ADVERTISEMENT

Column

Irritation Profile of Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Washes: Impact of Formulation
Draelos ZD
Cosmet Dermatol. 2010;23:541-547.
Benzoyl peroxide (BPO) is highly effective against acne and a mainstay of acne treatment. It also has the potential to irritate the skin, a risk that is generally considered dose dependent. Because compliance is poor with skin products found to be irritating, there is a need for gentle BPO products. Microsponge formulations which provide a gradual release of the active ingredient over time and thus may be less irritating could be a potential solution to this problem. The purpose of this study was to assess the irritancy of a prescription BPO wash 7% with microsponge delivery system relative to 3 other prescription washes—branded BPO creamy wash 4%, generic BPO creamy wash 4%, and BPO foaming cloths 3%—and 1 over-the-counter (OTC) product, OTC branded BPO wash 2.5%, as well as a negative control (no product) using a standard 21-day patch test protocol. Thirty-two participants were enrolled. Branded BPO creamy wash 4% was found to be the most irritating of the washes tested. Benzoyl peroxide wash 7% with microsponge delivery system—the prescription wash with the highest BPO concentration—and OTC branded BPO wash 2.5% were proven the least irritating. This study suggests that microsponge technology is effective in reducing the skin irritation associated with BPO.
 

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Physician's Briefing News

More News

ADVERTISEMENT
FEATURED JOB from MedOpportunities.com