PoreWise Paula's Choice · Special treatments
10% Azelaic Acid Booster
Product
- Brand:
- Paula's Choice
- Product type:
- Special treatments
- Last checked:
- 2026-10-30
- Formula version:
- Pack label · 2026-10-30
- Fragrance & alcohol:
- Fragrance-free · Alcohol-free
21 ingredients on this list · WATER at number 1 · Azelaic acid at number 2 · C12-15 alkyl benzoate at number 3
Product description
A leave-on cream with 10% azelaic acid, alongside salicylic acid, licorice root extract and allantoin. The brand markets it for uneven tone, acne marks and redness.
Brand's own claims
- Clarifies uneven tone, fades acne marks and reduces redness (brand claim).
The brand's own claims, quoted from its own material.
Full ingredient list
Kept exactly as the source printed it, including spelling in the original.
- 1 WATER
- 2 AZELAIC ACID
- 3 C12-15 ALKYL BENZOATE
- 4 CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE
- 5 METHYL GLUCOSE SESQUISTEARATE
- 6 GLYCERIN
- 7 CETEARYL ALCOHOL
- 8 GLYCERYL STEARATE
- 9 DIMETHICONE
- 10 SALICYLIC ACID
- 11 ADENOSINE
- 12 GLYCYRRHIZA GLABRA (LICORICE) ROOT EXTRACT
- 13 BOERHAVIA DIFFUSA ROOT EXTRACT
- 14 ALLANTOIN
- 15 BISABOLOL
- 16 CYCLOPENTASILOXANE
- 17 XANTHAN GUM
- 18 SCLEROTIUM GUM
- 19 PROPANEDIOL
- 20 BUTYLENE GLYCOL
- 21 PHENOXYETHANOL
Original label text
Water, Azelaic Acid, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Dimethicone, Salicylic Acid, Adenosine, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract, Allantoin, Bisabolol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Xanthan Gum, Sclerotium Gum, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol.
Ingredient analysis
Azelaic acid · Actives · GLYCERIN · Humectants · C12-15 alkyl benzoate · Emollients
Actives
4Ingredients added for a stated effect on the skin.
Humectants
3Bind water and draw it into the upper layers of the skin.
Emollients
6Fill the gaps between corneocytes to soften and smooth the surface.
Preservatives
2Inhibit microbial growth so the product stays safe to use.
Soothing agents
1Used to reduce the sensation of irritation or discomfort.
Texture agents
4Set the viscosity and feel of a formula.
Emulsifiers
3Keep oil and water mixed in a stable formula.
Other
4Use on the ingredient list: see the product ingredient list.
Evidence
- Skin effect Human trial Certainty: High Primary source
In 72 people with mild-to-moderate acne, a 15% azelaic acid gel reduced post-inflammatory erythema (PAHPI) significantly more than placebo at weeks 8 and 12, and lowered melanin content in post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation lesions at week 12.
Who it applies to: People with mild-to-moderate acne and acne-induced post-inflammatory erythema or hyperpigmentation, applying the gel twice daily for 12 weeks.
Study limits: PIH lesion counts improved from baseline in both groups; the significant between-group difference was in PAHPI and melanin content.
- Skin effect Human trial Certainty: Moderate Primary source
In an 8-week randomized, vehicle-controlled split-face study of 23 people with blemish-prone skin, an anhydrous 0.1% retinal / 10% azelaic acid concentrate improved the pore parameter by 22.3% versus vehicle (p=0.015) and skin texture by 5.6% versus vehicle (p=0.0016), and reduced surface irregularities by 12.7% versus vehicle (p=0.0053).
Who it applies to: Pore appearance, skin texture and surface irregularities on the face over 8 weeks.
Study limits: The pore improvement versus baseline was borderline (15.9%, p=0.051); the small sample completed 23 participants; the product is a six-ingredient concentrate; 10% azelaic acid is regulated as an OTC drug in some markets.
- Skin effect Human trial Certainty: Moderate Primary source
In 83 adults with comedones, a serum containing salicylic acid and lipohydroxy acid significantly improved open comedones on the nose, closed comedones on the face, skin pore density, sebum secretion and skin hydration from baseline after 8 weeks; adding a mask improved closed comedones more than the serum alone (-6.56 vs -5.19, p = 0.022).
Who it applies to: Adults in Shanghai with comedones, PIE and PIH, using the serum for 8 weeks.
Study limits: Both groups used active products; improvements were reported against baseline and between the two active groups. Industry-funded. This is the trial found that counted open and closed comedones separately.
- Skin effect Clinical guideline Certainty: Moderate Primary source
The 2024 American Academy of Dermatology acne guideline lists topical salicylic acid as a conditional recommendation. Strong recommendations in the same guideline go to benzoyl peroxide, topical retinoids, topical antibiotics and oral doxycycline.
Who it applies to: Acne vulgaris in people aged nine and older, as covered by the guideline's scope.
- Skin effect Review article Certainty: Low Primary source
Against topical tretinoin, salicylic acid showed similar values in overall acne improvement (RR 1.00, 95% CI 0.92 to 1.09; one trial, 46 participants). The review graded the certainty of that finding as low.
Who it applies to: Topical salicylic acid for mild to moderate acne. Most participants in the review were 12 to 30 years old, and most studies ran longer than eight weeks.
