Head to head
CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum vs The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%
Same comparison whichever way you searched it: The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% vs CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum.
The bottom lineCeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum does more across the board (it leads on hydration, barrier repair, anti-aging), while The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% is the simpler, more pared-back pick.
Reach for CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum if you want the actives; The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% if you want fewer ingredients doing less, gently.
The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% keeps clear of pregnancy-flagged actives, while CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum carries one that is best paused in pregnancy.
Answer nine questions and the app picks between them for your skin.
Cost per use
€0.11 an applicationabout 150 uses from 30 ml
a usual amount, not a measured dose: 3-5 drops, about 0.2 ml; from €16 as read in September 2026 and a 30 ml pack.
how this is counted
About €0.11 an application, about 150 uses from 30 ml.
- a convention: no trial has measured a serum dose
- Measured or assumed: the rule, and the dose table
€0.15 an applicationabout 150 uses from 30 ml
a usual amount, not a measured dose: 3-5 drops, about 0.2 ml; from €23 as read in September 2026 and a 30 ml pack.
how this is counted
About €0.15 an application, about 150 uses from 30 ml.
- a convention: no trial has measured a serum dose
- Measured or assumed: the rule, and the dose table
Per application, CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum is the cheaper: €0.11 against €0.15.
Which should you pick?
Pick Resurfacing Retinol Serum if
- plump, lasting hydration is what you want
- fine lines and firmness are the goal
- you want the more affordable option
Pick Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% if
- you are pregnant or breastfeeding
- you prefer a simpler, more minimal formula
What each delivers
Side by side
| Resurfacing Retinol Serum | Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Serum | Serum |
| Key actives | Niacinamide, Ceramide 3, Retinol | Azelaic Acid, Isohexadecane, Vitamin E |
| Texture | A light, fast-absorbing texture that layers cleanly under the rest of your routine, with no greasy film. | A light, fast-absorbing texture that layers cleanly under the rest of your routine, with no greasy film. |
| Fragrance | None detected | None detected |
| Feeds Malassezia | 5 measured / 1 inferred | 1 measured / none inferred |
| Pregnancy | One caution | No flagged actives |
| Ingredients | 33 listed | 17 listed |
| Price | ~€16 | ~€23 |
What's in one but not the other
The two labels share 3 of the 47 ingredients between them. The actives are where they part company.
What each one adds acts on The living epidermis, The stratum corneum for CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum and The living epidermis, The stratum corneum for The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%. That is the layer each is understood to act on, not how deep it travels.
Only in CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum
Both
nothing
Only in The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%
The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% is a different bottle only for: azelaic acid, isohexadecane, vitamin e. They share nothing.
Which keeps longer
a pump and one light-sensitive active: the packaging is doing work here.
where this comes from
The pack form is read off the packshot; the light-sensitive actives are the base's photostability rows, sourced on each glossary page; the period after opening is not read yet. Catalogue checked September 2026.
a tube and one light-sensitive active: the packaging is doing work here.
where this comes from
The pack form is read off the packshot; the light-sensitive actives are the base's photostability rows, sourced on each glossary page; the period after opening (not printed) is read off the maker's page, never a reseller's. Catalogue checked September 2026.
CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum is the one to keep if you use it slowly: a pump, one light-sensitive active.
Where each label stops telling you the dose
Ingredients are listed in order of how much is inside, but only down to 1%. Below that the brand may list them in any order it likes, so the bottom of a label is a set, not a ranking. These two stop being a ranking in very different places.
CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum
ordered for its first 36%
- 1Aqua/Water/Eau
- 2Propanediol
- 3Dimethicone
- 4Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate
- 5Niacinamide
- 6Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
- 7Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
- 8Hydrogenated Lecithin
- 9Potassium Phosphate
- 10Ceramide NP
- 11Ceramide AP
- 12Ceramide EOP
- 13Carbomer
- 14Cetearyl Alcohol
- 15Behentrimonium Methosulfate
- 16Dimethiconol
- 17Lecithin
- 18Sodium Citrate
- 19Retinol
- 20Sodium Hyaluronate
- 21Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
- 22Cholesterol
- 23Phenoxyethanol
- 24Alcohol
- 25Isopropyl Myristate
- 26Caprylyl Glycol
- 27Citric Acid
- 28Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
- 29Pentylene Glycol
- 30Phytosphingosine
- 31Xanthan Gum
- 32Polysorbate 20
- 33Ethylhexylglycerin
21 of 33 sit below the line, marked by Carbomer. Including what it is sold on: Retinol.
The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%
ordered for its first 53%
- 1Aqua (Water)
- 2Isodecyl Neopentanoate
- 3Dimethicone
- 4Azelaic Acid
- 5Dimethicone/Bis-Isobutyl PPG-20 Crosspolymer
- 6Dimethyl Isosorbide
- 7Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
- 8Polysilicone-11
- 9Isohexadecane
- 10Tocopherol
- 11Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
- 12Isoceteth-20
- 13Polysorbate 60
- 14Triethanolamine
- 15Ethoxydiglycol
- 16Phenoxyethanol
- 17Chlorphenesin
8 of 17 sit below the line, marked by Tocopherol.
Below the line is not too little to work: ceramides, retinoids and peptides all act far under a percent. It means the position stops carrying information. Where the line falls is inferred from the first ingredient whose whole job is done at a fraction of a percent, so it is a close read of the label rather than a number from the formula sheet.
The molecule doing the work
Better for…
- Dark spots & uneven toneEither works
- Fine lines & firmnessResurfacing Retinol Serum
- Breakouts & congestionEither works
- Dryness & dehydrationResurfacing Retinol Serum
- Sensitive, reactive skinAzelaic Acid Suspension 10%
Who each suits
- CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum
- dry, combination, oily, sensitive, normal · avoid with breastfeeding, compromised barrier, pregnancy and very sensitive skin
- The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%
- combination, oily, normal · avoid with acne-prone skin, very dry skin (needing an occlusive) and very sensitive skin
CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum is the cheaper of the two (~€16 vs ~€23).
Ready to pick one?
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Common questions
Is CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum or The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% better for fine lines & firmness?
For fine lines & firmness, CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum is the stronger pick by our read of the two formulas. CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum does more across the board (it leads on hydration, barrier repair, anti-aging), while The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% is the simpler, more pared-back pick. Reach for CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum if you want the actives; The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% if you want fewer ingredients doing less, gently. The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% keeps clear of pregnancy-flagged actives, while CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum carries one that is best paused in pregnancy.
Which is cheaper, CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum or The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%?
CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum is the cheaper of the two (~€16 vs ~€23).
Can I use CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum and The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% together?
They are both serums, so you would normally pick one rather than layer both in the same step. You can keep both and alternate them (morning and night, or on different days) if you like variety, but you do not need two.
What the scene shows
The cross-section at the top of this page is not decoration and not a diagram of the skin in general: it places the molecules these two are sold on at the layer each is understood to act on. CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum is placed by Niacinamide (the living epidermis), Ceramide 3 (the stratum corneum), Retinol (the living epidermis). The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% is placed by Azelaic Acid (the living epidermis), Isohexadecane (the stratum corneum), Vitamin E (the stratum corneum). A layer is where an ingredient does its work, never how deep it travels, and never a claim about how well it works.
Compare it with…
54 duels are built for this serum, The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion and Celimax The Vita A Retinal Shot Tightening Booster among them: type a name, or pick one below.