Paula’s Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster VS The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% – Beautiful With Brains

Spoiler: I wouldn’t call The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% a dupe for Paula’s Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster.

If you know The Ordinary (and who doesn’t?), you know they’re one-trick ponies. They give you one active per product – that’s how they keep the prices low.

Paula’s Choice takes the opposite approach. She packs her products with all the goodies she can find. But, of course, you’re going to pay more for that.

So why am I even writing this post? Well, Paula’s Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster and The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% are the most popular Azelaic Acid products out there – and it’s not like they have much competition.

If you’re ready to try Azelaic Acid but don’t want to go down the prescription route yet, chances are you’re gonna buy one of these two. So, which one is worth your money?

What Ingredients Do The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% A Dupe For Paula’s Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster Have In Common?

AZELAIC ACID TO TREAT ACNE AND HYPERPIGMENTATION

Azelaic Acid is an acid your skin’s microbiome (the good bacteria and yeast that live on your skin) produces. It has several superpowers:

To sum it all up, Azelaic Acid exfoliates skin, unclogs pores, reduces inflammation and even kills bad bacteria.

If you’re tried everything to get rid of your dark spots, acne or rosacea, give Azelaic Acid one last go. You should see results pretty quickly.

Related: Battle Of The Skin-Lighteners: What Is The Best Alternative To Hydroquinone?

If you’ve experienced breakouts by using The Ordinary skincare then you need to enrol in Extraordinary Skin With The Ordinary and get started on module 3 now. It’s created by my scientist friend Cheryl Woodman – click here to check it out now.

What Else Is In The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% A Dupe For Paula’s Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster?

THE ORDINARY AZELAIC ACID SUSPENSION 10%:

• Aqua (Water): The main solvent in the product, it helps to dissolve other ingredients.
• Isodecyl Neopentanoate: A synthetic emollient with silicone-like properties with a dry finish. It also helps oil-soluble ingredients better penetrate skin.
• Dimethicone: A popular silicone, it fills in fine lines and wrinkles, so they look smaller. It also helps the texture spreads more easily and makes your skin silky soft. It has a large molecular structure with big gaps in between each molecule. Translation? It doesn’t clog pores.
• Dimethicone/Bis-Isobutyl PPG-20 Crosspolymer: Another silicone that enhances the texture of a product.
• Dimethyl Isosorbide: A solvent that helps dissolve other ingredients in the formula.
• Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer: It stabilises the formula and helps create pleasant textures.
• Polysilicone-11: A silicone that creates a film on the skin to minimise imperfections. It also helps the formula spread effortlessly.
• Isohexadecane: It enhances texture and provides a silky soft feel.
• Tocopherol: A form of Vitamin E that helps prevent wrinkles.
• Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate: A chelating agent, i.e. a substance that binds to the trace metals found in water and neutralises them before they can spoil the formula.
• Isoceteth-20: It solubilises ingredients in water.
• Polysorbate 60: An emulsifier that helps the water-based and oil-based ingredients in a formula blend together seamlessly.
• Triethanolamine: A pH adjuster.
• Ethoxydiglycol: A solvent that helps active ingredients better penetrate skin.
• Phenoxyethanol: A preservative that inhibits the growth of bacteria in skincare products.
• Chlorphenesin: A preservative that prevents bacteria from growing in your skincare products.

PAULA’S CHOICE 10% AZELAIC ACID BOOSTER

• Water (Aqua): The main solvent in the product, it helps to dissolve other ingredients.
• C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate: An emollient that imparts a silky soft feel to skin.
• Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride: Derived from coconut oil, it has the same moisturising benefits without clogging pores.
• Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate: An emollient that makes skin softer and smoother.
• Glycerin: It attracts and binds water to your skin, keeping it hydrated for hours.
• Cetearyl Alcohol: A fatty alcohol, it makes skin softer and smoother.
• Glyceryl Stearate: It has moisturising properties that make skin softer.
• Dimethicone: A popular silicone, it fills in fine lines and wrinkles, so they look smaller. It also helps the texture spreads more easily and makes your skin silky soft. It has a large molecular structure with big gaps in between each molecule. Translation? It doesn’t clog pores.
• Salicylic acid: An exfoliant that gets inside the pores, removing whiteheads, blackheads and pimples. It also keeps them from coming back.
• Adenosine: A yeast-derived ingredient that soothes skin.
• Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract: A skin-lightener with antioxidant properties. It helps reduce dark spots and keep wrinkles at bay.
• Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract: A plant extract with soothing and antioxidant properties.
• Allantoin: It has soothing properties that calm down redness and irritations.
• Bisabolol: The ingredient that gives chamomile its legendary soothing properties.
• Cyclopentasiloxane: A volatile silicone that makes the texture easier to spread.
• Xanthan Gum: It thickens the texture of skincare products.
• Sclerotium Gum: Another texture thickener.
• Propanediol: It hydrates skin.
• Butylene Glycol: It attracts and binds water to the skin, keeping it hydrated for longer.
• Phenoxyethanol: A preservative that inhibits the growth of bacteria in skincare products.

WHICH FORMULA IS BETTER?

Related: Are Silicones Bad For Skin?

Want more affordable dupes for expensive skincare products? Download your FREE “Skincare Dupes” cheatsheet and start saving money (without compromising on results) today:

What’s The Texture Like?

What’s The Packaging Like?

How To Use Them

Doesn’t matter which one you pick, you can use them the same way. Every other night, after cleansing, as close to clean skin as possible. If you have oily skin or severe acne, you can use them in the morning too.

Which Of The Two Should You Go For?

First things first: I recommend Azelaic Acid only when you’re dealing with stubborn acne, rosacea or hyperpigmentation that don’t go away.

Don’t go adding products you don’t need to your skincare routine because you’ve heard raves about them. That’s NOT going to help YOUR skin.

Now that’s out of the way, which of the two should you go for? It all depends on your budget.

If you’re on a tight budget and don’t mind silicones, The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% will do the job just fine.

If you can afford to spend a little more, Paula’s Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster is worth every penny. Azelaic Acid doesn’t play solo, so you get more bang for your buck.

Price & Availability

Paula’s Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster ($39.00): Available at Cult Beauty, Dermstore, Paula’s Choice, Sephora, and SpaceNK

The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% ($12.20): Available at Beauty Bay, Boots, Cult Beauty, Look Fantastic, Sephora, SpaceNK and The Ordinary

Is The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% A Dupe For Paula’s Choice Azelaic Acid Booster?

Nope. The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% isn’t a dupe for Paula’s Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster. It’s a much more basic version. You only get the Azelaic Acid and little else. But if you’re on a tight budget, it’ll do.

About Gio

Hi, I’m Gio. I’m a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is skin coach and writer on a mission to help you achieve your best skin day ever – every day. I bust skincare myths and debunk marketing jargon to help you figure out what’s worth the splurge and what’s best left on the shelf – using science, not hype. I also offer skincare consultations to help you create the best skincare routine for your unique needs.