Clearasil to utilise AHA's

Boots Healthcare and the NeoStrata Company - founder of alpha hydroxyacid (AHA) and poly hydroxyacid (PHA) technology - have co-developed a new treatment cream to prevent acne. Clearasil Ultra Treatment is the first mass-marketed product to combine AHA technologies and formulations.

Topically applied AHAs and PHAs have transformed many aspects of cosmetic and therapeutic skincare since their discovery for use on skin in 1998. The compounds - first used by dermatologists to alleviate severe scaling associated with the disfiguring skin condition ichthyosis - have consistently proven useful to dermatologists in the treatment of a variety of conditions when used alone, or in combination with other therapeutic regimens.

Clearasil Ultra Treatment Cream combines 10 per cent Benzoyl Peroxide - to eliminate acne-causing bacteria - and Glycolic Acid, a patented amphoteric complex to enable quick exfoliation to reduce skin irritation. The formulation also includes Dimethicone, a skin conditioning agent to soften dry skin.

NeoStrata and Boots Healthcare USA signed the agreement for the formulation and development of Clearasil products - the leading brand in OTC acne treatment - in the second quarter of last year.

NeoStrata is a research-based dermatological company. It holds 120 patents, many licensed by pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies. The company also markets prestige retail brands including Exuviance skin care and CoverBlend by Exuviance, a line of medically developed, concealing treatment cosmetics to correct all types of visible skin imperfections.