Zenerite: will cure skin from acne

From this article you will learn:

• drug Zenerit – composition, analogues,
• detailed instructions for use,
• reviews of Zinerit from dermatologists.

Zineryt for acne (Zineryt) is an antibacterial drug in the form of a solution for external use, containing the antibiotic erythromycin + zinc acetate complex. The drug is used to treat papulopustular acne (pimples). It is produced in the Netherlands, but the trademark on Zineryt® already belongs to (Denmark).

Zinerit is available in pharmacies without a doctor's prescription. It can be used in adults and children over 12 years of age. The antibiotic erythromycin is a long-known macrolide antibiotic and has been used to treat acne for more than half a century. This is due to its high activity against the bacteria Propionibacterium acnes and Streptococcus epidermidis, which are involved in the development of acne.

Reviews of the drug Zinerit from dermatologists have always been good, until recently, but recently there have been many reports of increasingly frequent cases of resistance of Propionibacterium acnes bacteria to macrolide antibiotics (according to the most authoritative textbook on dermatology, Fitzpatrick's Dermatology). Exactly the same data is reflected in many monographs and scientific works of Russian doctors.

How much does Zinerit cost in pharmacies:

The price for the drug Zinerit in pharmacies starts from 587 rubles (the price is indicated for 2021). Moreover, this is significantly lower than just a few years ago. Of course, the reason for this is the smaller number of prescriptions of this drug by dermatologists to their patients with acne. However, the drug cannot be considered completely irrelevant.

Composition and release form

Table

Composition of the drug before mixing the contents of the bottles and after preparing the solution

* the amount of active components, erythromycin and zinc acetate dihydrate, was increased by 3.35% in order to compensate for their concentrations in the preparation of the finished product, the nominal volume of which increases when the active components are mixed with the solvent (every 1000 mg of powder is equivalent to 0.79 ml).

** an additional increase in the amount of active components, erythromycin and zinc acetate dihydrate, by 5% is associated with maintaining the declared concentrations of the finished drug during storage.

in a bottle, complete with solvent in a 30 ml bottle and an applicator; 1 set in box.

Indications for use –

The Zinerit instruction contains only 1 indication for the use of the drug - this is “acne treatment”. But in fact, this requires an important explanation, because... The instructions are written frankly illiterately. With acne, we have only non-inflammatory elements - these are either whiteheads (closed comedones) or blackheads (open comedones). Antibiotics are generally not used to treat non-inflammatory elements of acne.

Antibiotics are needed to treat specifically the papulopustular form of acne (pimples). It is in this case that we have inflammatory elements - papules and/or pustules, which we will treat with antibiotics. In addition, we will use topical antibiotics only for papulopustular acne of mild or moderate severity, because in severe cases, antibiotics are prescribed only orally (in tablets).

Pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics

Zenerite is an erythromycin-zinc

a complex preparation characterized by
anti-acne effectiveness, which is manifested due to the combined effect of its active ingredients.
Effects of the antibiotic erythromycin

are aimed at suppressing the replication
of microorganisms (bacteriostatic effect) that cause acne
(
acne
):
epidermal streptococcus
(Streptococcus epidermidis) and
propionibacterium acne (Propionibacterium acne).
Zinc activity

lies in its
astringent
effect and reducing
the secretion of the sebaceous glands
(sebum).

The complex combination of all the ingredients of the drug creates good conditions for their penetration into the skin. The bulk of zinc binds to follicular epithelial cells

and does not penetrate into the systemic circulation.
A small fraction of erythromycin undergoes systemic absorption and is subsequently excreted from the human body.

Zinerit: analogues of the drug

An analogue of Zenerit for acne is cheaper - this is a drug from the Russian pharmaceutical company Arpimed, which produces a similar product - “2% erythromycin solution” for external use. However, this solution has only a 2% concentration of erythromycin, which corresponds to a dosage of 20 mg per 1 ml (this is 2 times lower than in the drug Zinerit), and in addition, the drug does not contain zinc. Accordingly, all this will mean a very rapid development of bacterial resistance to erythromycin.

Side effects -

In some cases, slight redness, dryness and flaking of the skin, tingling or burning may occur at the site of use of the drug. Such effects are normal and do not require discontinuation of the drug.

Contraindications for use –

You should not use Zinerit if you have a hypersensitivity (allergy) to erythromycin or other macrolide antibiotics, as well as to zinc or other components of the drug.

Use during pregnancy and breastfeeding –

The use of the drug during breastfeeding and pregnancy is possible if the recommended dosage of application is observed (no more than 0.5 ml per 1 application). The safety of the drug is due to the fact that erythromycin practically does not penetrate the skin and does not enter the systemic bloodstream. Studies have not revealed a negative effect of the drug on the fetus.

Contraindications and side effects

It is necessary to refuse treatment for acne with Zinerit if the body has developed immunity to macrolides or there is intolerance to one or more pharmaceutical components of the solution. Signs of an allergic reaction to Zinerit can be: increasing redness of the skin at the sites where the drug is applied, increased pain, unbearable itching, swelling.

