Background: Homeostasis in the differentiation programme of sebaceous stem cells has been identified as a key step in comedogenesis and should be a target for acne-prone skin care.
Objective: To report on a multicentre, year-long/real-life use study of a patented natural product containing S. marianum fruit extract proven to modulate molecular actors in the initial steps of comedogenesis.
Methods: An open-label multicentric international study, with a 12 month follow-up, included 54 teenage and young adult subjects with mild to moderate facial acne. The study was aimed at reproducing a real-life use context.
Results: Total lesion count mean was 88.3 at inclusion. There was a sustained, highly significant decrease over the months of clinical lesion counts (45.6% improvement after 6 months and 59.6% at 12 months) and on other efficacy markers, associated with a significant decrease in global microcomedone quantity on cyanoacrylate superficial skin surface biopsies. Importantly, the study protocol allowed the dermatologist to prescribe, if needed as in real life, any of the acne drugs registered in the acne guidelines. The exposure to these acne drugs during the whole year was calculated as a percentage of S. marianum fruit extract/352 days of use and happened to be very limited at less than 4%, which indicates a marginal contribution to the sustained clinical improvement. (Oral and local acne treatments: Lymecycline 1.46%; Doxycycline 0.24%; Adapalene 0.16% or gel association with Benzoyl peroxide 1.17%; Clindamycin 0.04%; Benzoyl peroxide 1.5%; Erythromycin 0.75%). The tolerance with daily S. marianum fruit extract long-term use was good.
Limitations: The association with routine prescription acne drugs when needed, even if limited, does not allow a full evaluation of the intrinsic quantitative efficacy of S. marianum fruit extract in lesion reduction.
Conclusion: This open, real-life, year-long multicentre study confirms a previous 48-week proof of concept study and qualifies the use of S. marianum fruit extract as a "field-dermo cosmetic" contributing to homeostasis of acne-prone skin in association with acne drugs.
Keywords: acne; lipid droplet proteins; microcomedones; phytotherapy; real-life study; sebum.