Sesderma Azelac Ru Gel Cream – Review

This post will review the Sesderma Azelac Ru Gel Cream.

As someone who has been dealing with hyperpigmentation from acne scars for the last few years, I always have a bottle of dark spot serums at all times with extras in my stash.

I’m not really a fan of vitamin C, so I typically just use the serum in the morning with SPF and sometimes in the night with my Tretinoin.

The last one I finished was the Niche Beauty Labs PIH Sun Spot Fading Treatment, which was generally unimpressive, but I still tried to exhaust it.

I’ll be sharing all my favourite hyperpigmentation serums in a new post.

Naturally, to unbox a new one, I had to choose between the Topicals Faded serum and the Sesderma Azelac Ru Gel Cream.

Seeing that I have used one tube of the former before, I gravitated towards the latter.

Sesderma is a Spanish dermatology brand that was established in 1989.

Every now and then, I’m always on the lookout for other European products to try, and I’m glad I discovered this brand.

I’ve used the product for a bit, and I have some thoughts.

First Impressions of the Sesderma Azelac Ru Gel Cream

According to Sesderma;

Cream gel with depigmenting active ingredients and growth factors not only helps reduce skin blemishes but also diminishes the signs of skin photoaging and small wrinkles.

It’s fantastic!

If you want to flaunt natural and spotless skin, you have to try it!

In addition, you can use it all year round.

Ingredient List & Fragrance

The first time I heard about this product was on TikTok.

Someone recommended it, and after taking a quick look at the packed ingredient list, I was immediately sold.

Here’s how Sesderma explains the ingredient list:

Contains azelaic acid, 4-butilresorcinol, tranexamic acid, diacetil boldina, undecylenic phenylalanine, vitamin C, glycyrrhetinic acid, retinol and 4 growth factor of plant origin which improve the skin’s appearance: HGH: Inhibits the formation of melanin. / Unifies the skin tone. EGF: Stimulates cellular growth, proliferation and differentiation (collagen, elastin, fibronectin). / Multiplies the skin proteins. TGF-BETA2: Regeneration of the dermal matrix. / Strengthens the dermal support. IGF: Re-densification and detoxification

To tackle pigmentation, the product is formulated with;

• Azelaic Acid
• Ascorbyl Glucoside
• Tranexamic Acid
• Undecylenoyl Phenylalanine
• 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid

For photoaging, it has;

• Bakuchiol
• Retinol
• Retinal

Other notable ingredients include Mineral Oil and Vitamin E.

Unfortunately, it also has alcohol and fragrance, which I’m not a fan of as it doesn’t dissipate after application; rather, it lingers.

So, if you’re not a fan of skincare fragrances, I suggest you stay away from this one.

At first glance, this product has a lot of potential.

But after examining the ingredient list closely and using it for a while, it ends up being a hit or a miss.

Packaging, Texture & Consistency

This product is packaged in a 50ml pump bottle, which is an excellent choice.

Anything other than an opaque bottle bottle will expose the product to light and degrade the efficiency of the ingredients.

It is formulated as a gel cream which makes it suitable for all skin types.

It also has a very lightweight consistency, which sinks immediately into the skin on application.

Depending on what product you use underneath, it leaves a natural to matte finish.

I strongly suggest you use a pea-sized amount to prevent the risk of irritations.

Again, the idea behind the product is great, but the execution is not so good.

Price & Availability.

I got the product directly from the Sesderma website for £27.95, and it was shipped directly to my home.

From what I can see, it is easily accessible in stores in Mainland Europe.

But if you really want to get it online, I suggest you get it directly from the brand’s website.

Review of the Sesderma Azelac Ru Gel Cream

I didn’t like this product for two reasons;

• It felt raw on my skin. Another look at the ingredient list shows the lack of soothing ingredients like Centella Asiatica, Allantoin, and Adenosine to buffer the product’s many actives. This product could easily damage your skin barrier if it is not used carefully.
• It conflicts with the rest of my routine. I’ve been able to build my tolerance with Tretinoin up to 0.1%, and I’d rather not tamper with my routine by trying to fit in a product with Retinol/Retinal. I’ve also been trying to simplify my routine to the barest minimum and prioritize hydrating products instead. So, unfortunately, this product doesn’t work for me right now.

Regardless, I tried testing the product on my non-Tret days to see how I could incorporate it into my routine.

I used it for a bit before passing it to my brother, who is dealing with a lot of pigmentation at the moment.

Personal Verdict

Seeing as I haven’t used it long enough, I cannot speak about its efficiency.

But I’ll recommend using this product if you want a single product to deal with hyperpigmentation and ageing concerns rather than layering multiple products.

It looks like Sesderma takes a similar approach to Paula’s Choice, combining multiple ingredients to treat multiple concerns simultaneously.

This approach is cheaper in the long run, and it allows you to kill multiple birds with one stone.

In Conclusion,

As I said earlier, the idea behind the Sesderma Azelac Ru Gel Cream is excellent.

I actually like the combination of ingredients; I mean, for once, there is no Niacinamide, which is usually in all products.

I just wish it could be improved by removing the alcohol and fragrance and including more soothing ingredients to improve the delivery of the products.