Topical Application of Vitamin A Acid in Acne Vulgaris

Topically applied compounds are the most common means of treating the milder forms of acne vulgaris. We performed a two-phase study on 147 patients to determine the effect of topical application of vitamin A acid in the treatment of mild and moderate acne of the face. The first phase of the study was performed single-blind, using a 0.05% solution of vitamin A acid. The second phase, using swabs impregnated with the same solution, was carried out under controlled double-blind conditions. Patients showed greater improvement with the active medication than with the vehicle alone (placebo). Most patients experienced erythema and peeling in association with use of vitamin A acid.