Levicyn (also marketed as Alevicyn) is a topical skin product whose active ingredient is hypochlorous acid, a substance your own immune cells naturally produce to fight infection. It comes in spray, gel, and spray-gel forms and is FDA-cleared as a wound care device rather than a traditional drug. Dermatologists and wound care specialists typically recommend it for managing irritated, itchy, or damaged skin.
How Hypochlorous Acid Works
Hypochlorous acid is the same chemical your white blood cells generate as a first line of defense when you get a cut or infection. These immune cells produce it on demand to rapidly attack bacteria, fungi, yeast, and viruses at the wound site. By delivering that molecule directly to the skin in a stabilized solution, Levicyn essentially mimics what your body already does naturally.
Beyond fighting microbes, hypochlorous acid triggers several processes that support healing. It helps seal off damaged tissue through localized clotting, promotes the growth and movement of new blood vessel cells, and speeds the migration of fibroblasts (the cells responsible for rebuilding skin). It also reduces mast cell activity, which is a key driver of itching and inflammation. These effects don’t require the hypochlorous acid itself to linger for long. Once it reacts with surrounding tissue, it creates byproducts, particularly one called N-chlorotaurine, that continue stimulating repair after the original molecule has broken down.
Product Forms and What’s in Them
Levicyn is available in three formats, each designed for slightly different uses:
- Antimicrobial Dermal Spray: A liquid spray containing hypochlorous acid at a concentration of 90 mg/L, along with sodium chloride, sodium sulfate, sodium phosphate, and water. This format is geared toward cleaning and protecting wounds or irritated skin.
- Antipruritic Gel: A gel formulation that includes hypochlorous acid, sodium chloride, sodium phosphate, magnesium fluorosilicate, and water. “Antipruritic” means anti-itch, so this version is aimed at calming itchy, inflamed skin.
- Antipruritic Spray Gel (SG): A hybrid that sprays on but has a gel-like consistency. It contains hypochlorous acid, sodium hypochlorite, dimethicone (a skin-smoothing silicone), sodium bicarbonate, and several other salts. The gel texture helps it stay in place on the skin longer than a liquid spray.
All three are mostly water with very small amounts of active ingredients. For context, similar hypochlorous acid wound care solutions are roughly 99.97% water by weight, with the active components making up a tiny fraction of the total.
FDA Status: Device, Not a Drug
Levicyn is not classified as a pharmaceutical drug. The FDA cleared it through the 510(k) pathway, which is the route for medical devices that are substantially equivalent to something already on the market. The Alevicyn SG Antipruritic Gel, for example, received clearance in June 2015 under the classification “Dressing, Wound, Drug,” a category for wound care products. This means it went through a different approval process than prescription medications and is regulated as a device that mechanically cleans and protects the skin rather than as a drug with systemic pharmacological effects.
What It’s Used For
Levicyn is used on a range of skin conditions where infection control and itch relief matter. Its primary roles include cleaning minor wounds, managing skin irritation, and reducing itching from inflammatory skin conditions. Dermatologists sometimes recommend it for conditions like eczema, radiation dermatitis, or post-procedure skin care where keeping the area clean and calm is important.
The spray format works well for open or sensitive areas where you don’t want to rub anything across the skin. The gel versions are better suited for areas where you need the product to stay put, such as patches of dry, itchy skin on the arms or legs. Because the active ingredient is something your body already produces, hypochlorous acid products are generally well tolerated and don’t sting the way alcohol-based or hydrogen peroxide-based cleansers can.
How to Use It
Application is straightforward. For the spray, you mist it directly onto the affected area and let it air dry or gently pat dry. For the gel and spray-gel versions, you apply a thin layer over the irritated or damaged skin. Levicyn can typically be used multiple times per day as needed, though your specific frequency will depend on what you’re treating and your provider’s recommendation. No special skin preparation is required beforehand, though cleaning the area of visible dirt or debris first is good practice for any wound care product.
Storage is simple: keep it at room temperature, away from excessive heat and moisture. The solution doesn’t need refrigeration.