Sebum suppression by benzoylperoxide.

Sebum excretion rate (SER) was determined by thin-layer chromatography and based on densitometric data in 9 male and 5 female patients suffering from acne during treatment with 10% benzoylperoxide (BPO). BPO was applied to the forehead (treatment area), whereas gel only was applied to the chest (control area) for 6 weeks. SER decreased in 10/14 subjects, no change was found in 1 subject and 3 patients exhibited an increase in SER. Suppression varied between 12 and 86%. Concomitant SER reduction in control and treatment areas was noted in 6 patients. When treatment and control areas of individual patients were considered for data evaluation, SER decrease was noted in only 4 out of 14 subjects. Similar results were obtained when free fatty acids, triglycerides and squalene data were analyzed. Combined, these data suggest that BPO may affect SER in some patients. The present experiments indicate the importance of adequate controls in such studies.