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Finacea 15% Gel Information
Are you suffering from rosacea or acne and looking for a prescription-strength treatment? Finacea can significantly help improve mild to moderate facial acne and papulopustular rosacea after just 4 weeks.
Finacea Gel is available to purchase online from The Independent Pharmacy. Following a short consultation with our medical team, you can get your azelaic acid gel delivered straight to your door with our fast and discreet UK delivery and competitive prices.
Finacea 15% (Azelaic Acid) Gel information
What is Finacea Gel and what is it used for?
Finacea contains the active ingredient azelaic acid and is a prescription-only gel used to treat mild to moderate facial acne and rosacea. Azelaic acid can help to refine the surface of your skin, reduce the appearance of blemishes, and reveal a more even skin tone.
Finacea gel is suitable for adults over the age of 18 years that have tried other topical treatments that have not been effective. It should be applied directly to the affected skin on the face twice each day. In general, the benefits of this medication are felt after a month of use. More details can be found on our about Finacea page.
Finacea gel is a medication made in the UK by Bayer AG, a German pharmaceutical company.
What is azelaic acid?
Azelaic acid is a saturated dicarboxylic acid. It’s a naturally-occurring acid that’s found in barley, wheat and rye. Azelaic acid is also produced naturally by Malassezia furfur (Pityrosporum ovale), a type of fungus found on human skin.
Azelaic acid has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. This makes it an effective treatment for common skin conditions such as acne and rosacea. Azelaic acid can help tackle skin conditions in the following ways:
- It encourages cell turnover to help your skin heal faster and reduce scarring
- It cleans the bacteria that causes acne from your skin pores
- It makes acne less visible by reducing inflammation
While azelaic acid is a potent treatment, it’s suitable for all skin types. This means it’s OK to use azelaic acid if you have sensitive or normal skin. Indeed, taking it can help you whether you’re dealing with acne, rosacea, or just patches of dull or impure skin.
What is Rosacea?
Rosacea is a common skin condition that causes redness, flushing, swelling and a bumpy rash to appear on the sufferer’s face. Although Rosacea affects 1 in 10 people, its exact cause is unknown and there is currently no cure. It is thought to occur when peptides in the skin become inflamed.
People with rosacea will go through periods of flare-up and remission. Flare-ups can occur due to triggers such as stress, caffeine, alcohol, physical exertion and certain types of light and weather. If a flare-up is particularly bad, a treatment such as Finacea may be prescribed.
Rosacea is a condition that normally affects the face. Common symptoms include:
- Flushing
- Redness
- Blood vessels showing through the skin
- Thickening of the skin
- Bloodshot eyes
- Eye dryness
- Red bumps and spots
- Papules
- Pustules
- Cystic acne
How does Finacea work for rosacea?
Finacea contains the active ingredient azelaic acid. Azelaic acid works by blocking the body’s natural production and growth of keratin surface skin cells, which are responsible for clogging up pores. By tackling the production and growth of these surface skin cells, Finacea gets to the root cause of acne and rosacea and helps to unblock the pores and sebaceous glands. As a result, papules, pustules and spots are much less likely to occur on the face. This also means that the swelling and redness of the skin normally associated with rosacea decreases too.
The azelaic acid in Finacea gel also works by killing off the bacteria on the skin that is associated with acne and rosacea. This bacteria — propionibacterium — feeds off your body’s sebum and produces fatty acids and waste products. These lead to irritation of the sebaceous glands, which inflames them (causing redness and swelling) and creates spots and bumpy rashes on the face.
How long does it take for Finacea to work?
If used correctly, Finacea can reduce the visible effects of rosacea over the course of a few months. Improvements in rosacea or acne can usually be seen within the first month of using the gel. If you are not seeing improvements to your skin after 4 weeks or your skin is worsening you should get advice from a doctor or pharmacist.
