Azelaic Acid

Azelaic Acid is an acid found primarily in grains such as barley, wheat and rye. Azelaic Acid contains a natural yeast that can live on healthy skin, reducing bacteria and improving overall skin health. Azelaic Acid is almost entirely used topically - meaning that it is applied to the outside of the scalp, and not usually taken in oral supplement form.

Azelaic Acid is known to have three distinct purposes:

Reduce acne.
Grow hair.
Treat rosacea.

Benefits of Using Azelaic Acid

Azelaic Acid's most well known use is to treat acne. In fact, Azelaic Acid can be found in a variety of different facial acne creams. It works in two ways:

It keeps pores clear and small so that they do not turn into acne.
It reduces bacteria in and around pores in order to stop the formation of acne.

Azelaic Acid products are powerful enough that they are often prescribed by doctors to treat acne causing skin conditions. It is also able to reduce inflammation, which may reduce the appearance of acne.

Azelaic Acid is also known for its ability to stimulate hair growth. A research report from 1988 suggests that when it is combined with zinc and vitamin B6, Azelaic Acid has the ability to inhibit the enzyme known as 5 alpha reductase - an enzyme that is known to convert testosterone to DHT, which causes hair loss in males. Provided it is couples with the right vitamins and extracts, Azelaic Acid can be effective for preventing hair loss.

Finally, Azelaic Acid has been shown to reduce inflammation, which has made it an effective treatment for rosacea. It is considered a 'scavenger of free radicals.' When it eliminates these free radicals, inflammation decreases and redness goes away.

How Safe is Azelaic Acid?

The safety of Azelaic Acid is one of the reasons for its popularity. Azelaic Acid is non-toxic and most people have a very high tolerance for its properties when applied topically. A high amount of the acid can result in mild skin irritation, but this is infrequent. In addition, Azelaic Acid is not prone to photosensitivity, and does not cause antibiotic resistant bacteria like many other skin creams.