Azelaic Acid popped up on my radar sometime during the middle of 2019 (although it has been building momentum for a couple of years already).
 

Once a week I would sit on my couch with a view of the Stellenbosch mountains and chat to SKOON’s chemist about trending ingredients. To say he was enthusiastic about Azelaic Acid would be a gross understatement ☺. After looking at all the research on this ‘rising star’ ingredient I found myself equally excited.
 

Here are all the reasons!
 

Possibly the fact that Azelaic Acid has all the makings of a stellar skin care ingredient.
 

Definitely the fact that Azelaic Acid is quite a comprehensive multi-tasker. Multi-tasking ingredients are the differentiators between good and great skin care.
 

Now, as you all know I always start a blog with a sweet treat and a cup of coffee. A cold, almost-Spring day like today calls for a slice of warm apple tart with a blob of cream…but no, I am on a 90 day sugar detox so today let’s just share a cup of coffee (on my side I am secretly hoping three months will pass in a flash!)
 

Back to the topic at hand. Let’s find out more!
 

What is Azelaic Acid?

The good news first. Your skin is familiar with Azelaic Acid since it is a natural by-product produced by yeast called Malassezia furfur that forms part of your skin microbiome (just a fancy collective term for your healthy skin flora).
 

I see a lot of blogs referring to the fact that Azelaic Acid is also found in whole grains like wheat, rye, barley, oats and sorghum. Hmm… this is certainly a long and impressive list and leaves the impression of skincare brands bashing wheat around to harvest Azelaic Acid ☺.
 

In reality, most of the azelaic acid 20% used in skin care products is lab-engineered for maximum stability and effectiveness. At SKOON. we use Azelaic Acid made from RSPO certified palm oil – so no worries about gluten.