Topical treatment for acne vulgaris is expensive. Thus, there is a need to find a cheaper alternative. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of Moringa oleifera leaves extract topical gel compared with 2.5% benzoyl peroxide in mild to moderate acne vulgaris. This study was a randomized, controlled, non-superiority and open label trial that involved 31 male high school students of Boniao National High School. They were divided into 2 groups, the M. oleifera group (n=14) and benzoyl peroxide group (n=17). The baseline total lesion count (TLC) score was compared with each of the 3 evaluation periods (15th, 30th and 45th days). Adverse effects and treatment failure rates were also determined. Photos of each respondent’s face were taken and served as the basis for the evaluation of the TLC score. The data was analyzed using paired t-test and independent samples t-test. The results showed significant differences in the decrease on mean TLC scores in the M. oleifera group (p=0.003) and benzoyl peroxide group (p=0.003) after 45 days of treatment period. Adverse effect reported among the M. oleifera group was desquamation (8 out of 14) while in the benzoyl peroxide group pruritus (2 out of 17) was reported. Treatment failure rate for both groups was 0%. There was no significant difference between the 2 groups with regards to decreasing the TLC scores. M. oleifera is an effective anti-acne therapy and is comparable to benzoyl peroxide. The M. oleifera topical gel can be distributed to high school students with acne vulgaris as an alternative treatment to benzoyl peroxide.

Keyword: Topical Gel Treatment for Vulgaris Treatment for Acne Moringa Oleifera ( Malungay)