Normally, after using the solution, a feeling of tightness, dryness, and a slight burning sensation is likely to appear. The discomfort is short-term and goes away on its own within a few hours. Most people who use Zinerit do not have any unpleasant symptoms.

Zinerit: reviews from a dermatologist

On the drug Zinerit for acne - reviews from dermatologists and researchers at medical universities increasingly boil down to the fact that every year more and more strains of the bacteria Propionibacterium acnes are discovered that are insensitive to this drug. The reason for this is largely due to the over-the-counter availability of the drug (this means the possibility of advertising on TV), which potentiates the uncontrolled use of this drug by patients - as a means of self-treating acne at home.

You may suspect Propionibacterium acnes bacteria are resistant to Zinerit if you do not notice an effect from therapy within 2 weeks of use. The downside is the possibility of developing cross-resistance - when the development of resistance to erythromycin can automatically lead to microflora resistance to other antibiotics, for example, clindamycin.

There is a large list of scientific papers on Propionibacterium acnes resistance to erythromycin. For example, Barinova A.N. “Modern methods of treatment and rehabilitation of patients with acne vulgaris” (Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education “North-Western State Medical University named after Mechnikov” of the Ministry of Health of Russia, St. Petersburg). We quote: “The use of erythromycin is currently limited due to the large number of resistant strains of Propionibacterium acnes.” And there are a lot of studies with the same conclusions.

Important: In addition, we do not recommend using this medication for patients with dry or sensitive skin. The drug contains ethyl alcohol as a solvent, therefore we will get even more drying of the skin. The drug is better suited for patients with oily skin.

Which is better: Skinoren or Zenerit

Skinoren belongs to the group of drugs based on azelaic acid. Drugs in this group are used to treat acne, and not to treat papulopustular acne (pimples). In turn, antibacterial drugs are used only to treat either acne or nodules. Therefore, it is simply pointless to compare the effectiveness of these drugs - each of them is designed to treat different forms of acne. We hope that our article on the topic: Does Zinerit help with acne was useful to you!

Sources:

1. Textbook of dermatology “Fitzpatrick's Dermatology” (8th edition), 2. “Modern methods of treatment and rehabilitation of patients with acne vulgaris” (Barinova), 3. “Acne from the position of evidence-based medicine” (Anisimova), 4. “Cellular mechanisms of barrier protective functions of the skin and their disorders in skin diseases” (Medelets).

Zenerit or Baziron: which is better?

Baziron contains a highly effective bactericidal component for the treatment of acne, such as benzoyl peroxide. To date, there are no strains of bacteria that are resistant to benzoyl peroxide and are associated with the development of acne. But the choice between these drugs is not as simple as it seems - it all depends on the type of inflammatory elements.

Let us remind you that acne can be in the form of papules or pustules (with pus). If you mainly have only papules that do not contain pus, it is optimal to use a combination of “benzoyl peroxide + topical retinoid” (for example, Baziron + Clenzit). If you have acne in the form of pustules with pus, then you need a combination of “benzoyl peroxide + antibiotic + topical retinoid”. These are the treatment protocols that are professional, and you can familiarize yourself with them using the link below.

Why is it important to give benzoyl peroxide along with an antibiotic for pustules? Studies have shown that in this case, not only the effectiveness of therapy increases, but also the risk of the bacteria Propionibacterium acnes developing resistance to the antibiotic is sharply reduced.

→ International acne treatment protocols → International acne treatment protocols

special instructions

After applying the drug to the skin and completely drying, the lotion becomes invisible.

With long-term use of Zenerit, it is theoretically possible to develop cross-resistance

in relation to other
macrolides
,
Clindamycin
and
Lincomycin
.

When carrying out applications

precautions should be taken to prevent application of the drug to
the mucous membranes of the eyes
,
nose and mouth
, in order to avoid
irritation
and/or
burns
.

How to use Zenerit: instructions

The drug is used 2 times a day: in the morning (necessarily before applying makeup) and in the evening after washing before bed. The course of treatment is 10-12 weeks (however, good results are achieved after 2 weeks of using the drug). The rest of the time is necessary to consolidate the results of therapy.

Preparation and use of the drug –

The contents of the solvent bottle must be completely poured into the dry powder bottle. After this, the bottle must be shaken until the powder is completely dissolved in the solvent. After this, the bottle can be closed with a lid with an applicator.

What does the Zinerit applicator look like:

Step-by-step instructions: 1) The packaging of the drug contains two bottles and one applicator. 2) First, open the caps of both bottles, keeping the cap of bottle A containing the powder. 3) The solvent from bottle B must be poured into bottle A with powder. 4) Close bottle A (with powder and solvent) with a cap. 5) Shake bottle A for 1 minute. 6) Remove the cap from bottle A and attach the applicator to the bottle. 7) Push the cap that contains the applicator into the full bottle and close tightly. Open the cap of the bottle and check that the applicator is securely attached. 9) Write the date of mixing the drug on the bottle (the prepared solution can be used within 5 weeks).

To apply the drug, you need to tilt the bottle with the applicator down. The pressure applied controls the speed at which the solution is applied to the skin. The solution is colorless and therefore will not be noticeable after drying. The drug is intended for external use only (for application to the skin).