Study limits: The review covers 49 trials with 3880 participants, salicylic acid appears in a small part of them: 41 to 86 participants per comparison. Every salicylic acid comparison was graded low or very low certainty.
- Skin effect Human trial Certainty: Very low Primary source
In a 21-day prospective study of 42 people with mild-to-moderate acne and oily or combination skin, a salicylic-acid-containing gel used twice daily was associated with a 23.65% fall in sebum, a 40.5% rise in skin hydration, a 49.26% fall in transepidermal water loss and a 23.81% improvement in acne grade (all P < 0.05 except IGA P < 0.001).
Who it applies to: Sebum, skin hydration, transepidermal water loss and acne grade over 21 days in people with oily or combination skin.
Study limits: One centre, 21 days, 37 of 42 participants were women, and the research group was affiliated with the product maker.
- Skin effect Brand claim Certainty: High Public database
Salicylic acid is a keratolytic: it loosens the bonds between dead skin cells so they shed.
Who it applies to: Acne and keratolysis, at the concentrations permitted for cosmetic use.
Study limits: Most evidence comes from leave-on acne treatments. A cleanser is on the skin for a minute. · Finding · SALICYLIC ACID
- Irritation Review article Certainty: Very low Primary source
Trials of topical salicylic acid for acne reported application-site reactions such as scaling and redness.
Who it applies to: Topical salicylic acid in acne trials, mainly leave-on use over eight weeks or longer.
Study limits: The review graded the salicylic acid adverse-event comparisons as very low certainty.
- Skin effect Human trial Certainty: Moderate Primary source
In a randomized, double-blind, four-arm crossover study of 51 healthy volunteers with dry skin, an emollient containing glycerol and petrolatum raised corneometry-measured skin moisture significantly above its vehicle (P < 0.0001) over 12 hours. The authors attributed the hydration gain to the glycerol component and the lower water loss to the petrolatum component.
Who it applies to: Corneometry (skin moisture) and transepidermal water loss over 12 hours after one application.
Study limits: Measured on the forearms. The significant hydration result comes from the full emollient containing both glycerol and petrolatum.
- Skin effect Review article Certainty: Moderate Primary source
Topical glycerol improves stratum corneum hydration, barrier function and skin mechanical properties. The review also reports reduced irritation response and faster wound healing, and traces the effect to aquaporin-3 transport and to glycerol's own presence in the skin.
Who it applies to: Leave-on products. The review discusses both healthy skin and skin with dry or barrier-impaired conditions such as atopic dermatitis.
Study limits: A narrative review. It compiles mechanisms and results from other studies.
- Skin effect Official ingredient listing Certainty: High Public database
Glycerin is classified as a humectant in cosmetic ingredient databases: its role in a formula is to hold water.
Who it applies to: Cosmetic formulas generally. · Ingredient database · GLYCERIN
Study limits: Skin effect of to the stratum corneum comes from a separate review of the literature. · Ingredient database · GLYCERIN
- Irritation Review article Certainty: Low Primary source
The CIR expert panel's 1985 assessment of stearyl alcohol reports minimal to mild cutaneous irritation in rabbit tests, and a very low order of irritation and sensitization in clinical patch testing. It concluded that stearyl alcohol is safe as used in cosmetics.
Who it applies to: Stearyl alcohol, one of the two fatty alcohols that cetearyl alcohol is made of, at the use concentrations reported to the panel.
Study limits: It assesses stearyl alcohol. It was published in 1985 and relies largely on data submitted by the ingredient trade association. "Very low order" is the panel's wording.
- Pore clogging Animal study Certainty: Low Primary source
In the rabbit ear-canal assay, the nine materials graded positive were eight esters (isopropyl palmitate, isopropyl myristate, butyl stearate, isopropyl isostearate, decyl oleate, isostearyl neopentanoate, isocetyl stearate, myristyl myristate) and cocoa butter.
Who it applies to: Materials applied to the rabbit ear canal as raw ingredients.
Study limits: An animal assay. The rabbit ear canal reacts more readily than human skin. The abstract names the positive group.
- Legal limits Official legal text Certainty: High Primary source
US regulation lists dimethicone as a permitted active ingredient in over-the-counter skin protectant products, at 1 to 30 percent. That is a legal status in one market, and it puts dimethicone in the same list as petrolatum, glycerin and colloidal oatmeal.
Who it applies to: Products sold in the US that make a skin-protectant claim, with dimethicone between 1 and 30 percent.
Study limits: A monograph entry sets what may be sold and what may be claimed. · 1993 · Consumers of over-the-counter skin protectant products in the US.
- Legal limits Official legal text Certainty: High Primary source
The EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety concluded in 2016 that 2-phenoxyethanol is safe as a preservative at a maximum of 1.0%, which is the limit already set in Annex V/29 of the EU Cosmetics Regulation. It estimated a margin of safety of about 50 for children.
Who it applies to: Phenoxyethanol used as a preservative in cosmetic products, at or below 1.0%.
Study limits: The dossier behind the conclusion was submitted by Cosmetics Europe, the industry association, and the committee lowered the default toxicokinetic factor from 4.0 to 1.0 on its way to the 1.0% conclusion. The final opinion kept 1.0%.
Related skin concerns
Skin concerns with evidence for ingredients on this list.
Formula history
1 version of this formula on record.