Sodium Hypochlorite 0.005% Versus Placebo in the Treatment of Mild to Moderate Acne: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND: Acne vulgaris is a common inflammatory disease of the pilosebaceous follicle that affects many teenagers and young people. There is an obvious need for topical treatments with good tolerability and efficacy for the management of acne lesions. OBJECTIVE: This study determined the therapeutic efficacy of topical sodium hypochlorite solution (0.005%) in the treatment of mild to moderate acne lesions. METHODS: This placebo-controlled randomized controlled trial compared 0.005% sodium hypochlorite to placebo administered topically on each side of the patients’ faces 3 times a day for 1 month. The numbers of papules and pustules were recorded at baseline, 1, 2 and 4 weeks after initiation. RESULTS: The total number of papules and pustules decreased after topical application of sodium hypochlorite 0.005% for 1 month. CONCLUSIONS: Topical sodium hypochlorite solution (0.005%) can be effective in the treatment of mild to moderate acne, and its clinical efficacy was evaluated between the male and female groups and between the hormonal and non-hormonal ones. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Our study was registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT) with the code number IRCT20200701047976N1.