Skin moisturizing and anti-acne effect of acne moisturizer in healthy adult subjects with mild-to-moderate acne-an open label, single arm clinical study

Abstract

Objectives: Acne vulgaris is an extremely common condition that occurs mostly during adolescence. It often causes non-inflammatory lesions (open and closed comedones), inflammatory lesions (papules, pustules, and nodules), and varying degrees of scarring that leads to a negative impact on quality of life. This open label, single arm, and clinical study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of acne moisturizer on skin moisturization in adult subjects with mild-to-moderate acne. Material and Methods: An open label, single-arm, and clinical study was conducted on 36 enrolled healthy male and females aged 18–35 years having acne-prone skin and with mild-to-moderate acne. Acne moisturizer (Venusia Acne) was applied twice daily and safety and effectiveness of test product was assessed before application to post-application on day 15, day 30, day 45, and day 60 at the end of study. All enrolled subjects had undergone clinical evaluation by dermatologist, instruments evaluation, and subjective evaluation on various parameters. Results: Thirty-one (n = 31) subjects completed all study visits. After using Acne Moisturizer for 60 days, statistically significant (P < 0.0001) improvement from baseline was observed in skin moisturization. The product was also found effective in protecting skin barrier function (P < 0.0001) by reducing trans-epidermal water loss. Assessment of prevention of appearance of new acne and acne reduction using Investigator’s Global Assessment (IGA) Scale for acne vulgaris by dermatologist shows significant improvement from baseline to each study visit and at the end of study. Statistically significant reduction (P < 0.0001) in acne severity assessed by IGA was also observed. Moreover, significant reduction (P < 0.0001) in skin sebum level, skin blemishes, skin redness, skin pigmentation, and facial pores was also observed as assessed by instruments and 3D image analysis system. Assessment of the subject satisfaction questionnaire and subject response index was also found in parity of the outcome. Furthermore, no adverse event was recorded during the study conduction. Conclusion: The results of this clinical study suggest that acne moisturizer helps in significantly improving skin moisturization when applied for 15 days onward. It is also safe and effective in aiding reduction of skin sebum level, skin blemishes, skin redness, skin pigmentation, and facial pores; it can be effectively used as an adjunct for management of mild-to-moderate acne prevention and acne reduction, while providing sufficient moisturization to the skin.