Sounds like I’m asking for a lot, right? Well, I thought the same, until I heard about Dermatica.

It’s an online dermatology service run by a team of consultant dermatologists, pharmacists, GPs, clinical researchers and scientists. They’re a seriously qualified and experienced group and have undertaken specific research to create individual treatments for acne, fine lines and wrinkles, pigmentation and melasma. The Dermatica treatment is £19.99 a month, plus £2.90 for shipping, so is actually cheaper than a lot of serums.

And it all starts with a simple skin questionnaire on their website. Eager to test this out and see if it can actually improve my skin, I filled it out in minutes. They ask about what your current skincare routine is like, what you want to improve and submit a picture of your skin from the front, left and right sides so their experts can make an assessment.

It took a few days for one of the Dermatica experts to review the information and pictures I shared, but it wasn’t long before they got back to me with my acne treatment. It’s important to know that they actually mix everything in their labs, and make use of a set of ingredients. They include adapalene, a topical retinoid; azelaic acid, which attacks bacteria in the skin; and benzoyl peroxide, which kills bacteria, reduces inflammation and cleans pores.

There’s also clindamycin, an antibiotic that stops bacteria known to cause acne and reduces swelling; niacinamide, which helps with fine lines and pigmentation; and tretinoin, a prescription-strength retinoid.

Dermatica before and after pictures:“I tried the online dermatology service and it changed my skin”