Objective To determine the efficacy and safety of lactoferrin combined with zinc for mild to moderate acne vulgaris. Methods A total of 126 patients with mild and moderate acne were randomly divided into the trial and control groups. The levels of serum zinc,IL-1 and IL-17 were detected before and after treatment. The skin lesions,the EGSS and therapeutic effect were compared between the two groups. Results Before treatment, the level of zinc in the trial group and the control group was(10.12 ± 1.75)μmol/L and(10.35 ± 1.68)μmol/L, respectively(P = 0.09). After 8 weeks,the level of zinc in the trial group was(15.09 ± 1.336)μmol/L,and the control group was(9.98 ± 1.26)μmol/L,with statistically significant difference(t = 2.41,P = 0.022). Before treatment,the level of IL-1 and IL-17 in the trial group were(1.935 ± 0.023)pg/mL and(3.68 ± 0.08)pg/mL, whereas in the control group were(1.897 ± 0.032)pg/mL and(3.71 ± 0.06)pg/mL,respectively(P = 0.16, 0.21). After 8 weeks of treatment,the trial group IL-1β,serum IL-17 levels were(1.327 ± 0.032)pg/mL and (2.48 ± 0.06)pg/mL;the control group respectively(1.902 ± 0.028)pg/mL and(3.62 ± 0.04)pg/mL(P =0.015,0.0011);the fourth week EGSS score had statistical significance(P < 0.05). At 8 weeks,the score of EGSS was significantly lower than that of the control group(t = 2.51,P = 0.006). The total effective rate and re-covery rate was significantly between the two groups. Conclusions This study showed that intake of lactoferrin with zinc can significantly reduce the level of IL-1β and IL-17,improve the severity of acne lesions in people with acne vulgaris. These data supported the potential use of lactoferrin as a safe and effective alternative or adjunct ther-apy to standard acne treatments.