be used on its own. If you tend to flush, if you get a lot of that red erythema, really a lot of redness, especially from rosacea that you've been diagnosed with, oh my gosh, this is so good. The price is right. It's like a little green leprechaun that I like to keep in my little skincare arsenal. This is a slam dunk."
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"This is one of my favorite azelaic acid products and it is an azelaic acid booster with licorice as well as salicylic acid, so this is excellent for acne, excellent for rosacea, and excellent if your acne or rosacea leaves behind dark marks. This is one of my favorite formulas because it doesn't get gummy on the skin. This is also a non-drying and non-crunchy formula. A lot of azelaic acids get a little bit crunchy but this is like a redness soothing formula. As a booster you can mix it in or you can use it on its own and it is phenomenal."
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"Paula's Choice does have a really good azelaic acid that I use and recommend all the time. It looks like a little green leprechaun and it's really inexpensive."
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"I could recommend a Paula's Choice azelaic acid booster for acne and rosacea that is really good."
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"This is the ten percent azelaic acid booster, and this is so good. It is potent, it is stable, it is effective. It's in this pretty little green tube. It's actually quite a bit like the Skin Fix one where you just kind of apply it on and it's this kind of white paste and you just kind of rub it in, but I find that this is even more cosmetically elegant than the Skin Fix one. Then this one you can actually mix it in with your other products, so if you do have some sort of a moisturizer and you're looking to give it a little bit of a boost, this is literally a Paula's Choice boost to boost up your skincare routine. You can work this into other moisturizers. I found that this at ten percent is pretty potent, it's never really irritated my skin, but if you put a lot of it on and then you try to layer it with like a serum, a toner, a sunscreen, it can ball up just a little bit. Overall, this is a great one, and it also has licorice and salicylic acid, so especially if you have dark spots and hyperpigmentation, this is one of the best ways to go."
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"Paula's Choice has another great one, the booster."
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"If you don't like that graininess, there is also the Paula's Choice Azelaic Acid Booster. This one is great, you could mix it in with moisturizers, you could use it on its own. Again, this azelaic acid is phenomenal."
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"Paula's Choice azelaic acid booster is hella potent, hella good if you have rosacea or if you have acne, especially if you're pregnant, azelaic acid is safe for use during pregnancy."
"I really like this because it has a really nice smooth texture. Azelaic acid products are sometimes a bit paste-like in texture, but this one is really light. It feels a lot more like a regular moisturizer. They've also put licorice and salicylic acid in here to make a product that's really good for evening out skin tone and texture and unclogging pores."
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"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."
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"I really like this because it has a really nice smooth texture. Azelaic acid products are sometimes a bit paste-like in texture, but this one is really light. It feels a lot more like a regular moisturizer. They've also put licorice and salicylic acid in here to make a product that's really good for evening out skin tone and texture and unclogging pores."
What the evidence says.
Independent of what the gurus think, this is what
the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.
Salicylic acid
Salicylic acid dissolves in oil, so it can get into a pore rather than just working on the surface. That is why it has long-standing evidence for blackheads and milder acne.
Azelaic acid has clinical evidence for both acne and rosacea, and it is one of the gentler options for calming redness while also working on marks left behind.
Ingredients like these draw water into the surface layers and slow how fast it leaves. The evidence is for comfort, softness and hydration rather than for changing the structure of the skin.
A lightweight gel serum containing 10% azelaic acid with added salicylic acid and licorice root extract, designed to reduce redness, treat acne, and address post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
Is Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster worth it?
Yes. All 22 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 82%.
What is Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster's Guru Score?
Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster holds a Guru Score of 82%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 22 expert reviewers we have collected. At least one expert has named it a Top Pick in its category.
Who is Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster best for?
Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster is generally suited to sensitive skin and acne-prone skin.
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Products built around the same core actives as this one, with what the experts make of each.
