Retinaldehyde and Glycolic Acid for Acne
Title: Topical retinaldehyde with glycolic acid:
study of tolerance and acceptability in association with anti-acne
treatments in 1,709 patients.
Authors: Dreno B, et al.
Publication: Dermatology. 2005;210 Suppl 1:22-9.
Retinaldehyde (RAL) is a chemical intermediate in the conversion
process of vitamin A to retinoic acid. It has been shown to play
a role in the formation and growth of keratinocytes or skin cells
that produce keratin. These keratinocytes play a significant role
in the formation of acne lesions.
Glycolic acid can increase the exfoliation of the skin, specifically
the corneocytes or the dead, keratin-filled flat, thin cells of
the outer layer of the skin.
The authors wanted to test the tolerance and effectiveness of
the combination RAL and glycolic acid in a commercial product
Diacneal in treating acne patients. They enrolled 1,709 acne patients
in this 90-day study.
The authors reported that by the patients had significant decrease
in acne lesions, without significant side effects.
