Review

Korean Azelaic Acid Serum for Sensitive Skin: ANUA Compared

Community aggregator data and reader threads point to ANUA's Azelaic Acid 10 Turnover Serum as the most-used Korean azelaic acid pick for sensitive skin, with Dr. Ceuracle and Purito as documented alternatives and SKIN1004's centella ampoule as a buffering layer.

Published

ANUA Azelaic Acid 10 Turnover Serum is the option that shows up most often in community skincare tracking for sensitive skin: SkinSort lists it in 14,137 tracked routines, more than any other Korean azelaic acid serum, and its 30ml bottle holds 10% azelaic acid alongside three types of hyaluronic acid. Dr. Ceuracle Azelaic Acid Turnover Serum and Purito Advanced Grease Relief Azelaic Acid Serum both offer the same 10% concentration with different soothing partners (madecassoside for Dr. Ceuracle, kojic acid and tea tree water for Purito), and SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Ampoule holds no azelaic acid at all, so it works as a buffer layer instead of a competing active. The deciding axis for sensitive skin is not the percentage, since all three azelaic serums here sit at 10%; it is how much soothing base surrounds that percentage and whether the skin needs a buffer around it before or after use.

ANUA Azelaic Acid 10 Turnover Serum

ANUA Azelaic Acid 10 Turnover Serum, 30ml, sells for $24.00 on the brand's official US site (2026-09-13 check). The formula pairs 10% azelaic acid with three types of hyaluronic acid, panthenol, ceramide NP, and a seven-part centella complex, and it is formulated without denatured alcohol, artificial color, added oil, silicone, sulfate, or parabens. SkinSort's community database lists it as the most-tracked azelaic acid serum from a Korean brand, appearing at or near the top of its azelaic acid, brightening, and fungal-acne-safe category pages. The directions stated on the product page tell first-time users to apply 1-2 drops once or twice a week and build toward twice daily with up to 5 drops, a ramp-up pattern that sensitive-skin threads repeat when introducing any new active.

  • Pro: tracked in far more community routines than any comparable Korean azelaic acid serum on SkinSort.
  • Pro: combines three hyaluronic acid types with a seven-part cica complex in the same base.
  • Con: the introduction schedule starts at twice weekly before scaling to daily use.
  • Con: propylene glycol and sodium hydroxide sit near the top of the ingredient list as functional bases.

SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Ampoule

SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Ampoule, sold in 30ml, 55ml, and 100ml sizes at $9.50, $13.50, and $17.60 (SKIN1004 official site, 2026-09-08 check), holds seven ingredients: water, glycerin, butylene glycol, centella asiatica extract, 1,2-hexanediol, cellulose gum, and ethylhexylglycerin. Because it holds no azelaic acid, retinoid, or acid active of any kind, it layers under or over a 10% azelaic serum without adding a second active to the same routine. The gel-water texture spreads thin and settles without tackiness, which matters for a face already carrying an azelaic acid serum underneath or on top. One community comment aggregated from a sensitive-skin thread put it directly: for really reactive skin, start with the SKIN1004 Madagascar layer and introduce a stronger active slowly instead of combining two new actives at once. Available in three sizes, it lets someone testing tolerance start with the 30ml bottle before committing to 100ml. If sensitive skin flares after starting an azelaic acid serum, SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Ampoule is the layer to add before or after it, not instead of it.

Dr. Ceuracle Azelaic Acid Turnover Serum

Priced at $12.59 on Stylevana (2026-09-10 check), Dr. Ceuracle Azelaic Acid Turnover Serum packages 10% azelaic acid with madecassoside, panthenol, and chondrus crispus extract in a 30ml bottle. The brand markets it for oily, combination, and sensitive skin types prone to acne and redness, and its own directions advise very sensitive users to apply it 1-2 times a week before moving to everyday use. The centella-derived madecassoside sits alongside the azelaic acid instead of in a separate step, which is the same pairing logic sensitive-skin routines use when they add a plain centella product on non-active days.

  • Pro: pairs azelaic acid directly with centella-derived madecassoside in one ampoule.
  • Pro: formulated with combination and sensitive, redness-prone skin named on the product page.
  • Con: the brand limits first-time use to 1-2 applications a week.
  • Con: the texture is described as a slightly viscous ampoule rather than a light, water-thin serum.

Purito Advanced Grease Relief Azelaic Acid Serum

Purito Advanced Grease Relief Azelaic Acid Serum, 30ml, combines 10% azelaic acid with kojic acid and tea tree water in a fragrance-free base. Ingredient databases list it as non-comedogenic with a safety score of 4.2 out of 5, and its INCI opens with water, azelaic acid, and melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) leaf water ahead of niacinamide and hydroxyethylcellulose. The tea tree and kojic acid combination targets oil control alongside redness, which separates it from the plain hyaluronic acid pairing in the ANUA formula and the centella pairing in the Dr. Ceuracle ampoule.

  • Pro: pairs azelaic acid with kojic acid and tea tree water for oil control alongside redness.
  • Pro: formulated without added fragrance.
  • Con: tea tree leaf oil is flagged as a potential irritant in ingredient-safety databases.
  • Con: no published US storefront price was listed at the time of this check.
BrandProductAzelaic Acid %PriceSensitive Skin Notes
ANUAAzelaic Acid 10 Turnover Serum10%$24.00 (official site, 2026-09-13)Free of denatured alcohol, oils, silicones, sulfates, parabens; start with 1-2 drops
SKIN1004Madagascar Centella Ampoule0% (centella-only formula)$9.50 (30ml) / $13.50 (55ml) / $17.60 (100ml) (2026-09-08)Seven-ingredient gel-water base; brand positions it for dry, sensitive skin; layers around azelaic acid actives
Dr. CeuracleAzelaic Acid Turnover Serum10%$12.59 (Stylevana, 2026-09-10)Suitable for oily, combination, sensitive skin; brand advises 1-2x weekly start
PuritoAdvanced Grease Relief Azelaic Acid Serum10%Fragrance-free, non-comedogenic; paired with kojic acid and tea tree water

Sources: SkinSort, azelaic acid serums from Korean brands, Anua official product page, Stylevana, Dr. Ceuracle ampoule listing, Purito official product page.

refulgo
Menu