Skin Tolerance, Efficacy, and Quality of Life of Patients with Red Facial Skin Using a Skin Care Regimen Containing Licochalcone A

Background: Patients with rosacea and red facial skin often show sensitivity to skin care products which can exacerbate inflammation and subjective irritation. Besides pharmacologic management, special skin care is prudent to avoid cosmetically induced irritation and address cosmetic concerns. Appropriate skin care should provide gentle cleansing, UVA/UVB protection, effective moisturization, and concealing pigments to neutralize the appearance of redness.

Aims: To evaluate skin compatibility and efficacy of a skin care regimen containing licochalcone A (Lic A), an anti-irritant from the licorice plant Glycyrrhiza inflata, for subjects with mild to moderate facial redness.

Patients/methods: Sixty-two patients with mild to moderate red facial skin used a four-product skin care regimen for 8 weeks. Clinical assessments of erythema and subjective irritation, cross-polarized photography, and self-assessment questionnaires were completed at baseline, and after 4 and 8 weeks of use. A quality of life questionnaire was given at baseline and week 8.

Results: Clinical evaluations, subject response, and photography confirmed very good tolerability of the regimen and effective neutralization of redness by the pigmented products. Significant improvements in average erythema scores were observed at 4 and 8 weeks (P < 0.05), and an improvement in quality of life was confirmed by the patient questionnaires.

Discussion: The skin care regimen containing Lic A was found to be compatible with the sensitive facial skin of patients with rosacea and improved the appearance of persistent facial redness. The products were also observed to be compatible with daily metronidazole treatment.