# Assessment of the Impact of a Cosmetic Product with Sheep Colostrum on Acne Skin
## 4 Discussion  
This study examines the efficacy of a cosmetic preparation containing sheep colostrum on acne-prone skin, with particular emphasis on the potential dermatological benefits arising from its bioactive components. The outcome of the study was measured by subjective (participants' opinions) and objective (measurements of epidermal barrier function) methods. Our cream is a cosmetic, and for this category, subjective opinions are especially important. The volunteers assessed the antiacne effects as improving their skin in the light of skin lesion and epidermal barrier function. Acne can be treated topically with agents such as benzoyl peroxide, retinoids, and oral isotretinin, as well as with photodynamic therapy, chemical exfoliation therapy, and laser  
Figure 3: Percentage of subjects who declared improvement (blue), no change (grey), and deterioration (navy blue) in terms of skin hydration (**a**), seborrhea (**b**), and overall skin condition (**c**). \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c c c c} \hline \hline  & \multicolumn{3}{c}{**SKIN HYDRATION**} & \multicolumn{3}{c}{**SEBORRHOEA**} & \multicolumn{3}{c}{**OVERALL SKIN CONDITION**} \\ \cline{2-10}  & **Forehead** & **Chin** & **Cheeks** & **Forehead** & **Chin** & **Cheeks** & **Forehead** & **Chin** & **Cheeks** \\ \hline Mean improvement in the group & 37.5\% & 38.0\% & 43.2\% & 32.5\% & 24.1\% & 29.6\% & 39.7\% & 33.9\% & 43.8\% \\ declaring improvement & (N = 23) & (N = 20) & (N = 23) & (N = 23) & (N = 18) & (N = 20) & (N = 23) & (N = 24) & (N = 23) \\ \hline Group size with no changes & N = 2 & N = 5 & N = 1 & N = 2 & N = 7 & N = 3 & N = 1 & N = 2 & N = 2 \\ \hline Mean deterioration in the group & 20.0\% & 15.0\% & 36.7\% & 0.0\% & 0.0\% & 10.0\% & 22.5\% & 0.0\% & 20.0\% \\ declaring deterioration & (N = 2) & (N = 2) & (N = 3) & (N = 0) & (N = 0) & (N = 1) & (N = 2) & (N = 0) & (N = 1) \\ \hline Group size with no symptoms & N = 0 & N = 0 & N = 0 & N = 2 & N = 2 & N = 3 & N = 1 & N = 1 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 3: Subjective assessment by participants of their skin hydration, seborrhea, and overall skin condition. therapy. However, such treatments, and acne itself, can increase the rate of water loss from the epidermis, resulting in skin dryness and inflammation and greater skin sensitivity [19]. Acne skin samples were found to demonstrate an altered expression of epidermal molecules with a key role in maintaining barrier function [8], and acne patients demonstrated higher TEWL and lower hydration compared to a healthy group [20]. Our findings indicate that treatment resulted in greater skin hydration on the forehead and cheeks, which may indicate that the bioactive colostrum components (including growth factors, vitamins, and lipids) enhance water-retention capacity. Accordingly, the reduction in TEWL observed on the chin and cheeks suggests an improvement in hydolipid barrier integrity, likely mediated by lipids and proteins that strengthen the stratum corneum [13, 21]. [PERSON] et al. [22] propose that lactoferrin, a key component of colostrum, improves skin health by reducing acne lesions, enhancing hydration, diminishing TEWL, and lowering sebum production. Sebum plays the key role in the development of acne. Acne begins just before puberty, when the sebaceous glands enlarge, and reaches its maximum occurrence in early adolescence. Although patients with acne demonstrate greater sebum secretion in the whole face than in controls, its level does not correlate with lesion count [23]. In our study, most patients had a normal skin type rather than an oily skin type, according to Sebumeter guidelines [23]. Another study involving over 900 patients found sebum to have a clear influence on inflammatory lesions and that male acne patients are more influenced by sebum content than female acne patients [24]. Our results indicate that treatment was associated with a notable reduction in sebum production on the forehead, a critical factor in acne pathogenesis.