All scans / Serums / Anua Azelaic Acid 15 Intense Calming Serum
Anua Azelaic Acid 15 Intense Calming Serum ingredients: is it worth it?
This is a legitimately high-evidence anti-acne and redness serum, but also a fairly intense formula that is overkill for very sensitive or minimalist routines.
This is a legitimately high-evidence anti-acne and redness serum, but also a fairly intense formula that is overkill for very sensitive or minimalist routines.
READ MORE
The 15% azelaic acid as a lead ingredient plus auxiliary salicylic acid, totarol, zinc PCA, and multiple centella triterpenoids justify a strong efficacy score for acne, rosacea-like redness and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, while the humectant and ceramide-rich base supports barrier repair; the only real downside is the potential irritation risk at this azelaic level and the crowded active roster for compromised skin.
We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Links never influence scores.
DemythSkin rates Anua Azelaic Acid 15 Intense Calming Serum 4.6/5 for efficacy and 4.3/5 for safety.
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS BY TIER
Gold Standards
High clinical proof | Skin-transformativeReliable
Proven resultsPotent
Developing evidenceOverhyped | Marketing
Hype | Limited dataDocumented Irritants
Evidence-backed flagFULL INGREDIENT LIST⌄
Water, Azelaic Acid, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Dipropylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Panthenol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Glycerin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Salicylic Acid, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Allantoin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tea Tree Leaf Water, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Root Extract, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Beta-Glucan, Dextrin, Madecassoside, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Madecassic Acid, Totarol, Tocopherol, Squalane, Zinc PCA, Ceramide NP, Sodium Hyaluronate Hydroxypropyltrimonium, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate Dimethylsilanol, Acetylated Sodium Hyaluronate
WHAT EACH INGREDIENT DOES (24)⌄
- Water
- Solvent base
- Azelaic Acid
- Multi-functional anti-acne, brightening
- Propylene Glycol
- Humectant, penetration enhancer
- Sodium Hydroxide
- pH adjuster / buffering agent
- 1,2-Hexanediol
- Solvent, preservation booster
- Centella Asiatica Extract
- Soothing, anti-inflammatory botanical
- Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
- Botanical antioxidant, anti-inflammatory
- Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
- Botanical antioxidant, skin conditioning
- Dipropylene Glycol
- Humectant, solvent
- Butylene Glycol
- Humectant, texture enhancer
- Panthenol
- Soothing, barrier-support humectant
- Hydroxyethylcellulose
- Thickener, stabilizer
- Glycerin
- Core humectant for hydration
- Ethylhexylglycerin
- Preservation booster, skin conditioning
- Salicylic Acid
- BHA exfoliant, acne treatment
- Biosaccharide Gum-1
- Hydrating, soothing polymer
- Allantoin
- Soothing, anti-irritant
- Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
- Anti-redness, anti-inflammatory
- Sodium Hyaluronate
- Hydrating hyaluronic acid salt
- Tea Tree Leaf Water
- Mild antimicrobial, refreshing
- Theobroma Cacao Extract
- Antioxidant, skin conditioning
- Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
- Soothing, antioxidant
- Centella Asiatica Root Extract
- Soothing, antioxidant
- Chlorella Vulgaris Extract
- Algae extract, antioxidant
EXTERNAL CITATIONS
Azelaic Acid: Schulte et al., 2015: Topical azelaic acid 15–20% demonstrates efficacy for inflammatory acne, rosacea-associated erythema, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation in multiple randomized controlled trials.
Salicylic Acid: Kligman & Kwong, 1995: Salicylic acid as a lipophilic beta-hydroxy acid effectively penetrates pores, reducing comedones and inflammatory acne lesions at 0.5–2% in leave-on formulations.
Centella Asiatica Extract / Madecassoside: Byun et al., 2015: Centella asiatica triterpenoids such as madecassoside exhibit anti-inflammatory and wound-healing effects, supporting barrier recovery and reduction of irritation.
Totarol: Higaki et al., 2002: Totarol shows antibacterial activity against Propionibacterium acnes (Cutibacterium acnes), supporting its use as an anti-acne adjunct.
DISCLAIMER: THIS ANALYSIS IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. AI-GENERATED DATA BASED ON PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INGREDIENT LISTS. VERIFY WITH A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL.
Anua Azelaic Acid 15 Intense Calming Serum: common questions
Is Anua Azelaic Acid 15 Intense Calming Serum worth it?
Anua Azelaic Acid 15 Intense Calming Serum scores 4.6 out of 5.0 for efficacy (Gold Standard) and 4.3 out of 5.0 for safety (Gentle) on DemythSkin's independent ingredient analysis. This is a legitimately high-evidence anti-acne and redness serum, but also a fairly intense formula that is overkill for very sensitive or minimalist routines.
What are the key active ingredients in Anua Azelaic Acid 15 Intense Calming Serum?
Anua Azelaic Acid 15 Intense Calming Serum contains these gold-standard actives with strong clinical evidence: Azelaic Acid, Salicylic Acid.
Does Anua Azelaic Acid 15 Intense Calming Serum contain fragrance or known irritants?
DemythSkin flags these ingredients in Anua Azelaic Acid 15 Intense Calming Serum as documented irritants: Ethylhexylglycerin.
How is Anua Azelaic Acid 15 Intense Calming Serum scored?
DemythSkin grades every product on two independent scores: efficacy (whether the ingredients have clinical evidence of working) and safety (irritation and sensitisation risk). Ingredients are graded S through D against a database of over 3,000 compounds. Brand and price are not part of the score, and no brand pays for one.
Free scores for every product in the database, or see them on Sephora, Ulta and Amazon with the Chrome extension.