Clinical Assessment of New Topical Cream Containing Two Essential Oils Combined with Tretinoin in the Treatment of Acne

Vittorio Mazzarello,1 Elisabetta Gavini,2 Giovanna Rassu,2 Matthew Gavino Donadu,1,2 Donatella Usai,1 Gabriella Piu,1 Valeria Pomponi,1 Federica Sucato,3 Stefania Zanetti,1 Maria Antonia Montesu3 1Skinlab, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy; 2Departmentof Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy; 3Department of Medical, Surgical and Experimental Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, ItalyCorrespondence: Matthew Gavino DonaduDepartment Chemistry and Pharmacy, School of Specialization of Hospital Pharmacy, University of Sassari, Via Vienna 2, Sassari, ItalyTel +39 079228463Email mdonadu@uniss.itBackground: Acne is a frequent adolescent disease characterized by inflammatory and non-inflammatory lesions whose topical treatment very often presents adverse phenomena such as irritation or resistance to antibiotics that reduce the patient’s compliance.The purpose of this study is to compare a commercial product (Acnatac gel) based on clindamycin-tretinoin (CTG) with a galenic compound containing 2 essential oils (Myrtus communisL. and Origanum vulgare) and tretinoin (MOTC) to evaluate its anti-acne effectiveness and action on the microclimate of the skin.Methods: Sixty volunteers were randomly divided into an A group using MOTC and a B group, as a positive control, using CTG. The effectiveness was assessed with non-invasive skin analysis (Sebumeter, pHmeter, Tewameter and Mexameter) and the counts of the number of lesions, after 15 and 30 days.Results: In both groups, there is a worsening of transepidermal water loss (TEWL) due to tretinoin. MOTC has improved, starting from 15 days of treatment, the papular erythema (p = 0.0329 vs CTG) and has reduced at all times even the rashes of retinoids present in the healthy perilesional skin (p = 0.0329 and p = 0.0017, respectively, at 15 and 30 days).Conclusion: MOTC has shown, compared to Acnatac, to have anti-acne efficacy and to possess an anti-inflammatory activity, due to essential oils, able to reduce in vivo erythematous lesions and those induced by retinoids.Keywords: acne, non-invasive skin analysis, essential oils