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In severe cases of acne conglobata the use of substances which considerably reduce the sebum excretion rate, such as 13-cis-retinoic acid, is reasonable. To monitor the effect of such preparation a noninvasive and accurate method for measuring skin surface lipids (SSLs) is required. A new modified photometric quantification of SSLs sampled using the cigarette paper method based on reaction with phosphovanilic reagent was introduced. Our overall results indicate that a 3-h SSLs assessment measured photometrically is as accurate as the gravimetric technique; it is reproducible in situations with low and high levels of SSLs.