Safety evaluation of a skin care product containing linoleic acid for atopic dermatitis patients

In spite of concerns about contact dermatitis, many patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) want to use skin lightning agents to treat increased pigmentation sometimes caused by chronic skin inflammation. Therefore, we tested the safety of a skin lightening agent containing linoleic acid in AD patients. Written informed consent was obtained from 24 AD patients. We first conducted a patch test of the agent on the one positive case, and the other 23 negative cases were then subjected to a half face use test for a month to detect any adverse reactions. Except for 2 cases who failed to visit the hospital and 1 case hospitalized for ectopic pregnancy, 20 cases continued to use the agent for a month. Transient erythema, transient scale, transient eyelid edema, pigmentation at the corners of the mouth, and irritation on the forehead and lips were observed as minor adverse reactions. Although a follow-up is required, these results suggest that this skin lightening agent containing linoleic acid may be an option for AD patients suffering from skin pigmentation.