A randomized double-blind study to assess the effects of silicic acid compared to placebo in patients with mild to...

To establish the efficacy and safety of silicic acid in comparison to placebo in patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris.

Forty adult patients with facial acne vulgaris were randomized to silicic acid or placebo applied twice daily for 8 weeks. Efficacy was assessed by number of acne lesions, acne grade and sebum excretion rate (SER). Clinical safety and tolerance were also assessed and global assessments and psychological profile questionnaires were completed.

There were no significant differences between silicic acid and placebo in the number of inflamed lesions (the primary efficacy variable). In contrast, silicic acid significantly reduced the number of non-inflamed lesions, total acne lesions and the acne grade after 8 weeks and SER over 4 weeks when compared with placebo. There were no significant differences between silicic acid and placebo in the responses to the questionnaires or the global assessments after 8 weeks. Silicic acid was well tolerated with few adverse events.

Silicic acid may have a positive treatment effect on the non-inflammatory component of mild to moderate facial acne. These preliminary findings now need to be confirmed by similar studies.