[The facial mask as a basis of clindamycin therapy for acne vulgaris].

In 29 healthy male subjects aged between 20 to 25 years a powder face mask, consisting of 1.19% clindamycin phosphate (= 1% clindamycin base) in 70% ethanol was applied to the right side of the forehead once daily over a period of 5 days. At the same time half of the test subjects were treated in the same way on the left side of the forehead with a solution consisting of 1.19% clindamycin phosphate in 70% ethanol, and the other half with the same powder mask as on the right side but without clindamycin phosphate. The face mask containing clindamycin phosphate leads to a greater reduction of P. acnes. the total propionibacteria and the total bacterial counts (anaerobic culture) in the pilosebaceous duct than both other preparations. Compared with the initial values these do, however, reduce the bacterial count. The use of face masks containing antibiotics seems to offer a successful way of topical antibiotic treatment of acne.