Eksakta : Berkala Ilmiah Bidang MIPA
Vol. 27 No. 04 (2026): Eksakta : Berkala Ilmiah Bidang MIPA (E-ISSN : 2549-7464) In Progress

Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Topical Microbiome Modulation for Acne Vulgaris: A Systematic Review of Clinical Studies Published Between 2020 and 2025

Gandhi Innas Salsabil (Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia)
Nieke Andina Wijaya (Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
30 Aug 2026

Abstract

Acne vulgaris is common chronic inflammatory disorder in which effective treatment should control lesions while preserving skin barrier function and microbial homeostasis. In clinical practice, standard topical therapies may cause irritation, while prolonged antibiotic exposure raises antimicrobial resistance concerns. Topical microbiome modulation has therefore emerged as a targeted strategy using postbiotics, probiotic-derived products, and bacteriophages. This systematic review evaluated the clinical efficacy and safety of these interventions. Following PRISMA 2020, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar were searched for primary human studies published from 2020 to 2025. Five studies met the eligibility criteria. LactoSporin reduced sebum from 106.74 ± 9.78 to 61.41 ± 7.91 µg/cm² after 21 days, a 42.4% reduction. A Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ferment lysate improved acne lesions in 59.1% of participants and reduced sebum in 72.7% by week 4. A Lactobacillus paracasei-derived lotion produced inflammatory-lesion improvement comparable with 2.5% benzoyl peroxide and fewer treatment-associated adverse effects,7.69% versus 26.92%. Bacteriophage BX001 reduced facial Cutibacterium acnes burden, although standardized clinical lesion endpoints were limited. Overall risk of bias was low to moderate, mainly because of small samples, open-label designs, and incomplete blinding. Topical microbiome modulation is promising as adjunct or alternative, but current evidence does not establish superiority over standard therapy.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

eksakta

Publisher

Subject

Agriculture, Biological Sciences & Forestry Astronomy Biochemistry, Genetics & Molecular Biology Chemical Engineering, Chemistry & Bioengineering Chemistry Civil Engineering, Building, Construction & Architecture Computer Science & IT Energy Engineering Environmental Science Materials Science & Nanotechnology Mathematics Mechanical Engineering

Description

Eksakta : Berkala Ilmiah Bidang MIPA (E-ISSN : 2549-7464) is an open access journal and peer-reviewed that publishes either original article or reviews. The journal is dedicated towards dissemination of knowledge related to the advancement in scientific research. The prestigious interdisciplinary ...