Allies of Skin Azelaic & Kojic Advanced Clarifying Serum Versus Naturium Azelaic Topical Acid 10%

Allies of Skin Azelaic & Kojic Advanced Clarifying Serum Versus Naturium Azelaic Topical Acid 10%

This brightening serum is formulated around Azelaic Acid and Kojic Acid to fade the look of dark spots and clear breakouts.

This calming serum is formulated around Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate and Niacinamide to calm redness and fade the look of dark spots.

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Water

Azelaic Acid

Butylene Glycol

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Propanediol

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Kojic Acid

Polysorbate 20

Glycerin

Caprylyl Glycol

Hexylresorcinol

Ethyl Linoleate

Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate

Dodecane

Hydroxyethylcellulose

Xanthan Gum

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Squalane

Bisabolol

Glyceryl Laurate

Glyceryl Undecylenate

Allantoin

Ribose

Sodium Acetate

Bakuchiol

Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract

Cellulose

Phenoxyethanol

Water, Azelaic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Propanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Kojic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Glycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylresorcinol, Ethyl Linoleate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Dodecane, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Xanthan Gum, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Squalane, Bisabolol, Glyceryl Laurate, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Allantoin, Ribose, Sodium Acetate, Bakuchiol, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Cellulose, Phenoxyethanol

Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate

Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6

Niacinamide

3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

Coffea Arabica Seed Extract

Sodium Hyaluronate

Phenylpropanol

Citric Acid

Potassium Chloride

Chlorphenesin

Tocopherol

Potassium Sorbate

Sodium Benzoate

Water, Propanediol, Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Niacinamide, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Coffea Arabica Seed Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenylpropanol, Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid, Potassium Chloride, Glycerin, Chlorphenesin, Tocopherol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate

Reviews

Alternatives

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.

Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.

Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).

Glycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.

Topically, glycerin does several things at once:

Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.

Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.

This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.

Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).

It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.

On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.

Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).

You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.

Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.

Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.

Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.

Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.

It’s often used to:

Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!

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