Dermatica Review & Experience [My Dermatica Diaries]

Back in the day, I used to write a series on the blog called “In My Skin” all about my journey with acne and hyperpigmentation. I’ve suffered with acne and spot prone skin for as long as I can remember to be honest, with various times when it definitely was worse than others.

One of my biggest flare ups was after I stopped taking the contraceptive pill (post pill acne is a thing), and the most recent flair was during the pandemic which I believe is related to stress.

I always thought I would grow out of having acne prone skin but I remember a Doctor telling me that it’s different these days with the levels of pollution and other crap in our environment.

I’ve done plenty to support my skin – work on reducing stress, looking after my gut health with Symprove and eating a varied diet – but turning 40 this year, I feel like it’s time for a little added support again.

So when Dermatica got in-touch about working with them through their affiliate programme I figured it’d be a win for my skin as well as an opportunity to share a skin update and the whole journey here on the blog.

How Does Dermatica Work?

I’d actually come across Dermatica multiple times before through social media and I’d even started the online consultation to be honest. The one thing that did put me off (and it’s a me thing) is the whole subscription model. I’m not a massive fan of any subscriptions unless it’s really valuable.

Dermatica create personalised products for a range of skin issues including, but not limited to, rosacea, acne, acne scarring, and hyperpigmentation. Their products are all vegan-friendly, cruelty-free and carbon neutral too.

The Dermatica Online Consultation

The online consultation asks you a series of questions for which the answers are used to determine your personalised formula. It’s quite a lengthy form (which means its thorough) that covers what your goals are through to what treatments you’ve before and concludes with you uploading pictures of your current skin.

Once the dermatology experts have reviewed your consultation and photos, they prescribe a formula that’s right for you. This is followed by an email explaining which active ingredients they’ve chosen – and why. 

If you don’t complete the whole consultation, it does save your progress so you can go back to it later.

I can’t fault Dermatica for communication – the emails have been super clear keeping me up to date each step of the process, through preparation, delivery plus tips once I started the treatment.

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Dermatica Discount Code

Use code SIMPELLE to get your first treatment for £2.90, then 10% off your second treatment. Click below to complete your online consultation. Valid till end of 2025.

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My Skincare Journey With Dermatica

My Dermatica skincare journey started in March 2024. Above are a couple of my before photos.

I didn’t ever plan on sharing these tbh, but in the name of authenticity, here we are! You’re (of course) requested to take the photos with no make up on, and at the time, I have what I call a ‘birthday spot’ – a big spot that takes residence when you have a special occasion or big event that you would like to look your best for.

Here’s what my personalised formula has consisted of over the course of treatment:

MONTHLY FORMULAS

Month 1: Adapalene 0.1%/ Benzoyl Peroxide 2.5%/ Clindamycin 1% Lotion

Months 2-6: Adapalene 0.3%/ Benzoyl Peroxide 2.5%/ Clindamycin 1% Lotion

Month 7: Azelaic acid 20%/ Adapalene 0.3% Lotion

Month 10: Adapalene 0.1% / Benzoyl Peroxide 2.5% / Niacinamide 4% Lotion

Dermatica Diaries – Month One

My month one (28 day) delivery was smooth – it helps that the packet fits through letterboxes. I was super excited to get started, but the formula is for evening usage. So I read the leaflet that came with it and prepped for my new evening routine.

According to the information I was given, it’s normal to experience mild side effects like dryness or redness (this is called “retinisation”) with the ingredients in my personalised formula.

I’m super keen to get good results quickly, so I started with two pumps of the advised 1-2 pumps each evening. I’ve been tweaking my morning and evening skincare routines (see below) to help support my skin.

Two weeks in, and my skin hasn’t reacted too badly. The skin on my cheekbones has been a bit sensitive and the skin on the bridge of my nose did peel for one day.

They’ve said that some people see a difference in as little as 6 weeks, but it’s recommended to use your formula for 8–12 weeks to give it plenty of time to take effect. At 12 weeks they will request a consultation to review progress.

As my personal formula naturally exfoliates my skin, I’ve avoided using exfoliants too often since starting.

Dermatica Diaries – Month Two

I never made a note of the actual date I started month one but when my second months formula arrived, I waited until I finished the first tube before starting it.

The only change in this formula is the increase of Adapalene to 0.3% from 0.1%. It’s been about a week since I made the switch and I’ve had no major issues.

Over the past month, I’ve been trying to keep my skin as hydrated as possible adding in an extra serum at night if need be. I’ve had minimal peeling – just a bit on the bridge of my nose – and some burning sensations on the top of my cheekbones.

I feel like my skin actually feels and looks better despite a few more spots, which I believe is the ‘purging’ phase. Here are some more terrible photos (lol) for comparison (Before start of treatment on 6th March vs one month in 18th April).

Dermatica Diaries – Months Three & Four

Well, I got a little behind with my updates – time just flew by. But I did take some more terrible photos of myself (lol) towards the end of June.

I don’t think the photos do my skin justice tbh because it has definitely improved – ALOT (50 or 60% according to my OH). Less spots, hyperpigmentation is fading well and my skin seems to be well hydrated.

I did also start using a red light face mask a couple months ago for 10-15mins every day/every other day which I believe has really helped. I feel like it helps to reduce inflammation from any new spots which in turn reduces new hyperpigmentation.

Just before I took these pictures, I got an email for a Follow Up Consultation but I didn’t get around to completing it till early in July by which time, my next months supply had arrived. This means any changes they make won’t be reflected until my next delivery.