However, it’s important to mention that you need to be consistent with your use of Finacea: improvements will only occur if you are regularly applying the gel to the area, twice a day. Any breaks in your use of Finacea will impede the success rate of the gel. This is due to azelaic acid in the gel no longer unclogging the pores and glands on your face, or killing the bacteria on the skin.
Does Finacea work for everyone?
Finacea has a relatively high success rate when it comes to treating rosacea and acne, and many users report an improvement in their condition thanks to Finacea. However, Finacea doesn’t work for everyone. Some people may find that Finacea makes no difference to their rosacea or acne and will need a stronger medication. Alternative treatments can be found over on our Advice for Rosacea page.
Finacea gel vs. other rosacea creams
Finacea vs. Rozex gel
What are the differences between Finacea and Rozex rosacea gel? The most notable difference is that Finacea contains azelaic acid, whereas Rozex gel contains the antibiotic Metronidazole. Both are prescription-only topical treatments available to buy online from The Independent Pharmacy. Find out more about Rozex in our guide: What is Rozex?.
Finacea vs. Mirvaso and Soolantra
Product
Finacea gel Mirvaso gel Soolantra cream Active ingredient
Azelaic acid
Brimonidine tartrate
Ivermectin
Used to treat:
Rosacea & acne
Rosacea
Rosacea
Prescription-only
Yes
Yes
Yes
How it works
Prevents keratin cells from blocking pores & kills bacteria on the skin
Decreases the flow of blood through the vessels (reduces redness)
Anti-inflammatory & anti-parasitic
Finacea & Skinoren
Finacea and Skinoren cream contain the same active ingredient but at different strengths. Skinoren cream is stronger and used to treat mild, hormonal, and cystic acne. It’s also used to treat acne scars, dark spots, and darker skin tones caused by skin conditions. Finacea is slightly milder and is therefore licensed to treat rosacea and milder acne.
Sources
- Finacea, Patient Information Leaflet: https://www.medicines.org.uk/e...
- https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/rosacea/
- https://bnf.nice.org.uk/drug/a...
How to apply Finacea gel
Always use this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.
- Before you apply Finacea, clean the skin thoroughly with water and dry. You may use a mild skin-cleansing agent.
- Apply Finacea to the affected skin areas twice a day (in the morning and the evening) and rub it gently into the skin. Approximately 2.5 cm, which is equal to 0.5 g(1 inch) of gel, is sufficient for the entire face.
- Wash your hands after applying the gel.
Finacea works more effectively if used continuously over the entire period of treatment.
Finacea gel ingredients
The active ingredient contained in Finacea is: Azelaic Acid 15%.
Finacea gel also contains the following inactive ingredients to make up the complete product:
- Lecithin (soy)
- Triglycerides (medium chain)
- Propylene glycol
- Polysorbate 80
- Carbomer 980
- Sodium hydroxide
- Disodium edetate
- Purified water
- Benzoic acid
Finacea gel side effects
Not everyone will experience side effects when they use Finacea, but for some, they may include burning, stinging, itching or dry skin where the gel is applied.
Very common (less than 1 in 10 people):- Burning
- Pain
- Itching
Common
- Rash
- Tingling
- Numbness
- Dry skin
If you are concerned about these effects, or if the product affects you in any other way, stop using it and talk to your doctor or pharmacist. For more information, read our full Finacea side effects page.
Finacea warnings
Reading the following warnings carefully to ensure you are selecting an appropriate product.
- Topical Finacea gel is unsuitable for you if you are allergic to any of its ingredients.
- Do not use other skin treatments while using Finacea gel.
- Finacea gel contains benzoic acid, which can mildly irritate the skin, eyes and mucous membranes. Propylene glycol may also have an irritant effect.
- Cases of worsening asthma after using azelaic acid cream have been reported rarely during post-marketing surveillance.
Finacea, Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
You should speak to a doctor or pharmacist for advice before using Finacea Gel if you are trying to get pregnant, are currently pregnant or are breastfeeding.
