Topical Protocols for Acne Vulgaris

With such a wide array of topical products on the market directed toward acne management, it can be challenging for healthcare professionals to know where to begin regarding their integration into a treatment plan for their patients. Although a Naturopathic and Integrative approach allows us to effectively coordinate acne care using numerous internal-focused therapies, such as diet and oral supplementation, familiarity with the topical options for acne, many of which include various nutraceutical and herbal agents, is still underexplored. Growing amounts of research demonstrate a key role played by such topicals in acne care, including the appropriate selection of cleansers, moisturizers, sunscreens, and cosmeceutical ingredients embedded within such products. While the previous Beyond the Textbook: Managing Acne Vulgaris course* explored the research behind what topical cosmeceuticals can be used in acne management, this course builds upon that information by exploring how to integrate such cosmeceutical products in the form of protocols for various clinical scenarios commonly encountered in acne care. 

*NOTE: This  course was designed to build upon the information reviewed in the Beyond the Textbook: Managing Acne Vulgaris course. Although it is not required to first take the Managing Acne Vulgaris course, it is highly recommended to do so as a means of obtaining the full breadth of information reviewed. 

This course is designed to provide Naturopathic Doctors, Naturopathic students, and healthcare providers with in-depth and easy-to-integrate topical product-based protocols for managing various aspects of acne.  

Key aspects reviewed include:

· An overview of key elements and topics relevant to topical acne care 

· Topical-focused protocols to be used as adjunctive support to one’s standard Naturopathic/Integrative treatment plan

• A basic protocol for acne care
• A protocol for managing inflammatory acne
• A protocol for managing oily skin
• A protocol for managing post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation
• A protocol for managing sensitive skin 

Each protocol integrates the following:

• What topical product categories are relevant to a given protocol (including cleansers, moisturizers, treatment products, spot treatments, etc.)
• What cosmeceutical ingredients to consider including within the topical product categories for each protocol 
• What sequence is recommended for applying topical products to the skin
• Ingredient & formulation examples of (unnamed) topical products currently on the market which are relevant to each protocol
• Following each protocol is an exploration of sample human trials and review articles pertaining to key aspects highlighted within each protocol

Who might benefit from this course? 

Any healthcare provider who:

• Is looking to become familiar with what topical products to recommend and integrate as an adjunct to their standard acne treatments
• Is seeking ready-to-implement topical-based protocols, with the flexibility of adjusting according to practice needs 
• Is wanting to augment their ability to answer patient questions surrounding topical product selection and application sequence