The Multifunctionality of 10% Sodium Sulfacetamide, 5% Sulfur Emollient Foam in the Treatment of Inflammatory Facial Dermatoses

Prior to 1962, some of the most versatile drugs in dermatology were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) solely on the basis of safety. One of these is the combination 10% sodium sulfacetamide and 5% sulfur. Sodium sulfacetamide possesses anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties while sulfur is a nonspecific antibacterial and antifungal. A new emollient foam formulation of 10% sodium sulfacetamide and 5% sulfur allows a thinner application film, and leaves behind no residue on hair bearing or non-hair bearing skin. The sulfur smell is also more quickly dissipated with reduced irritation. This uncontrolled, observational, prospective, open-label, single site, eight-week study enrolled 24 subjects (eight with rosacea, eight with seborrheic dermatitis, eight with acne vulgaris) to evaluate the safety and efficacy of this novel foam formulation. At eight weeks, statistically significant improvement was seen in inflammatory rosacea lesion counts and the signs of seborrheic dermatitis. A 50% reduction was noted in the total acne lesion counts. These findings confirm the versatility of an emollient 10% sodium sulfacetamide and 5% sulfur foam.