Combination of zinc with a form of glucose (a sugar) that is commonly used in cold lozenges for its antiviral effects. A study reported in Dermatology (2001, volume 203, issue 2, page 40) evaluated “the place of zinc gluconate in relation to antibiotics in the treatment of Acne vulgaris. Zinc was compared to minocycline [an antibiotic] in a multicenter randomized double-blind trial. 332 patients received either 30 milligrams elemental zinc or 100 milligrams minocycline over 3 months. The primary endpoint was defined as the percentage of the clinical success rate on day 90….” The study concluded that “Minocycline and zinc gluconate are both effective in the treatment of inflammatory acne, but minocycline has a superior effect evaluated to be 17% in our study.” Whether or not this relates to topical applications is unknown. Note, however, that high doses of zinc can be toxic, so avoid taking more than 100 mg of zinc per day from a supplement (Source: www.drweil.com).