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Efficacy and Safety of Novel 1% Hydrogen Peroxide Formulations for the Treatment of Mild to Moderate Facial and Truncal Acne Vulgaris

Submitted:

20 January 2026

Posted:

21 January 2026

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Abstract
Acne vulgaris remains a common condition, with current topical therapies often limited by suboptimal efficacy and tolerability. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of two novel 1% hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) formulations, a cream-gel for facial and a sprayable lotion for truncal mild to moderate acne. 42 participants presenting facial acne and 41 with truncal acne were treated twice daily for 8 weeks. Efficacy was assessed using the Investigator’s Global Assessment (IGA), the Spanish Acne Severity Scale (EGAE), and lesion counts. After 56 days, facial acne severity improved significantly (IGA −26%, p=0.01; EGAE −31%, p=0.01), with reductions in papules (−45%, p=0.017), porphyrin count (−27%, p=0.04), sebum production (−75%, p=0.005), erythema (−35%, p=0.0001), and desquamation (−22%, p=0.02). Truncal acne severity also improved sig-nificantly (IGA −32%, p=0.001; EGAE −45%, p=0.001), with reductions in inflammatory lesions (−60%, p=0.001), porphyrin size and count (-55% and −48%, both p=0.001), ery-thema (−7%, p=0.005), and desquamation (−27%, p=0.001). Both formulations were ac-cepted by the users, with minimal local irritation and high patient satisfaction. Topical 1% H₂O₂ formulations demonstrated significant and well-tolerated efficacy in both fa-cial and truncal acne, supporting their potential as safe and patient-friendly options for managing mild to moderate acne.
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Copyright: This open access article is published under a Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 license, which permit the free download, distribution, and reuse, provided that the author and preprint are cited in any reuse.
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