SUPPLEMENT INDIVIDUAL ARTICLE: Optimizing Skin Care in Acne Treatment – Evaluation of a Designated Cleanser and Moisturizer Regimen With Improvement in Clinical Outcomes

Acne vulgaris (AV) is one of the most common skin disorders encountered in outpatient dermatology practice worldwide, commonly affecting adolescents, but also pre-teens and postadolescent adults of any race, ethnicity, and skin color.¹ The adverse effects of AV, beyond what is visible on the skin, include several negative psychosocial sequelae, including frustration, fear of rejection, poor self-esteem, social withdrawal, anxiety, and depression.² A wide variety of effective therapeutic options are available for the treatment of AV, including topical agents, systemic therapies, and physical modalities, with selection of treatment primarily dependent on the severity of AV and also other patient-specific factors.³ Regardless of the severity of AV and the treatment used, adjunctive skin care is an integral component of AV management.^4,5 Patients with AV appreciate professional guidance from their dermatologist or their designated staff in selecting skincare products, such as a cleanser and moisturizer, in order to avoid the confusion of trying to select what they should use among the plethora of available skincare choices on the market. They also are more confident that a regimen recommended by their dermatologist is more likely to achieve optimal outcomes and avoid complications such as signs and/or symptoms of skin irritation. Ultimately, an ideal skincare regimen for patients with AV helps to support epidermal barrier function, contributes to an overall improvement in AV, and is well-liked by the patients who use the regimen.

Proper selection of a skincare regimen, including a cleanser and moisturizer, is very important in AV management. Although there are limited data on epidermal barrier dysfunctions in AV, it has been shown that active AV exhibits changes associated with structural and functional epidermal barrier impairment that can correlate with the severity of inflammation associated with AV.^6,7 Additionally, certain topical active ingredients for AV, and/or their vehicle formulations, can produce cutaneous changes that promote skin tolerability reactions and symptoms of stinging and burning. The selection of a skincare regimen that can reduce the risk of adverse skin barrier effects and limit cutaneous irritation contributes markedly to the achievement of favorable results. Importantly, a skincare regimen that contains ingredients that also inherently decrease AV lesions further adds to overall clinical improvement.

In this manuscript, a specific skincare regimen incorporating both a designated cleanser and moisturizer is reviewed with study results reported from 44 adult patients with AV. The designated cleanser is Cetaphil Gentle Clear Clarifying Acne Cream Cleanser (CGCAC; Galderma) and the designated moisturizer is Cetaphil Gentle Clear Mattifying Acne Moisturizer (CGCAM; Galderma). A multicenter, in-use, 12-week study was completed to assess the efficacy, tolerability, and cosmetic acceptability of the above products used in a stepwise approach twice daily in adult patients with mild facial AV. In a separate study, evaluations of both corneometry and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) were completed to assess the epidermal hydration and permeability barrier properties of the CGCAM.

This study was completed at 2 study centers using an openlabel in-use approach that did not incorporate a control group. The primary objective of the study was to assess the efficacy, tolerability, and cosmetic acceptability of a specified skincare regimen in patients with mild facial AV.