The Retinsphere and BIOPEP 15 Technology, Alone or in Combination with Salicylic and Glycolic Acid in Acne Treatment: A Narrative Review of Current Evidences

The combination of retinoids and antibacterial agents are considered as first line treatment approach in subjects with mild to moderate acne.Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate (HPR) is a cosmetic grade ester of all-trans retinoic acid, which is able to bind directly with retinoid receptors without the need for metabolic breakdown to more biologically active forms.It has been demonstrated to possess anti-acne and anti-ageing effects, causing less skin irritation than retinoic acid.The Retinsphere technology, which is a patented dual combination of hydroxipinacolone retinoate in glycosphere-encapsulated retinol, and BIOPEP-15, a plant-derived antimicrobial peptide, is available and used in several anti-acne products.The aim of this narrative review was to summarize all available scientific evidence on topical Retinsphere HPR-BIOPEP-15 (RB) therapy for acne, alone or in combination with nicotinamide, salicylic and glycolic acids (RB+NSG).In detail, 3 studies analysed RB and 2 studies analysed RB+NSG efficacy and tolerability.All studies measured acne lesions count changes over time, two studies analysed microscopic skin changes with Reflectance Confocal Microscopy (RCM), and two studies assessed sebum production changes.In conclusion, collective data derived from current literature demonstrated that RB induced a median 51% reduction of total acne lesion (TL), comprising a 43% reduction of non-Inflammatory Lesions (NIL) and a 67% reduction of Inflammatory Lesions (IL).RB+NSG showed increased efficacy, with an average of 69% reduction of TL, 50% reduction of NIL and a 77% reduction of IL.Both RB and RB+NSG can significantly reduce sebum production (-57%), without affecting skin barrier function and being characterized by a good skin tolerability.