Effective Over-the-Counter Acne Treatments

ACNE THERAPY

Effective Over-the-Counter Acne Treatments

Sep
2008
Vol. 27. No. 3
Alan R. Shalita, MD | Whitney P. Bowe, MD

Acne is the most common disease of the skin, yet only a fraction of acne sufferers are
treated with prescription products by physicians. There is, however, a large and expanding
market for over-the-counter (OTC) medications, many of which are not only effective but
also well tolerated and cosmetically elegant. Given the presence of OTC acne medications
on the television, the Internet, and store shelves, patients will be acutely aware of these
OTC remedies and will have questions. Patients will expect dermatologists to advise them
regarding products to use either as a sole therapy or in combination with prescription
drugs. Recently, combinations of OTC acne medications in treatment regimens or “kits”
have gained popularity and appear to have increased patient compliance. Quality-of-life
outcomes from OTC medication use, in at least one study, have demonstrated good benefit.
The most common OTC ingredients include benzoyl peroxide, a potent antibacterial agent,
and salicylic acid, a mild comedolytic and antiinflammatory medication. Other, less-common
OTC ingredients include sulfur, sodium sulfacetamide, and alpha hydroxy acids. Zinc,
vitamin A, tea tree oil, and ayurvedic therapies also are available OTC for acne. Additional
and better studies are needed to clarify the benefit of these latter medications.
Semin Cutan Med Surg 27:170-176 © 2008 Published by Elsevier Inc.

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