568 Address all correspondence to Liping Du, duliping@osm.com.cn Clinical Study on Anti-Acne Performance of Cosmetic Skincare Products LIPING DU, PING MA, YING ZHOU, XINFEN CAI, LINGYAN SHEN AND GANG HUO Zhejiang Osmum Biological Co., Ltd, Huzhou, China (L.D., P.M., Y.Z., X.C., L.S., G.H.) Accepted for publication August 10, 2021. Synopsis As a milder form of clinical acne, physiological acne is very common in adults. The safety and effectiveness of the present anti-acne agents put an increasing demand on the development of the desired anti-acne cosmetic products. This study was conducted to clinically investigate the effectiveness of a topical anti-acne skincare cosmetic treatment for adult acne-prone skin. In the study, the volunteers’ acne condition on their skin surface, the moisture content, the transepidermal water loss, the proportion of pore area, and the skin surface lipids were all tested. Objective and clinical evaluation methods were used to evaluate the ability to improve the clinical signs of physiological acne present in adult subjects, and self-evaluation questionnaires conducted by the subjects themselves were also used. Thirty healthy volunteers with acne lesions were recruited for the study and treated with an “anti-acne cream” for 4 weeks. The product was applied on thoroughly cleansed skin twice a day. The results were evaluated after 14 and 28 d. Within 4 weeks of the test period, the product effectively improved the moisture content of the cuticle, repaired the skin barrier function, and then enhanced the ability of the skin to resist external stimulation. It also regulated the skin oil secretion, reduced the proportion of pore and porphyrin areas, and reduced the a value. The clinical evaluation showed that the number of acne lesions (including open acne, closed acne, papules, and pustules) decreased, and the pores, greasiness, and moisture all improved. The current study suggests that the product is suitable for the cosmetic care of adult acne-prone skin. INTRODUCTION Acne vulgaris is a common dermatological disorder with about 85% of the world’s population suffering to some degree (1–3). Young people are not the only age group prone to acne, as other groups including children and the middle-aged are also affected (4,5). Acne is a disease of the pilosebaceous unit and results from three possible main pathogenetic factors: seborrhea, abnormal keratinocyte proliferation, or follicular colonization with Propionibacterium acnes (P acnes) (4,6). It is well known that some significant psychosocial morbidities are caused by acne (7). Studies show that acne affects the general quality of life of patients, including their self-esteem, self-image, and emotions (8–10). Lasek and Chren (11) determined that the most troubling factor for acne vulgaris patients was the appearance of the skin. Antibiotics are one of the great discoveries of the modern era. However, the abuse of antibiotics can cause immune responses, such as fever and skin rashes. Benzoyl J. Cosmet. Sci., 72, 568–579 (November/December 2021)

569 ANTI-ACNE PERFORMANCE OF COSMETIC SKINCARE PRODUCTS peroxide (BP) and antibiotics are usually used to treat acne. The continuous use of BP can cause several side effects (including dry skin and cholesterol elevation) despite its effective performance (12). Therefore, it is still necessary to seek safe ingredients for cosmetics applications. Cosmetic products for treating acne-prone skin should be formulated with three factors involved in the development of acne: keratolytic active ingredients anti- seborrheic active ingredients that regulate sebum production and secretion and anti- inflammatory and antimicrobial active ingredients that limit the acnes proliferation. The cosmetic product used in this study contained three active substances including salicylic acid (SA), oligopeptide-1, and Oil Control Complex 315 (OCC315). SA is a β-hydroxy acid extracted from natural plant sources that can also be artificially synthesized (13). SA is widely used in anti-acne cosmetic products it can soften the stratum corneum and dissolve desmosomes rapidly at a 2% level, which thereafter decreases adhesion of corneocytes and exfoliation of corneocyte sheets (14). SA is lipophilic, can permeate to the sebaceous gland easily and antagonizes hyperseborrhea. Anti-inflammatory activity is another important property of SA, which can relieve facial erythema (15,16). The safety and tolerance of SA make it widely used in dermatology (17). Oligopeptide-1 is composed of glycine, histidine, and lysine with a low molecular weight, which can promote the proliferation and differentiation of epidermal cells as well as the synthesis of type I collagen and type III collagen. Oligopeptide-1 can accelerate the regeneration and repair of the epidermis, supplement collagen, and resist aging (18,19). The active components of three Chinese plants (Poterium officinale, Zingiber officinalis and Cinnamomum cassia) were extracted with OCC315 by titration to obtain tannic acid, essential oils, and saponins. OOC315 can inhibit sebum secretion, lipase activity, and anti-acne bacilli activity (20). In this work, a cosmetic hydrating skincare treatment for adult acne-prone skin was clinically investigated. The primary objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the cosmetic product’s ability to improve the clinical effects of acne in adult subjects. Thereafter, a comprehensive evaluation of the moisture content, oil secretion, pore proportion, porphyrin area, and acne numbers was conducted. MATERIALS AND METHODS MATERIAL The anti-acne cream used in this study contained three active substances: SA, oligopeptide-1, and OCC315. OCC315 contains some active components of three plants (P officinale, Z officinalis and C cassia). These components are tannic acid, essential oils, and saponins. SUBJECTS Thirty-two subjects (aged 18–30 y) with mild or moderate facial acne lesions (grade 2 or 3) according to Investigator’s Global Assessment were included in this study. Two of the subjects quit for personal reasons for a total of 30 subjects who completed the study. Subjects with concomitant treatments, including those people who used any anti-acne cosmetic products in the last 2 weeks, used oral antibiotics or scaling for acne in the last 4 weeks, took a similar test within two mo., or are pregnant or lactating, were excluded. The study complied with the World Medical Association’s Declaration of Helsinki (2013) concerning