When I was suffering from hormonal acne, the number one recommendation SkinTok kept giving me was azelaic acid. This "wonder" ingredient was everywhere and was celebrated for its soothing, breakout-reducing benefits and accessibility, versus prescription retinoids like tretinoin and adapalene. But the stuff never worked for me long-term, and only caused more sensitivity as I continued to use it.
Look, I'm not here to slate azelaic acid as an ingredient. I know plenty of acne sufferers who have experienced great success with the active and swear by it. But just like tretinoin, I don't think it works for everybody; I'm living proof. So when I heard about another ingredient that had similar benefits, without the irritation, I was all ears. Enter: dioic acid. This ingredient can work wonderfully for acne and post-breakout marks, and is gentle and non-drying. Here's what the experts want you to know...
