Skinoren Cream: Uses, Price in Pakistan, How to Use and Side Effects

Skinoren is one of the most searched skin creams in Pakistan. People buy it for pimples, for the brown marks pimples leave behind, and for melasma (chhaiyan). It is a prescription-strength cream, it stings at first, and it works slowly, so knowing what to expect decides whether you stick with it long enough to see results.

Here's what it is, what it treats, how to use it and what to pair it with.

What is Skinoren cream?

Skinoren is made by Bayer. Its one active ingredient is:

• Azelaic acid 20%, an acid that occurs naturally in grains such as wheat and barley. On the skin it kills acne bacteria, slows the build-up of dead skin cells that block pores, and calms redness.

Azelaic acid also slows down overactive pigment cells (melanocytes), which is why it is used for dark marks and melasma as well as acne. It has little effect on skin that is not overproducing pigment, so it evens skin tone rather than bleaching it.

In Pakistan Skinoren is sold in a 10g tube, and pharmacies list it as a prescription medicine. Bayer also makes a 15% gel (Skinoren Gel) in some countries, which is a different product used mainly for rosacea.

What is Skinoren cream used for?

• Acne (its licensed use). Bayer's prescribing information lists one indication: topical treatment of acne. It helps both blocked pores (blackheads and whiteheads) and red, inflamed pimples.
• Dark marks after acne. The flat brown spots left after a pimple heals. Dermatologists often prescribe Skinoren for these, especially in brown skin, where marks last longest.
• Melasma. Patchy brown pigmentation on the cheeks, forehead and upper lip. Azelaic acid 20% is one of the options dermatologists use, often alongside a hydroquinone cream such as the ones in our melasma cream guide, and always with sunblock.

It is not a whitening cream, and it does not treat fungal rashes, eczema or wrinkles.

How do you use Skinoren cream?

1. Wash your face with a gentle cleanser and pat it completely dry.
2. Squeeze out about 2.5 cm of cream (roughly half a gram). Bayer says this is enough for the whole face.
3. Rub a thin layer into all the affected skin, not just the spots, morning and evening.
4. If your skin is sensitive, use it once a day at night for the first week, then go up to twice a day.
5. Keep it away from your eyes, mouth and the inside of your nose, and wash your hands afterwards.
6. Wear sunblock every morning, especially if you are using it for marks or melasma. Our sunblock guide lists options at every price.

Bayer advises using Skinoren regularly for several months for the best result. Putting on more cream does not make it work faster; it only makes the stinging worse.

What can you use with Skinoren?

• Niacinamide in the morning works well with azelaic acid for marks and redness. See our guide to niacinamide serums for oily skin.
• Adapalene at night, if a dermatologist recommends it for stubborn acne. Start one product at a time so you know which one is causing any irritation. Our adapalene gel guide explains how to start it.
• A clindamycin lotion such as Acsolve for red, inflamed pimples, on a doctor's advice.
• Avoid stacking it with other strong acids (glycolic or salicylic peels) or scrubs in the same routine while your skin is adjusting.

What are the side effects of Skinoren cream?

The most common side effects listed in Bayer's prescribing information are at the application site:

• Burning or stinging, usually for the first few minutes after applying it and mostly in the first two weeks.
• Itching.
• Redness, dryness or peeling. A plain moisturiser helps.

Less often, people notice a rash, swelling or lightening of the skin where it is applied. Bayer also notes that worsening of asthma has rarely been reported in people using azelaic acid. If your skin blisters, swells or the irritation does not settle after two weeks, stop and see a doctor.

Who should check with a doctor first?

• Anyone allergic to azelaic acid or to any ingredient in the cream.
• People with asthma, given the rare reports above.
• Pregnant women. Azelaic acid is often considered one of the safer acne and pigmentation treatments in pregnancy, but there are no well-controlled studies in pregnant women, so ask first.
• Breastfeeding mothers. Bayer says infants must not come into contact with treated skin, so do not apply it to the chest.
• Anyone using it for patches you have not had diagnosed. Not every brown patch is melasma, and a dermatologist should look at new or changing spots.

Skinoren cream price in Pakistan

Skinoren 20% cost Rs 729 for a 10g tube at Healthwire (MRP Rs 810) and Rs 808 at Derma.pk on 9 November 2026. Dawaai still shows an older price of Rs 355.50 (MRP Rs 395), but the listing was sold out, so it does not reflect what you will pay today.

A 10g tube goes a long way at about half a gram per application, roughly ten days of twice-daily use on the whole face. If 20% is too strong for your skin, The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% is a gentler, non-prescription option; our azelaic acid serum guide compares the two strengths in detail.

How long until you see results?

• Weeks 1 to 2: some stinging and dryness; little visible change.
• Around week 4: fewer new pimples. Bayer's prescribing information says this is when a clear improvement usually shows.
• Months 2 to 3: marks and melasma start to fade, as long as you wear sunblock every day.

If your acne is deep and painful, leaves scars, or has not improved after three months, see a dermatologist. That kind of acne usually needs more than a cream.

How we wrote this guide

We checked Skinoren's ingredient, manufacturer and price on Healthwire, Derma.pk and Dawaai on 9 November 2026. Dosing, side effects and the pregnancy and breastfeeding notes follow Bayer's UK prescribing information for Skinoren 20% cream (revised September 2023). We don't take payment from Bayer or any other brand mentioned here.