Elizabeth Arden study shows novel retinoid ester to be effective acne treatment

10-Mar-2016 - Last updated on 10-Mar-2016 at 11:08 GMT

A new study has shown that a topical combination of retinoids (RC), alpha-hydroxy acids (AHA), salicylic acid (BHA), and lactic acid are a safe and effective treatment for acne as it can reduce inflammation and improve skin quality.

A team made up of scientists from Elizabeth Arden, Dermatology Consulting Services, and CosmeceuTech state that after topically applying this combination for four weeks there was an improvement in acne condition; with continuing cumulative improvement at 8 weeks.

As such, the research team states that the AHA retinoid conjugate (AHA-RC) represents a new molecule combining several mechanisms of action to achieve acne improvement.

“The bioengineered ester (AHA-RC with BHA) is a safe, effective combination treatment for acne,” it states in research published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology.

“The three-product regimen used in this study was shown to be safe and effective; statistically significant reductions in both inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne lesion counts were noted. Significant improvement to overall skin quality was also observed. Additional controlled study using larger, more diverse populations would be revealing.”

Put to the test

Retinoids, alpha-hydroxy acids, and salicylic acid treat acne through differing mechanisms of action, and it has often been thought that a combination of RC-induced normalization of cellular differentiation, AHA-induced exfoliation in hydrophilic areas, and BHA-induced exfoliation in lipophilic areas, could provide optimal improvement.

On the back of this, the US-based research team sought to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of a twice-daily, three-product skin care regimen using AHA-RC in combination with BHA for patients with acne.

To do this, they selected 27 women (age range 20–58 years) with mild-to-moderate acne and treated them with the three-product regimen, which consisted of a twice-daily cleanser and topical serum (0.1% AHA-RC, 2% salicylic acid, and 10.4% l-lactic acid), with a broad-spectrum SPF 50+ sunscreen as needed.

The study was carried out over a period of eight weeks with counts of total inflammatory (papules, pustules) and non-inflammatory (open comedones, closed comedones) lesions made at baseline, week 4, and week 8.

The results showed a statistically significant reduction in inflammatory and non-inflammatory lesion counts at 4 weeks, and improvement continued into week 8 with highly significant reductions in both lesion counts.