Cosmetic Effects of Topical Acetyl Zingerone

Cosmeceuticals are an emerging market within dermatology and the growth of natural products and derivatives of natural products has accelerated in use within the field. Here the investigators aim to study Synoxyl AZ, the trade name for topical acetyl zingerone (AZ), a novel compound designed based on Zingerone and curcumin. Both curcumin and Zingerone are from the Zingiberacea family of plants (also known as the ginger family). Both have been widely studied and noted to have antibacterial effects and promote skin health effects. Curcumin has been studied widely in recent years due to various microbial effects. AZ is a derivative that is similar to both Zingerone and curcumin and has been noted to have many different activities including anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant functions. However, there are no studies looking at how it modulates the skin cosmetically or the superficial microbiome. The aim of this study was to compare the cosmetic effects of AZ to a vehicle over an 8-week period.