All scans / Serums / La Roche-Posay Effaclar A.Z. Gel Azelaic Acid Acne Treatment
La Roche-Posay Effaclar A.Z. Gel Azelaic Acid Acne Treatment ingredients: is it worth it?
A legitimately useful acne-and-mark treatment buried in a fragranced, under-documented formula—not a miracle gel.
A legitimately useful acne-and-mark treatment buried in a fragranced, under-documented formula—not a miracle gel.
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The efficacy score is 4.1/5: azelaic acid is the second ingredient, and the formula also provides the disclosed 1.2% salicylic acid active, giving it credible support for breakouts, clogged pores, and post-acne discoloration; glycerin, diglycerin, panthenol, and sodium hyaluronate support hydration. The main limitations are that the exact azelaic-acid concentration and finished pH are not disclosed, salicylic acid is only 1.2%, and fragrance adds avoidable irritation risk without improving treatment performance. The lightweight emollient-gel base is sensible, but this is not a clinically optimal formula.
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DemythSkin rates La Roche-Posay Effaclar A.Z. Gel Azelaic Acid Acne Treatment 4.1/5 for efficacy and 4.1/5 for safety.
CONTAINS COMMON SENSITISERS⌄
Fragrance components and essential oils that more often cause reactions in sensitive skin: Fragrance. Most people tolerate them; patch test if your skin reacts easily.
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS BY TIER
Gold Standards
High clinical proof | Skin-transformativeReliable
Proven resultsPotent
Developing evidenceOverhyped | Marketing
Hype | Limited dataDocumented Irritants
Evidence-backed flagFORMULATION BASE (9)⌄
FULL INGREDIENT LIST⌄
Water, Azelaic Acid, C15-19 Alkane, Glycerin, Triethyl Citrate, Diglycerin, Panthenol, Silica, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Taraxacum Officinale (Dandelion) Rhizome/Root Extract, Zinc Gluconate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Phosphate, Disodium Phosphate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Citric Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Pentylene Glycol, Polysorbate 60, Fragrance
WHAT EACH INGREDIENT DOES (24)⌄
- Water
- Formula solvent
- Azelaic Acid
- Acne and pigment active
- C15-19 Alkane
- Light emollient
- Glycerin
- Humectant moisturizer
- Triethyl Citrate
- Solvent and emollient
- Diglycerin
- Humectant moisturizer
- Panthenol
- Soothing humectant
- Silica
- Oil-absorbing powder
- Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
- Gel-forming thickener
- Taraxacum Officinale (Dandelion) Rhizome/Root Extract
- Botanical skin conditioner
- Zinc Gluconate
- Sebum-conditioning agent
- Glyceryl Stearate
- Emulsifier and emollient
- PEG-100 Stearate
- Emulsifier
- Sodium Hyaluronate
- Humectant hyaluronic salt
- Sodium Hydroxide
- pH adjuster
- Sodium Phosphate
- Buffering agent
- Disodium Phosphate
- Buffering agent
- Hydroxyethylcellulose
- Viscosity-control polymer
- Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
- Texture-modifying polymer
- Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
- Chelating agent
- Citric Acid
- pH adjuster
- Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
- Chelating agent
- Pentylene Glycol
- Humectant and solvent
- Polysorbate 60
- Emulsifier
EXTERNAL CITATIONS
Azelaic Acid: Evidence-supported topical treatment for acne, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and redness
Salicylic Acid: Evidence-supported beta-hydroxy acid for comedonal acne and pore decongestion
Panthenol: Well-studied humectant and skin-conditioning ingredient
Glycerin: Well-established humectant for improving stratum-corneum hydration
DISCLAIMER: THIS ANALYSIS IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. AI-GENERATED DATA BASED ON PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INGREDIENT LISTS. VERIFY WITH A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL.
A cheaper serum that scores as high or higher
A different formula for the same concern (acne / oil control) that scores at least as high on both efficacy and safety.
La Roche-Posay Effaclar A.Z. Gel Azelaic Acid Acne Treatment: common questions
Is La Roche-Posay Effaclar A.Z. Gel Azelaic Acid Acne Treatment worth it?
La Roche-Posay Effaclar A.Z. Gel Azelaic Acid Acne Treatment scores 4.1 out of 5.0 for efficacy (Effective) and 4.1 out of 5.0 for safety (Gentle) on DemythSkin's independent ingredient analysis. A legitimately useful acne-and-mark treatment buried in a fragranced, under-documented formula—not a miracle gel.
What are the key active ingredients in La Roche-Posay Effaclar A.Z. Gel Azelaic Acid Acne Treatment?
La Roche-Posay Effaclar A.Z. Gel Azelaic Acid Acne Treatment contains these gold-standard actives with strong clinical evidence: Azelaic Acid.
Does La Roche-Posay Effaclar A.Z. Gel Azelaic Acid Acne Treatment contain fragrance or known irritants?
DemythSkin flags these ingredients in La Roche-Posay Effaclar A.Z. Gel Azelaic Acid Acne Treatment as documented irritants: Fragrance. This product does contain fragrance.
How is La Roche-Posay Effaclar A.Z. Gel Azelaic Acid Acne Treatment 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.
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