Glycolic Acid vs Thiamidol

Throughout

8-12 weeks

8-16 weeks

First weeks

immediate

12 weeks

2-3 weeks

3 weeks

A double-blind randomized clinical trial on the effectiveness of a daily glycolic acid 5% formulation in the treatment of photoaging.

Dermatol Surg (1998) · Rct · n=75

75 volunteers applied 5% unneutralized glycolic acid cream or placebo to face and neck daily for 3 months (double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled)

Clinical improvement of photoaged skin with 50% glycolic acid. A double-blind vehicle-controlled study.

Dermatol Surg (1996) · Rct · n=41

41 volunteers received a 50% glycolic acid peel vs vehicle weekly for 4 weeks (in-office peel strength)

Mode of action of glycolic acid on human stratum corneum: ultrastructural and functional evaluation of the epidermal barrier.

Arch Dermatol Res (1997) · Open label

Electron-microscopy study of human skin after 3 weeks of 4% glycolic acid twice daily

Inhibition of Human Tyrosinase Requires Molecular Motifs Distinctively Different from Mushroom Tyrosinase

J Invest Dermatol (2018) · In vitro

The discovery paper, and the reason this ingredient exists: most tyrosinase inhibitors were screened against MUSHROOM tyrosinase, which is why so many lack clinical effect.

Efficacy and safety of topical isobutylamido thiazolyl resorcinol (Thiamidol) vs. 4% hydroquinone cream for facial melasma: an evaluator-blinded, randomized controlled trial

J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol (2021) · Rct · n=50

The comparison that matters: head to head against 4% hydroquinone, the prescription-strength benchmark.

Thiamidol in moderate-to-severe melasma: 24-week, randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled clinical study with subsequent regression phase

J Dermatol (2021) · Rct · n=48

The study the abstract calls the FIRST 24-week randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled assessment of thiamidol in moderate-to-severe melasma, with a subsequent regression phase.