Naturium was launched in 2019 by The Center, a Los Angeles brand accelerator, and Susan Yara joined as a founder in 2020, according to the press release from e.l.f. Beauty. In August 2023 e.l.f. announced it would acquire the brand, and Yara said in that release that they had built the company "in less than four years." The best-sellers named in the announcement were the Glow Getter body wash, the Vitamin C Complex Serum and the Dew-Glow Moisturizer SPF 50.

That history matters for the serum, because naturium azelaic acid is the version of the ingredient made for a daily routine. Azelaic acid occurs naturally in wheat, rye and barley, and the prescription forms are stronger: the 15% gel sold as Finacea is indicated for the bumps and pustules of mild to moderate rosacea. Naturium's 10% serum is a different thing. The brand's own page says it contains a glycinated azelaic acid complex with niacinamide, vitamin C and coffee seed extract, and claims it improves skin tone and texture in just 8 weeks. So it is a derivative, not pure azelaic acid, and it is cosmetic, not a prescription.

You may also see it as Naturium Azelaic Topical Acid 10%, the older name that some listings still use. The brand's site now calls it the Azelaic Acid Derivative Complex 10%. Same bottle idea, new label.

The first grid is that serum plus seven more Naturium treatments. The second grid is other azelaic serums, boosters and creams. My tip: add one active at a time, so you know what is bothering you if skin gets cranky.

Start with the Naturium Azelaic Acid Derivative Complex 10%. It is the one for redness, blemishes and uneven tone, and the extras in the formula (niacinamide and vitamin C) mean it does a little more than a single-ingredient bottle. If you are looking for the product still sold as naturium azelaic topical acid 10%, this is it.

Two other serums sit nearby in purpose. The Tranexamic Topical Acid 5% pairs tranexamic acid with kojic acid, niacinamide and licorice for dark spots, so it is the fade-the-marks partner. The Niacinamide Serum 12% Plus Zinc 2% is for visible pores and oil balance, and it is the most reviewed of the group. Higher niacinamide can feel tingly on some faces, so test it first.

For brightness there are three more. The Vitamin C Complex Serum uses stabilized L-ascorbic acid, the Multi-Bright Advanced Serum uses lactic and glycolic acid complexes with L-arginine, and the Glycolic Acid Resurfacing Gel 10% is the strongest-sounding exfoliator in the line. The BHA Liquid Exfoliant 2% is the pore-clearing one, with encapsulated salicylic acid and fruit acids.

At night, the Retinaldehyde Cream Serum 0.05% is the gentler starting strength, a sustained-release cream-serum.

What I would skip: stacking the glycolic gel, the BHA and the retinaldehyde in one week. Pick one exfoliating step, keep azelaic in the morning or at night, and give the rest a different evening.

Everyone in this grid is going for the same overlap: redness, dark spots, or both. The INKEY List SuperSolutions 10% Azelaic Serum is a gel serum for persistent redness, with allantoin to soothe. Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster is a lightweight cream that pairs azelaic with salicylic acid at 0.5%, a good fit if post-blemish marks and texture are the problem. The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% is a cream that brightens skin, and it is the most reviewed here.

Shani Darden Skin Care makes the Rescue Serum With 10% Azelaic Complex for dark spots, with oat and aloe to reduce redness and licorice to soothe. Lion Pose Unspotted 4X goes a different route: it blends azelaic, glycolic, lactic and tranexamic acids, and carries an Allure 2024 Best of Beauty Award in its listing. It is the more active choice for acne scars and dark spots.

ALPYN's 3-in-1 Barrier Repair Serum uses azelaic acid with a Snap-8 peptide and centella for dark spots, fine lines and redness. INNBEAUTY PROJECT Calm The Red Down is a dual serum with 5% azelaic acid, centella and peptides, made for redness and blotchiness. Dieux Deliverance is the one for redness, wrinkles and dark spots at once, and its listing shows an Allure 2025 Best of Beauty Award.

What I would skip: the strongest acid blends if your face stings with a plain moisturizer. Begin with the cream or the soothing gel serum, patch-test behind the ear, and move up from there.

I think azelaic acid is the calmer member of the active family, the one I would reach for when redness is the main complaint and I want something I can keep using. The Naturium serum is an easy place to begin because it also carries niacinamide and vitamin C. The second grid shows what a booster, a cream or a firmer blend feels like next. Whatever you choose, give a new step a few weeks before you decide, and keep sunscreen in the morning.

 

For the body, I wrote a separate guide to each Naturium body wash and the active inside it.