The Relationship of Proper Skin Cleansing to Pathophysiology, Clinical Benefits, and the Concomitant Use of Prescription Topical Therapies in Patients with Acne Vulgaris

Patients often perceive the cause of their acne to be related to a lack of proper cleansing, therefore many patients attempt to treat their acne either alone or with prescription therapy by frequent aggressive cleansing with harsh cleansing agents. Altered epidermal barrier function, inflammation, and Propionibacterium acnes are related to acne vulgaris (AV) pathophysiology; proper cleansing can favorably modulate the development of AV. The available clinical studies support gentle cleansing in AV by showing the ability to contribute to improving AV lesion counts and severity and minimizing the irritation seen with topical AV therapies such as retinoids and BP.