Head to head
La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Suractivated Serum vs The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%
Same comparison whichever way you searched it: The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% vs La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Suractivated Serum.
The bottom lineLa Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Suractivated Serum and The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% are close on what they deliver, so it comes down to your skin: The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% is the kinder pick for sensitive or reactive skin since it is fragrance-free.
Answer nine questions and the app picks between them for your skin.
Cost per use
$0.27 an applicationabout 150 uses from 30 ml
a usual amount, not a measured dose: 3-5 drops, about 0.2 ml; from $40 as read in September 2026 and a 30 ml pack.
how this is counted
About $0.27 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, The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% is the cheaper: €0.15 against $0.27.
Which should you pick?
Pick Hyalu B5 Suractivated Serum if
- plump, lasting hydration is what you want
- fine lines and firmness are the goal
- your breakouts are the fungal kind (Malassezia): nothing on its label was measured to feed the yeast
Pick Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% if
- you are dealing with breakouts and oiliness
- your skin is sensitive or reacts to fragrance
- you want the more affordable option
What each delivers
Side by side
| Hyalu B5 Suractivated Serum | Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Serum | Serum |
| Key actives | Glycerin, Pro-vitamin B5, Hyaluronic acid | 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 | Contains fragrance | None detected |
| Feeds Malassezia | none measured / none inferred | 1 measured / none inferred |
| Pregnancy | No flagged actives | No flagged actives |
| Ingredients | 32 listed | 17 listed |
| Price | ~$40 | ~€23 |
What's in one but not the other
The two labels share 4 of the 45 ingredients between them. The actives are where they part company.
What each one adds acts on The stratum corneum, The living epidermis, Not established for La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Suractivated 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 La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Suractivated 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 dropper bottle and nothing on this label that light breaks; the period after opening not read yet.
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.
La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Suractivated Serum is the one to keep if you use it slowly: a dropper bottle, nothing on this label that light breaks.
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.
La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Suractivated Serum
ordered for its first 81%
- 1Aqua/Water/Eau
- 2Glycerin
- 3Alcohol Denat
- 4Propylene Glycol
- 5Panthenol
- 6Pentylene Glycol
- 7Dimethicone
- 8PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
- 9Alpinia Galanga Leaf Extract
- 10Calcium Chloride
- 11Glyceryl Isostearate
- 12Madecassoside
- 13PPG-6-Decyltetradeceth-30
- 14Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
- 15Sodium Hyaluronate
- 16Algin
- 17Adenosine
- 18Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
- 19Propanediol
- 20Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
- 21Hydroxyacetophenone
- 22Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
- 23Caprylyl Glycol
- 24Citric Acid
- 25Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
- 26Acetyl Glucosamine
- 27Xanthan Gum
- 28Butylene Glycol
- 291,2-Hexanediol
- 30Tocopherol
- 31Phenoxyethanol
- 32Parfum/Fragrance
6 of 32 sit below the line, marked by Xanthan Gum.
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 & firmnessHyalu B5 Suractivated Serum
- Breakouts & congestionAzelaic Acid Suspension 10%
- Dryness & dehydrationHyalu B5 Suractivated Serum
- Sensitive, reactive skinAzelaic Acid Suspension 10%
Who each suits
- La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Suractivated Serum
- dry, sensitive, normal
- The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%
- combination, oily, normal · avoid with acne-prone skin, very dry skin (needing an occlusive) and very sensitive skin
The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% is the cheaper of the two (~€23 vs ~$40).
Ready to pick one?
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Common questions
Is La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Suractivated Serum or The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% better for fine lines & firmness?
For fine lines & firmness, La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Suractivated Serum is the stronger pick by our read of the two formulas. La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Suractivated Serum and The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% are close on what they deliver, so it comes down to your skin: The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% is the kinder pick for sensitive or reactive skin since it is fragrance-free.
Which is cheaper, La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Suractivated Serum or The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%?
The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% is the cheaper of the two (~€23 vs ~$40).
Can I use La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Suractivated 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. La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Suractivated Serum is placed by Glycerin (the stratum corneum), Pro-vitamin B5 (the stratum corneum), Hyaluronic acid (the stratum corneum). 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 Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) and Celimax The Vita A Retinal Shot Tightening Booster among them: type a name, or pick one below.