Rapid and Visible Efficacy of a Dermocosmetic in Acne Patients With Fair Skin Phototypes: Results of a Randomized Split-Face Study.

Abstract

Introduction and objectives Dermocosmetics have proven their benefit in acne management. However, only very few studies investigated their efficacy kinetics. This study assessed the efficacy kinetics of a dermocosmetic cream (DC) containing Punica granatum Pericarp extract, Salicylic acid, Niacinamide, Zinc gluconate, and Aqua Posae Filiformis in subjects with acne.Material and methods 16 subjects (14 women, 2 men; mean age 29.4 ± 7.7 years; phototype II and III) with mild to moderate acne participated in a randomized, intra-individual, split-face study for 15 days. Hemi-faces randomly received DC or remained untreated. Assessments included lesion counts, acne severity, and local tolerance; subjects also rated the perceived benefit of the DC. Efficacy was also evaluated using standardized multi-modality full-face imaging and a mobile connected imaging system.Results The inflammatory lesion count significantly (p ≤ 0.05) decreased with DC at Day 8 and Day 15; a significant decrease of the non-inflammatory lesion count was observed at Day 15 (p < 0.01). The total lesion count had significantly (p ≤ 0.05) decreased with DC at Day 8 and Day 15. Between-side differences were significant (all p ≤ 0.05) for all lesion types at D15. Local tolerance was good. Most subjects considered that their skin appearance and the visibility of acne lesions had improved.Conclusion This exploratory study provides strong evidence on the efficacy kinetics of a DC cream in acne management in subjects with fair skin tones. It shows that early, daily and specific treatment with a targeted DC significantly improves all acne lesions type, as well as acne severity as soon as 15 days.