Rosmarinus officinalis gel formulation for the treatment of acne vulgaris and its comparison with clindamycin gel

Abstract

Herbal drugs such as rosemary have received much attention in recent years due to their better acceptance and fewer complications. Rosemary was also used for the treatment of acne because of its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. The aim of this study was to prepare topical formulation of rosemary for acne treatment and compare it with clindamycin gel. Materials and Methods: The dried extract of rosemary was transformed into gel using gelation agents. The gel was tested on 25 patients with acne in two separate groups in a clinical trial over a specified period of time, and the parameters related to the rate of recovery using acne symptom improvement and lesion type in the periodic examinations of patients during the period. Treatment time was recorded. Duration of treatment was 6 months and periodic examinations were performed every month. The study was a double-blind study, meaning that the patient and physician were unaware of the type of medication prescribed. Results: Inflammatory lesions of acne vulgaris are more effective after treatment with rosemary gel than with clindamycin. However, the improvement of non-inflammatory lesions in clindamycin gel treatment was slightly higher in the first group compared to the rosemary gel treatment in the first weeks, but there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups. Conclusion: In the first group 9 patients had complete or near complete remission and in the second group 11 patients had complete or near complete remission and no complication was observed among the study subjects.