What Azelaic Acid Actually Does
Azelaic acid is a dicarboxylic acid that occurs naturally in grains like wheat, rye, and barley. Your skin already encounters trace amounts of it. At the 10 to 20% concentrations used in skincare formulations, it does three distinct things: it inhibits tyrosinase (the enzyme that triggers melanin overproduction), it kills the bacteria responsible for acne, and it reduces the abnormal skin cell growth that causes bumps and rough texture. These are not vague claims, the 20% prescription-strength formulation has been approved by the US FDA for rosacea and acne since the late 1990s, and the mechanism on tyrosinase inhibition is well-documented in dermatological literature, including a widely cited 2010 review in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology by Breathnach et al.