Please read all packaging and the Patient Information Leaflet before taking any new medicine and inform your doctor of medicines you are taking or intend to take.
Alternative acne treatments
Finacea is proven to be effective at treating acne, but it isn’t the only treatment you can use. Indeed, it may be that it’s not the appropriate medication for your specific condition and circumstances.
These are some of the alternative acne treatments you can use:
Acnecide Gel
- A leave-on treatment for acne and spots
- Kills bacteria on the skin and unblocks pores
- Contains the active ingredient of benzoyl peroxide
- Visit our Acnecide Gel page to discover more
Differin Cream & Gel
- A prescription topical acne treatment
- Helps to reduce blocked pores and exfoliate the skin
- Contains the active ingredient of adapalene
- Visit our Differin Cream & Gel page to discover more
Epiduo Gel
- A prescription combination acne treatment
- Contains two active ingredients; benzoyl peroxide and adapalene
- Kills bacteria on the skin, unblocks pores and exfoliates
- Visit our Epiduo Gel page to discover more
You could also try non-medicinal treatments for acne, such as tea tree oil or mild soap. The important thing is you pick a treatment that can help you get beautifully smooth skin in the safest and most appropriate way.
If you need help establishing which acne treatment is right for you, let us know. The Independent Pharmacy can provide assistance. We’ll be happy to discuss your condition with you and determine the best course of action.
Finacea 15% (Azelaic Acid) Gel reviews
Finacea 15% (Azelaic Acid) Gel FAQs
Finacea gel is used to treat mild or moderate rosacea of the facial area. It treats the red bumps, cystic pimples and pustules associated with papulopustular rosacea. It can also be used to treat milder cases of acne, especially where Skinoren cream has proved to be too strong.
Finacea gel works using an active ingredient known as azelaic acid. This ingredient works by reducing your body’s natural production and growth of keratin surface skin cells, which can block your pores. By reducing this production, the pore-blocking can also be reduced, allowing your sebaceous glands to get rid of sebum, decreasing the formation of papules, pustules and spots.
Azelaic acid gel also works by killing the bacteria associated with acne that feed off your body’s sebum. The bacteria produce waste products and fatty acids that irritate the sebaceous glands, inflaming them and creating spots.
Regular use of this topical treatment is important. Improvement only generally occurs after at least one month of treatment. Stop using the gel if your symptoms do not improve after a month (acne) or two months (rosacea). To obtain the best results, it is best to use Finacea gel over a period of several months.
There have been no reported effects when using Finacea gel in conjunction with other medications and it is ok to use alongside other oral treatments. If in doubt, check with your doctor or pharmacist before using other creams for rosacea or acne alongside it.
It is recommended by the manufacturer to avoid using alcoholic cleansers, tinctures, astringents, abrasives and peeling agents alongside it.
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, inform your doctor before you start using Finacea gel.
Whether or not topical Finacea is safe for use during pregnancy is not known, but only low levels of it are actually absorbed through the skin. For this reason, it should only be used during pregnancy if your doctor thinks it necessary.
It is unlikely that Finacea will pose any risk to a breastfeeding infant if used by the mother. To be extra careful, do not apply this medication to the breasts before feeding in order to avoid direct contact with the child.
Yes. In fact, it’s a common side effect of the gel, especially in the first few weeks of use. In most cases, the itchiness and redness will go down by itself. You can always reduce the frequency of application to every other day for the first few weeks as your skin gets used to the treatment. If you have an allergic reaction, cease using the gel and seek medical advice.
A 30g tube of Finacea gel costs £19.99, but you can save money by buying more than one tube at a time if you know you are going to need it for a long time.
Finacea topical gel can be used to treat acne, as well as hyperpigmentation. It can also help to fade light surface scars, including dark marks.
Generally, Finacea gets positive reviews from patients. It’s important to follow instructions carefully when it comes to applying Finacea.
Still unsure about this treatment?
Ask our medical team for impartial information and advice about any treatment we provide or medical condition that we treat before you buy.
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