Patient-Reported Outcomes With Episoft® AC SPF 50+, a Ceramide-Based Moisturizer, in Acne-Related Post-procedural...

Post-procedural skin barrier disruption following acne-related dermatological procedures causes significant patient discomfort and heightens ultraviolet (UV) sensitivity. Ceramide-based formulations with broad-spectrum photoprotection can address barrier repair and sun protection factor (SPF) in a single step. However, patient-reported evidence supporting their use in this setting is still limited.

A retrospective, multicenter, observational study was conducted across 477 dermatology centers in India after ethics approval. Patients aged 18-45 years prescribed Episoft® AC SPF 50+ (a ceramide-based moisturizer with broad-spectrum SPF 50+ photoprotection; Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Limited, Mumbai, India) for at least seven days following acne-related dermatological procedures were included. Post-procedural skin barrier disruption was classified into four levels (none/minimal, mild, moderate, severe) based on procedure type. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) were assessed at Day 7 using 10-point numeric scales. Primary endpoints were reduction in dryness and burning/stinging sensation. Secondary endpoints were reduction in skin itching, reduction in skin redness, soothing effect, acne worsening, overall satisfaction, willingness to continue use, and willingness for future procedures. Improvement responses were categorized as complete (9-10), moderate (6-8), mild (3-5), or none (1-2). Acne worsening used a reversed scale, in which a score of 1-2 indicated no/minimal worsening (favorable).

A total of 2,066 patients (55.3% (n = 1,143) female; modal age group 26-30 years, 42.7% (n = 882)) were enrolled. The top three procedures were chemical peel (56.7%; n = 1,172), Q-switched laser toning (10.9%; n = 226), and microneedling (8.9%; n = 183). Barrier disruption was predominantly moderate (56.7%; n = 1,172), with severe disruption in 10.8% (n = 223). On Day 7, complete improvement was reported by 61.2% (n = 1,265) for dryness (mean ± SD: 8.64 ± 1.14) and 58.6% (n = 1,210) for burning/stinging (mean ± SD: 8.63 ± 1.14). Complete improvement rates for secondary endpoints were skin itching 61.4% (n = 1,268), skin redness 62.1% (n = 1,283), and soothing effect 61.2% (n = 1,264). Overall extreme satisfaction was reported by 62.6% (n = 1,293), willingness to continue use by 65.6% (n = 1,356), and willingness for future procedures by 67.2% (n = 1,388). No worsening of acne was reported by 67.9% (n = 1,403) of patients. There were no adverse events reported during the study.

In this large, real-world multicenter study, Episoft® AC SPF 50+, a ceramide-based moisturizer with SPF 50+, was associated with substantial patient-reported symptom relief, high satisfaction, and minimal acne worsening across diverse acne-related dermatological procedures and barrier severity levels, along with an excellent safety profile. These findings, together with emerging patient-reported outcome-based evidence for combined moisturizer-plus-SPF products, support routine inclusion of ceramide-based SPF 50+ moisturization in post-procedural skincare regimens for acne-related procedures.