Has anyone started Dermatica lately?

[PineappleCheesecake]

I've just signed up for Dermatica and the site says my pictures are awaiting review. I ended up googling and saw lots of awful reviews saying it was taking weeks for this to happen and customer service take forever to respond to emails. This has worried me a bit. Has anyone had any success signing up lately? How long did it take to receive your prescription?

Can anyone recommend a good SPF 50+ sunscreen?

Eclat is good, you can buy on amazon for about £7 it's a mineral one like they recommend.

@LouiseBelchersBunnyEars how did you get a detailed plan like that? On the dashboard I can only see what my current treatment is (month 1) and next month’s treatment (same as this month)

[quote SconNotScone]@LouiseBelchersBunnyEars how did you get a detailed plan like that? On the dashboard I can only see what my current treatment is (month 1) and next month’s treatment (same as this month)[/quote]
It was in the initial email I had saying your prescription has been approved, it had the breakdown in the body of the email.
I don’t think the information is in the dashboard.

Oh that’s interesting @LouiseBelchersBunnyEars, I just went back into my email to check and it doesn’t have anything like that in mine! It just says “ Our expert dermatology team has reviewed your consultation, and has determined that Tretinoin + Niacinamide + Clindamycin is the most suitable treatment for you“. No mention of strength or adjustment over the coming months! Ah well, I will trust the process!

Oh how odd! This is what they sent, so it’s a detailed plan, and a breakdown of the active ingredients

What age should I move from over the counter retinols to tret? I'm 34 and have only just started a proper skincare routine this year

@LostaraYil garnier face fluid £7 from boots. It's amazing

I think the earlier you start the better Louise, especially for £20 a month it doesn't feel like a drastic upgrade on the purse. I read that people who have tret in 20's for acne and keep it going have amazing skin when they are much older.

@Anotheruser02

Did you mention any dry or sensitive skin in your extra concerns box? That is low. I think you can ask them to adapt things if you wanted to.

No i said combination skin. And I've used it every night and no redness or skin peeling at all. They're giving me .025 next month maybe that will have some results.

Ok, I have been using it for about 5 days and my skin is really flaky today. What's the best way to get over the flakyness and how long does it take?!? I know it can happen, but I look like a freak!

I'd say just moisturising and if you need to take a break to ease in slower if it becomes sensitive then have a night or two off.

Can I ask a question, if anyone upped to 0.05% tret was there a purge period going up? I feel like I got off too lightly when I started a month ago (0.025%) I'm wondering if I should expect my face to fall off this week as new cream is in the post and I have a date Friday.

If you have Azelaic acid in your formula, do you find the texture to be a bit dry and chalky feeling?

This all sounds brilliant. Although I recently did a regime overhaul and have just bought lots of bits from The Ordinary, boots and Superdrug to try out.

Do you pay £20 per month and then they do the plan and send you the products? Is it just a selfie you submit?

Sounds very tempting but I’m worried about all my new products going to waste. Are you able to use any of your existing products?

@redferrari

Is this by professional dermatologists? I am very eager to try it out but do you have to use only their products or can you mix and match with your own cleansers or moisturizers and only use the retinol from dermatica?

You only get the prescribed product; you use your own moisturisers etc.

I'm on month 7 and I've found the service very responsive. I've emailed a few times with questions, had the prescription adjusted, and had feedback on concerns. I'm really impressed.

I do find I'm not using as much as I'm sent so I'm going to request they space out the deliveries a bit more.

Are you using 2 pumps of the cream each night Olly?

I use 2 and I'm trying to work out whether I could space them out more too.

How long does the bottle last using 2 pumps each time?

They are hopeless, much better to pay to see a private derm and get a proper prescription as I have me doubts about the true strength of there retin a as when I switched it was not as effective as my usual retin a even though it was supposed to be the same percentage.

Sunny, I am happy with dermatica. My prescription is tret plus niacinamide.

I also use:

The Ordinary vit c
The Ordinary natural moisturising factors
Bravura Glycolic acid
Elemis enzyme mask
Superdrug cleanser

I would also use The Ordinary retinoids on my neck but my DS has taken the bottle for his own use.

Thanks @Stripesnomore. Is Vit C a Retinoid? I’m fairly good now as knowing that things do but still get confused with Vit C, retinoids and retinol. Are they the ones that shouldn’t go on damp skin whereas other serums soak in better on damp skin?

I’m reading the Caroline Hirons book at the mo and taking in too much info!

Retinoids - vitamin A
Niacinamide - vitamin B3

So vitamin C is not a retinoid. Prescription Retin A shouldn’t go on damp skin because it can increase the impact of it, and you have to be careful with it. That is the main reason I use dermatica - to get the tret (tretinoin) which is retin a. It is prescription only and a much stronger retinoid than what you get in over the counter retinol products.

Many people seem to use retin-a on their face and retinol on their necks as their necks could not tolerate retin-a, and that was my plan until DS took my bottle of retinol!

I get confused between all the different products, and probably still don’t use enough antioxidants. The ordinary has a chart on their website of which products you can’t apply together, and I used that to write an or pm on the different products, and now I am in a routine and don’t have to keep all the info in my mind!

Am or pm on the bottles, is what I meant to write!

@Stripesnomore thanks, that’s helpful. I think I meant Vit A!

can people say what kind of results they are seeing a few months in please? have wrinkles reduced
? pores minimised? I don't suppose they have anything you can use on very dark eye circles?