Glycyrrhetinic Acid and Acute Irritant Dermatitis

NCT ID: NCT07286487

Last Updated: 2025-12-23

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

30 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2026-01-01

Study Completion Date

2026-09-25

Brief Summary

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Irritant dermatitis is one of the most common inflammatory skin disorders, caused by exposure to external substances that induce inflammation and immune activation. Standard management includes avoidance of irritants, restoration of the skin barrier using emollients, and the application of anti-inflammatory drugs such as topical corticosteroids. However, due to the risks associated with long-term corticosteroid use, there is an interest in developing emollient formulations enriched with bioactive compounds possessing anti-inflammatory properties. Among those promising compounds is glycyrrhetinic acid.

18β-Glycyrrhetinic acid, a bioactive component of licorice root extract, exhibits potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Topical application has demonstrated beneficial outcomes in conditions such as atopic dermatitis, acne, pruritus, and UVB-induced skin damage. Its proposed mechanisms of action include inhibition of key inflammatory enzymes (COX, 5-LOX, iNOS) and promotion of skin regeneration through stimulation of aquaporin-3 expression and enhancement of epidermal turnover.

Topical application of formulations containing 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid will improve skin parameter disturbances caused by irritation induced with sodium lauryl sulfate.

This study aims to evaluate the effects of 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid on human skin parameters in an acute irritant dermatitis model induced by sodium lauryl sulfate, providing further insight into its potential role as an anti-inflammatory and barrier-restoring agent.

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Irritant Contact Dermatitis

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Participants Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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No Treatment and Intact skin

No topical product will be applied. Intact skin.

Group Type OTHER

No Treatment

Intervention Type OTHER

Designated test area with no topical application after irritation (on the irritated forearm) and on corresponding intact skin (on the non-irritated forearm). Serves as a baseline reference for spontaneous recovery and physiological skin variability.

Placebo and Intact skin

Topical placebo formulation identical in appearance and vehicle composition to the active preparation but without glycyrrhetinic acid. Used to control for vehicle effects on skin parameters. Intact skin.

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Placebo

Intervention Type OTHER

Topical formulation identical in composition to the active preparations but without glycyrrhetinic acid.

Used to evaluate the effect of the formulation vehicle on skin parameters. Applied daily to designated test sites on both irritated and intact forearm areas for the duration of the study.

Glycyrrhetinic Acid (lower dose) and Intact skin

Topical formulation containing a lower concentration of 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid. Designed to evaluate the dose-dependent effect of the active compound on intact skin parameters. Intact skin.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Lower Dose Glycyrrhetinic Acid

Intervention Type OTHER

Topical formulation containing a lower concentration of 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid.

Designed to assess the effects of the active compound at a lower dose on skin barrier recovery and skin parameters following SLS-induced irritation.

Applied daily to designated test sites on both irritated and intact forearm areas for the duration of the study.

Glycyrrhetinic Acid (higher dose) and Intact skin

Topical formulation containing a higher concentration of 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid. Used to assess whether a higher dose enhances anti-inflammatory and barrier-restoring effects compared with the lower dose and placebo.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Higher Dose Glycyrrhetinic Acid

Intervention Type OTHER

Topical formulation containing a higher concentration of 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid.

Designed to assess the effects of the active compound at a lower dose on skin barrier recovery and skin parameters following SLS-induced irritation.

Applied daily to designated test sites on both irritated and intact forearm areas for the duration of the study.

No Treatment and Irritation

No topical product will be applied. SLS induced skin irritation.

Group Type OTHER

SLS induced irritation

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Skin irritation will be induced on 4 defined test sites on one forearm (randomly selected forearm) using 60 uL of 1% w/v sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) aqueous solution under occlusion for a defined period to create a controlled model of acute irritant dermatitis.

The contralateral forearm will remain untreated and serve as intact skin for comparison.

Following the induction phase, all test products (placebo and active formulations) will be applied to both irritated and intact sites according to the treatment allocation.

No Treatment

Intervention Type OTHER

Designated test area with no topical application after irritation (on the irritated forearm) and on corresponding intact skin (on the non-irritated forearm). Serves as a baseline reference for spontaneous recovery and physiological skin variability.

Placebo and Irritation

Topical placebo formulation identical in appearance and vehicle composition to the active preparation but without glycyrrhetinic acid. Used to control for vehicle effects on skin parameters. SLS induced skin irritation.

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

SLS induced irritation

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Skin irritation will be induced on 4 defined test sites on one forearm (randomly selected forearm) using 60 uL of 1% w/v sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) aqueous solution under occlusion for a defined period to create a controlled model of acute irritant dermatitis.

The contralateral forearm will remain untreated and serve as intact skin for comparison.

Following the induction phase, all test products (placebo and active formulations) will be applied to both irritated and intact sites according to the treatment allocation.

Placebo

Intervention Type OTHER

Topical formulation identical in composition to the active preparations but without glycyrrhetinic acid.

Used to evaluate the effect of the formulation vehicle on skin parameters. Applied daily to designated test sites on both irritated and intact forearm areas for the duration of the study.

Glycyrrhetinic Acid (lower dose) and Irritation

Topical formulation containing a lower concentration of 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid. Designed to evaluate the dose-dependent effect of the active compound on skin recovery and barrier function after irritation. SLS induced skin irritation.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

SLS induced irritation

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Skin irritation will be induced on 4 defined test sites on one forearm (randomly selected forearm) using 60 uL of 1% w/v sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) aqueous solution under occlusion for a defined period to create a controlled model of acute irritant dermatitis.

