Anua Azelaic Acid 10 Hyaluron Redness Soothing Serum
One of the few Korean cosmetic serums built openly around azelaic acid, buffered with hyaluronic acid to take the edge off. Azelaic acid is unusual in this category: it has genuine clinical history at prescription strengths for redness and blemish-prone skin, and it does not increase sun sensitivity the way an AHA does. At the cosmetic level used here it is a gentler, slower version of that. The texture is a light lotion rather than a watery drop.
What it is built around
Who it suits
Sensitive, combination and blemish-prone skin dealing with the look of persistent redness and lingering marks. It is a reasonable option for people who cannot tolerate acids or retinoids. Anyone with diagnosed rosacea should be having this conversation with a clinician, who can prescribe the higher strengths that the evidence actually rests on. Very dry skin may need extra moisturiser over the top.
How to use it
Evening to start, after toner, before moisturiser, every other night for the first fortnight. A pea-sized amount for the whole face. It can move to twice daily once tolerated. It does not conflict with sunscreen or niacinamide, and it is one of the few actives that plays reasonably well with a retinoid — though not on the same night at first.
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🙋 People also ask
What is the difference between essence and serum?
In Korean skincare, essence is typically a thinner, hydration-focused layer that preps skin, while serum is more concentrated with targeted actives like vitamin C or niacinamide. Essence usually comes first; serum follows. The line between them blurs, and not every routine needs both.
What is hyaluronic acid and how do you use it?
Hyaluronic acid is a humectant that draws water into the skin for a plumper, hydrated look. In Korean routines it's best applied to damp skin and sealed with a moisturizer on top, so the moisture it attracts stays locked in rather than evaporating.
What is the difference between essence, serum and ampoule?
Essence is the lightest and most hydration-focused, serum is more concentrated and targeted, and ampoule is the most concentrated of the three. The boundaries are marketing convention, not regulated definitions.
✍️ Written & reviewed by the KoreaPlus Editorial team — dermatologist-informed, cosmetic-science researched & source-cited. Last reviewed: 2026-08-23.
General educational information using cosmetic structure-function wording — not medical advice. Always patch-test new actives. © KoreaPlus.