Nigella sativa oil lotion 20% vs. benzoyl peroxide lotion 5% in the treatment of mild to moderate acne vulgaris

ABSTRACT

Acne vulgaris is the most common chronic inflammatory disease of the skin. Many patients fail to improve with the current anti-acne therapy due to the cost of therapy, adverse effects leading to noncompliance or lack of therapeutic benefits of current antibiotics [resistance]. To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of Nigella sativa oil lotion 20% in comparison with well-known drug benzoyl peroxide lotion 5%. This is a double-blind, active-controlled, randomized study to compare between Nigella sativa oil lotion 20% and benzoyl peroxide lotion 5%. 70 patients enrolled in this study, their age ranged between 12-23 years with less than 100 non-inflammatory lesions and less than 50 inflammatory lesion counts [according to the Combined Acne Severity Classification]. 62 patients complete the study. Patients on Nigella sativa lotion show a reduction of [-63.3%], [-64.6%] and [-63%] in the non-inflammatory, inflammatory and total lesion counts respectively while patients on benzoyl peroxide demonstrate a reduction of [-43.8%], [-50.9%] and [-45.9%] on the above lesion counts respectively. The difference between groups was statistically significant [P< 0.0001, P<0.016, P< 0.0001]. 97% of patients on Nigella sativa lotion show good to excellent improvement [more than 50% reduction in total lesion counts], while only 50% of patients on benzoyl peroxide lotion show good to excellent improvement. Patients on Nigella sativa lotion 20% had a milder and fewer side effects, than those who receive benzoyl peroxide lotion 5%. Both groups demonstrate statistically significant increase in lesion counts after 8 weeks from the end of therapy. Nigella sativa oil lotion 20% is more effective and safe than benzoyl peroxide lotion 5% in the treatment of mild to moderate acne vulgaris