Here’s what I shared in my feedback: “I feel like I could definitely be on some sort of formula that has more dramatic results to be honest. Kinda feel like my skin has plateaued; the results are good, but not great. Still getting some spots, so new hyperpigmentation each time while trying to battle previous marks.”

Dermatica Diaries – Month Five & Six

July – September 2024

It took a month to hear back from my follow up consultation at which point they adjusted my formula to Azelaic acid 20%/ Adapalene 0.3% Lotion. That then shipped in the middle of August, and I’ve not started yet as I am still using my previous bottle.

Here are some update pictures taken 29th August 2024, and a photo from the week before with some foundation on.

Dermatica Diaries – Month Seven & Eight

I think I’ve now on my second bottle of the Azelaic acid 20%/ Adapalene 0.3% Lotion and thankfully there have been no adverse reactions.

I’ve had a small bit of peeling but I think that’s sun related, along with a few small pimples which look more like blocked pores and / or are a result of eating junk food and not hydrating well.

I’ve just submitted pictures for a consultation (29th November); it did take me well over a week to get around to taking the pictures. I can never really see my skin progress until I compare the pictures so here’s a comparison from today vs when I started treatment.

What do you think?!

Needless to say, I will be continuing treatment as there is still room for improvement with my hyperpigmentation from previous spots. When I get feedback from my consultation, I’ll share any changes in my next update below.

Dermatica Diaries – Month Nine & Ten

While I waited for the results from the pictures I submitted I started to get a few new spots which were leaving marks, alongside my skin just generally feeling really dry and having out its glow.

I reached out to Dermatica and they passed on my enquiry and pictures to the clinical team, who responded pretty quickly.

They asked how I would feel about changing my formula to Adapalene 0.1% + Benzoyl Peroxide 2.5% + Niacinamide 4%. lotion. This formula would be more targeted to spots, and the lower adapalene strength would help with the dryness.

Niacinamide, new for me on my Dermatica journey, treats pimples and spots by its anti inflammatory activity, which reduces swelling, redness and tenderness. Niacinamide (also known as nicotinamide or nicotinic acid) is an active form of vitamin B3.

Niacinamide has been shown to improve fine lines and wrinkles, reduce hyperpigmentation such as age spots, and also increase ceramide production, leading to greater hydration of the skin.

Of course I said yes, and as my next dispatch was imminent, I’ve started on this formula just before the start of January 2025 and so far, so good. Hang tight, for my next and final update in this diary of my skin journey.

Dermatica Diaries – Month Eleven & Twelve

Coming soon… (mid January 2025 – mid March 2025)

Skincare Routines

My journey with Dermatica started as we headed into Spring 2024 which is when warmer can trigger skin to sweat more and create more sebum. As a Fitness Professional, I sweat a bit more than most anyway so it’s always been a consideration post workout.

Below is my current skincare routine for mornings, post workout and evenings.

Morning Skincare Routine

Each morning, I ensure I leave enough time to complete my skincare routine especially as it’s different to my evening routine. The three main steps are to cleanse, moisturise and put on sunscreen (no matter the weather) before applying makeup, if I’m wearing any.

I’ve been using:

• CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser Bar (cleanse)
• Botanics All Bright Bi-Phase Glow Facial Oil (moisturise)
• Summer Fridays Rich Cushion Cream (moisturise)
• L’Oréal Paris Bright Reveal Dark Spot UV Fluid SPF 50+ Niacinamide (sunscreen)

I’ve been sharing the virtues of wearing sunscreen everyday since I learnt how important it was back in 2019, especially when out cycling or running as it helps protect our skin from photoageing, pigmentation and sun damage.

Most recently, some days I skip the moisturiser and just use the facial oil as my skin will still get moisturised from the sunscreen. I decide this on the day, depending on how my skin is feeling.

POst workout Skincare Routine

With my focus on skincare in 2024, I made some sk[ins] and outs to help me focus on my skincare routine and one thing I wanted to do more, was clean my skin after classes and workouts.

After using Botanics products for well over a year, I’ve got my firm favourites.

I’ve been using:

• Botanics Hydrating Plumping Serum
• Botanics Hydrating Lightweight Gel Moisturiser

Evening Skincare Routine

My evening skincare routine is the one that is most closely related to my journey with Dermatica as this is when I use the personalised formula. I’ve been making a huge effort not to skip my evening skincare routine so having to do it for this process has added a bit more accountability.

The process is super simple – cleanse, formula and moisturise. Here’s what I use:

• CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser Bar (cleanse)
• DERMATICA FORMULA (formula)
• Summer Fridays Rich Cushion Cream (moisturise)

If I’ve been wearing makeup, I usually do a double cleanse. I’m still using a cleansing butter from The Body Shop (RIP) so it’s unavailable.

Initially I was using the REN balm, but that ran out. Since then, I’ve been using the Summer Fridays cream. Dermatica recommended using a thick moisturiser which you can apply after the formula, mix with the formula (known as “buffering”) or applied before & after your formula (“sandwiching”).

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I’m super curious to see how my journey unfolds. This review is being written in real time, so I’ll update it at least once a month and share more pictures too.

If you’ve got any questions, feel free to comment below or reach out to me on my social channels. I think the most interesting part of the journey will be the maintenance phase. I have no doubt these products will really help my skin, but I’d love to learn what my skin will need to remain clear.

Have you used Dermatica products before?!

Elle

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