But fear them as we might, the shark is providing the cure for an embarrassment most of us suffer at some time in our lives... spotty skin.

Pimples and acne usually start appearing when we're teenagers, a time when anxiety and insecurity is high enough as it is.

This embarrassing affliction has spawned a two-billion dollar industry of cosmetics and lotions with cures reputed to shrink, explode or simply cover up pimples. And they've worked with varying degrees of success.

But now there is a solution that definitely works. The problem is, it's not all that easy to obtain. A compound from the shark's gall bladder, called Isolutrol, has been definitely proven to dry up the oily skin that causes pimples.

At the moment that compound is a by-product of the fishing industry, but the shark catch isn't providing enough for the growing demands of the cosmetic industry.

So McFarlane Laboratories, who supply ISOLUTROL to the large international cosmetic companies, asked CSIRO scientists to come up with a way of making it in the laboratory.

"It took us about two years to develop a process that could be used, not to just make small quantities in the laboratory but also could be scaled up to make factory scale quantities of it."

"Isolutrol is a really good anti-acne agent and the acne agent market is worth about two billion dollars a year. We're hoping by developing this process in our laboratory we will be able to cash in on some of this market."

Scientists have also found that the compound might be able to protect the human liver damaged by drugs and alcohol.

So if Isolutrol can be mass produced, it may prevent acne and provide a wide range of medical uses without having to obtain it from sharks.