Topical use of essential oils for acne treatment: a systematized review

This article has systematized the current scientific literature comprising the use of essential oils for acne treatment. The methods for essential oils obtention and their chemical constitution have been presented. The pharmaceutical formulations and advanced technologies used for essential oil topical application have been addressed. The concentration of use, main biological activities and reported adverse effects of essential oils regarding the topical treatment of acne have been presented. The methods for in vitro activity evaluation and the in vivo studies have been discussed. A search in different databases was conducted using the keywords 'essential oil' AND 'acne'. Seventy species of essential oils were identified, demonstrating anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antioxidant activities. The essential oils of Melaleuca alternifolia Cheel, Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume, Thymus vulgaris L., Fortunella japonica (Thunb.) Swingle, Copaiba langsdorfii (Desf.) Kuntze and Trachyspermum ammi (L.) Sprague showed the best results. Nonetheless, more in vivo studies should be carried out to confirm efficiency and fully determine adverse reactions and toxicity.