Effectiveness of a combination of salicylic acid-based products for the treatment of mild comedonal-papular acne: a multicenter prospective observational study

Background: The most common therapeutic approach to acne is a combined treatment of retinoid and benzoyl peroxide, with oral antibiotics recommended for moderate-to-severe cases. These kinds of therapies often lead to adverse reactions, leading to the request for new therapeutic options. Recently, the combined use of three salicylic acid-based products for the topical treatment of acne has been related to a significant improvement in acne lesions. Methods: To provide new evidence on the clinical effectiveness, tolerability and acceptability of three salicylic acid-based products for the topical treatment of acne in the daily clinical practice, a multicenter prospective observational study was carried out on patients with a diagnosis of mild comedonalpapular facial acne. Clinical effectiveness on lesions improvement, the evaluation of personal discomfort related to acne and the assessment of overall clinical outcome were the primary endpoints. Treatment acceptability and tolerability were also evaluated. Results: The treatment with the three salicylic acid-based products has been related to a significant improvement on acne lesions over 8 weeks of treatment, along with a reduction of personal discomfort related to acne and an improvement on lesions appearance. The products have also shown good acceptability and tolerability. Conclusions: The results of this observational study support the effective and well-tolerated use of a combined treatment with three salicylic acid-based products for the topical treatment of acne.