This derivative of oxidized glucose lactone is present naturally in bread, cheese, fruit juices, honey, tofu, and wine, and is used as a food additive in Europe.1,2 In dermatology, it is most often used in chemical peels.
Polyhydroxy acids (PHAs) were discovered about 3 decades ago to exert similar functions as alpha hydroxy acids without provoking sensory irritation reactions. Gluconolactone along with lactobionic acid were the identified PHAs and further characterized as delivering more humectant and moisturizing activity than alpha hydroxy acids and effective in combination with retinoic acid to treat adult acne and with retinyl acetate to confer antiaging benefits.3 It is typically added to products for its skin-conditioning qualities, resulting in smoother, brighter, more toned skin.4 This column focuses on recent studies using this bioactive agent for dermatologic purposes.
Split-Face Studies Show Various Benefits
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In 2023, Jarząbek-Perz and colleagues conducted a split-face evaluation to assess the effects on various skin parameters (ie, hydration, pH, sebum, and transepidermal water loss [TEWL]) of gluconolactone and oxybrasion, compared with gluconolactone and microneedling. Twenty-one White women underwent a series of three split-face treatments at 1-week intervals. Chemical peels with 10% gluconolactone were performed on the whole face. The right side of the face was also treated with oxybrasion and the left with microneedle mesotherapy. Skin parameters were measured before the first and third treatments and 2 weeks following the final treatment. Photos were taken before and after the study. Both treatments resulted in improved hydration and reductions in sebum, pH, and TEWL. No statistically significant differences were noted between the treatment protocols. The researchers concluded that gluconolactone peels can be effectively combined with oxybrasion or microneedle mesotherapy to enhance skin hydration and to secure the hydrolipid barrier.5
Later that year, the same team evaluated pH, sebum levels, and TEWL before, during, and after several applications of 10% and 30% gluconolactone chemical peels in a split-face model in 16 female participants. The investigators conducted three procedures on both sides of the face, taking measurements on the forehead, periorbital area, on the cheek, and on the nose wing before, during, and 7 days after the final treatment. They found statistically significant improvements in sebum levels in the cheeks after the treatment series. Also, pH values were lower at each measurement site after each procedure. TEWL levels were significantly diminished around the eyes, as well as the left forehead and right cheek, with no significant discrepancy between gluconolactone concentrations. The researchers concluded that gluconolactone plays a major role in reducing cutaneous pH and TEWL and imparts a regulatory effect on sebum.1
Two years earlier, Jarząbek-Perz and colleagues assessed skin moisture in a split-face model in 16 healthy women after the application of 10% and 30% gluconolactone. Investigators measured skin moisture before and after each of three treatments and a week after the final treatment from the forehead, periorbital area, and on the cheek. They observed no significant discrepancies between the 10% and 30% formulations, but a significant elevation in facial skin hydration was found to be promoted by gluconolactone. The investigators concluded that gluconolactone is an effective moisturizer for care of dry skin.6
Topical Formulation
In 2023, Zerbinati and colleagues determined that a gluconolactone-based lotion that they had begun testing 2 years earlier was safe and effective for dermatologic applications, with the noncomedogenic formulation found suitable as an antiaging agent, particularly as it treats aging-related pore dilatation.7,8
Acne Treatment
In 2019, Kantikosum and colleagues conducted a double-blind, within-person comparative study to assess the efficacy of various cosmeceutical ingredients, including gluconolactone, glycolic acid, licochalcone A, and salicylic acid, combined with the acne treatment adapalene vs adapalene monotherapy for mild to moderate acne. Each of 25 subjects over 28 days applied a product mixed with 0.1% adapalene on one side of the face, and 0.1% adapalene alone on the other side of the face once nightly. The VISIA camera system spot score pointed to a statistically significant improvement on the combination sides. Differences in lesion reduction and severity were within acceptable margins, the authors reported. They concluded that the cosmeceutical combinations yielded similar benefits as adapalene alone, with the combination formulations decreasing acne complications.9
Potential Use as an Antifibrotic Agent
Baumann Cosmetic & Research Institute
Dr. Leslie S. Baumann
In 2018, Jayamani and colleagues investigated the antifibrotic characteristics of glucono-delta-lactone, a known acidifier, to ascertain if it could directly suppress collagen fibrils or even cause them to disintegrate. The researchers noted that collagen fibrillation is pH dependent, and that glucono-delta-lactone was found to exert a concentration-dependent suppression of fibrils and disintegration of preformed collagen fibrils with the antifibrotic function of the compound ascribed to its capacity to decrease pH. Further, glucono-delta-lactone appeared to emerge as an ideal antifibrotic agent as it left intact the triple helical structure of collagen after treatment. The investigators concluded that glucono-delta-lactone provides the foundation for developing antifibrotic agents intended to treat disorders characterized by collagen deposition.10
Conclusion
Gluconolactone emerged in the 1990s as a PHA useful in skin peels as an alternative to alpha hydroxy acids because of its nonirritating qualities. Since then, its soothing, hydrating, and, in particular, antiacne and antiaging qualities have become established. Wider applications of this versatile agent for dermatologic purposes are likely to be further investigated.
Dr. Baumann is a private practice dermatologist, researcher, author, and entrepreneur in Miami. She founded the division of cosmetic dermatology at the University of Miami in 1997. The third edition of her bestselling textbook, “Cosmetic Dermatology,” was published in 2022. Dr. Baumann has received funding for advisory boards and/or clinical research trials from Allergan, Galderma, Johnson & Johnson, and Burt’s Bees. She is the CEO of Skin Type Solutions, a SaaS company used to generate skin care routines in office and as a ecommerce solution. Write to her at dermnews@mdedge.com.
References
1. Jarząbek-Perz S et al. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2023 Dec;22(12):3305-3312..
2. Qin X et al. Front Physiol. 2022 Mar 14;13:856699.
3. Grimes PE et al. Cutis. 2004 Feb;73(2 Suppl):3-13.
4. Glaser DA. Facial Plast Surg Clin North Am. 2003 May;11(2):219-227.
5. Jarząbek-Perz S et al. Skin Res Technol. 2023 Jun;29(6):e13353.
6. Jarząbek-Perz S et al. Skin Res Technol. 2021 Sep;27(5):925-930.
7. Zerbinati N et al. Molecules. 2021 Dec 15;26(24):7592.
8. Zerbinati Net al. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2023 Apr 27;16(5):655.
9. Kantikosum K et al. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2019 Feb 19;12:151-161.
10. Jayamani J et al. Int J Biol Macromol. 2018 Feb;107(Pt A):175-185.