Crystal asks (via Facebook)…I have been using foam antibac soap to wash my face and I have noticed my breakouts have become fewer and easier to get rid of. I grew up with really bad acne and this has pretty much helped me the best. It’s easy to use and gets all my makeup off. Do you think it’s really killing the bacteria on my face? 

The Right Brain responds:

The main ingredient in most anti-bacterial soaps, Triclosan, is not currently approved for use in acne products in the US. But we found several studies in the scientific literature regarding that show it may actually work!

Triclosan is terrific

The first study, “The effectiveness of topical antibacterials in acne: a double-blind clinical study1″ tested Triclosan and Triclosan with propylene pheoxetol against a placebo. Results showed “added efficacy of the antibacterials when incorporated into the control” for “total-face lesion counts, evaluation of the overall degree of inflammation of the lesions, and patient self-assessment…”

A second evacuation, “Hydrogel patches containing triclosan for acne treatment,” evaluated polyacrylate patches infused with Triclosan for reduction in p. acnes bacteria and found “the antibacterial activity was apparent when the content was 0.05 wt.%.”

And finally, “Preparation and characterization of triclosan nanoparticles intended to be used for the treatment of acne” reveals that as recently as 2011, at least one research looking at optimizing Triclosan in nano particle form for use in an anti-acne product. Eur J Pharm Biopharm. 2011 Sep;79(1):102-7. Epub 2011 Feb 2.

Triclosan is tricky

So why, you might ask, are there no Triclosan based products on the market?  That’s because acne products are considered drugs (at least here in the US) and active ingredients must either be included in the FDA’s Over the Counter (OTC) monograph or they must have a New Drug Application (NDA). Both routes to market take a long time and are very expensive. Apparently none of the companies with these kind of resources have wanted to do the work to seek Triclosan approval. (By the way, you may find it included as a preservative in some acne products but it can’t be represented as an active agent.)

Don’t give up hope, though. The FDA has an open “call-for-data” request for safety and effectiveness information on Triclosan as “0.2 to 0.5 percent and 0.3 to 1.0 percent, as a topical acne active ingredient in leave-on and rinse-off dosage forms, respectively.”  They will review all the data submitted and if they rule in its favor, one day you’ll see Triclosan-baseed acne products on the shelves of a drug store near you!

Tricolsan is terrible

In closing, we should point out that there is a controversy raging around the use of Triclosan because it purportedly has a negative impact on algae when it enters the water table. Stay tuned for more updates as we receive them.

The Beauty Brains bottom line

At the moment, Triclosan is approved for use in anti-bacterial soaps but is not an approved anti-acne drug. There are are studies that suggest it could be effective, so it’ s entirely possible that it could be added to future anti-acne products. In the meantime, you can continue to use anti-bacterial soaps containing Triclosan if you feel that’s helpful for your acne.

References:

1. “The effectiveness of topical antibacterials in acne: a double-blind clinical study J Int Med Res. 1978;6(1):72-7. Franz E, Weidner-Strahl S. 

2. “Hydrogel patches containing triclosan for acne treatment.” Eur J Pharm Biopharm. 2003 Nov;56(3):407-12. Lee TW, Kim JC, Hwang SJ.

3. “Preparation and characterization of triclosan nanoparticles intended to be used for the treatment of acne” Eur J Pharm Biopharm. 2011 Sep;79(1):102-7. Epub 2011 Feb 2. Domínguez-Delgado CL, Rodríguez-Cruz IM, Escobar-Chávez JJ, Calderón-Lojero IO, Quintanar-Guerrero D, Ganem A. División de Estudios de Posgrado (Laboratorio de Posgrado en Tecnología Farmacéutica), Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán, Estado de México, Mexico.

4. FDA OTC acne drug rules

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From what I’ve been reading in the comments for The Makeup Wakeup book giveaway, several of you have the issue of oily or acne prone skin. We had hoped in our adult years this would not be an issue, but frustratingly for many it is.

I personally have an oily T zone and it’s worse in the summer. I don’t have many breakouts, but occasional ones. Erno Laszlo may have a way to help these issues with their new Beta Mask. It’s a detoxifying mask created for blemish prone skin, but not harsh like so many products for acne can be. There is 1% salicylic acid which is great for exfoliating, but you’ll definitely smell the eucalyptus when using this. Strong enough to open the air passages when taking a deep breath when wearing this, but not so intense that it would be irritating. Eucalyptus and peppermint are in it for antibacterial purposes, needed to kill off the bacteria in acne prone skin. Beta Mask is not real drying either – another issue than can occur with so many other oil-control products. 

For me, during the summer when I am definitely more oily this will be very handy to help control the oil. 

Sample packet was sent for testing purposes.

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Skin79 is hosting another giveaway and this time, one lucky reader of Makeup For Life will receive a set of 3 A.C+ Clinic products for better, clearer skin. The set contains a Skin Clearing Cleanser to sooth, clean and prevent future acne, an Anti-Trouble Spot Gel to treat acne and a Spot Renewal Corrector to help fade acne scars and marks. To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment with your name and e-mail address by July 31st. The winner will be picked randomly and contacted via e-mail. Good luck! For more information …

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