The contralateral forearm will remain untreated and serve as intact skin for comparison.

Following the induction phase, all test products (placebo and active formulations) will be applied to both irritated and intact sites according to the treatment allocation.

Lower Dose Glycyrrhetinic Acid

Intervention Type OTHER

Topical formulation containing a lower concentration of 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid.

Designed to assess the effects of the active compound at a lower dose on skin barrier recovery and skin parameters following SLS-induced irritation.

Applied daily to designated test sites on both irritated and intact forearm areas for the duration of the study.

Glycyrrhetinic Acid (higher dose) and Irritation

Topical formulation containing a higher concentration of 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid. Used to assess whether a higher dose enhances anti-inflammatory and barrier-restoring effects compared with the lower dose and placebo. SLS induced skin irritation

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

SLS induced irritation

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Skin irritation will be induced on 4 defined test sites on one forearm (randomly selected forearm) using 60 uL of 1% w/v sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) aqueous solution under occlusion for a defined period to create a controlled model of acute irritant dermatitis.

The contralateral forearm will remain untreated and serve as intact skin for comparison.

Following the induction phase, all test products (placebo and active formulations) will be applied to both irritated and intact sites according to the treatment allocation.

Higher Dose Glycyrrhetinic Acid

Intervention Type OTHER

Topical formulation containing a higher concentration of 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid.

Designed to assess the effects of the active compound at a lower dose on skin barrier recovery and skin parameters following SLS-induced irritation.

Applied daily to designated test sites on both irritated and intact forearm areas for the duration of the study.

Interventions

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SLS induced irritation

Skin irritation will be induced on 4 defined test sites on one forearm (randomly selected forearm) using 60 uL of 1% w/v sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) aqueous solution under occlusion for a defined period to create a controlled model of acute irritant dermatitis.

The contralateral forearm will remain untreated and serve as intact skin for comparison.

Following the induction phase, all test products (placebo and active formulations) will be applied to both irritated and intact sites according to the treatment allocation.

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

No Treatment

Designated test area with no topical application after irritation (on the irritated forearm) and on corresponding intact skin (on the non-irritated forearm). Serves as a baseline reference for spontaneous recovery and physiological skin variability.

Intervention Type OTHER

Placebo

Topical formulation identical in composition to the active preparations but without glycyrrhetinic acid.

Used to evaluate the effect of the formulation vehicle on skin parameters. Applied daily to designated test sites on both irritated and intact forearm areas for the duration of the study.

Intervention Type OTHER

Lower Dose Glycyrrhetinic Acid

Topical formulation containing a lower concentration of 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid.

Designed to assess the effects of the active compound at a lower dose on skin barrier recovery and skin parameters following SLS-induced irritation.

Applied daily to designated test sites on both irritated and intact forearm areas for the duration of the study.

Intervention Type OTHER

Higher Dose Glycyrrhetinic Acid

Topical formulation containing a higher concentration of 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid.

Designed to assess the effects of the active compound at a lower dose on skin barrier recovery and skin parameters following SLS-induced irritation.

Applied daily to designated test sites on both irritated and intact forearm areas for the duration of the study.

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Healthy adult participants aged 18 years or older, of any sex.
* Intact, healthy skin at the test sites.
* No use of systemic or topical corticosteroids, immunomodulators, or antihistamines within the previous three months.
* No use of topical emollients on the test sites within the previous seven days.

Exclusion Criteria

* Pregnant women, women suspected of being pregnant, and breastfeeding women.
* Non-compliance with the study protocol.
* Voluntary withdrawal or personal decision not to continue participation.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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University of Split, School of Medicine

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Locations

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University of Split School of Medicine

Split, , Croatia

Site Status

Countries

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Croatia

References

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Scheinman PL, Vocanson M, Thyssen JP, Johansen JD, Nixon RL, Dear K, Botto NC, Morot J, Goldminz AM. Contact dermatitis. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2021 May 27;7(1):38. doi: 10.1038/s41572-021-00271-4.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 34045488 (View on PubMed)

Johansen JD, Bonefeld CM, Schwensen JFB, Thyssen JP, Uter W. Novel insights into contact dermatitis. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2022 Apr;149(4):1162-1171. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2022.02.002. Epub 2022 Feb 18.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 35183605 (View on PubMed)

Kang SY, Um JY, Chung BY, Lee SY, Park JS, Kim JC, Park CW, Kim HO. Moisturizer in Patients with Inflammatory Skin Diseases. Medicina (Kaunas). 2022 Jul 1;58(7):888. doi: 10.3390/medicina58070888.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 35888607 (View on PubMed)

Weisshaar E. Chronic Hand Eczema. Am J Clin Dermatol. 2024 Nov;25(6):909-926. doi: 10.1007/s40257-024-00890-z. Epub 2024 Sep 19.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 39300011 (View on PubMed)

Kowalska A, Kalinowska-Lis U. 18beta-Glycyrrhetinic acid: its core biological properties and dermatological applications. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2019 Aug;41(4):325-331. doi: 10.1111/ics.12548. Epub 2019 Jun 28.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 31166601 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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2181-198-03-04-25-0072

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id