There is more skincare on our shelves than ever before. Creams, lotions, cleansers and a whole range of serums that require a periodic table to understand. Even as a beauty editor I find the sheer quantity overwhelming. (I can clarify that we don’t, in fact, need 10 different steps in our skincare routines.)
This is where skincare subscriptions come in. According to Forbes, the value of the global subscription e-commerce market – everything from veg boxes to beauty products – is set to increase by 1,138 per cent in five years, to $904 billion by 2026. It seems we all want a little simplicity and ease in our lives, and if a subscription service can take the fuss out of skincare, all the better.
The promise of good skin sent to your door every four weeks sounds too good to be true, though, so I’ve tried a few out to see whether they really deliver. I particularly like Dermatica; you fill in a quick questionnaire, submit a couple of make-up-free pictures to its website and select your goals. These could include reducing the appearance of fine lines, clearing up acne or tackling melasma once and for all.
A dermatologist will look at your information and prescribe a bespoke night cream full of the ingredients you’d need to get your skin in good shape. The first month is £2.90 and every subsequent month is £24.99. All you need to do is use a cleanser and SPF every morning, and a cleanser plus your prescribed night cream in the evening (and this formula can become stronger over time as your skin adapts).
Given that few of us have regular appointments with a dermatologist, online brands like this are game-changers. The key point is that through a dermatologist, you can have access to tretinoin, a prescription-grade retinoid (you can’t buy it over the counter, unlike its weaker cousin, retinol).
Tretinoin is the gold standard of skin renewal and helps tackle everything from enlarged pores to wrinkles, pigmentation and acne. ‘Tretinoin is highly effective due to its ability to address multiple skin concerns associated with ageing and hormonal changes,’ Dr Catriona Maybury, consultant dermatologist and clinical lead at Dermatica, tells me. ‘It accelerates cell turnover, leading to the shedding of dead skin cells and the emergence of fresh, new skin.’
Another dermatologist-led option is Skin + Me, whose Daily Doser prescription serum contains a bespoke level of tretinoin (£29.99 a month). Elsewhere, there’s And Begin, which launched last year with midlife women in mind. Before, during and after the menopause, your skin’s needs change (30 per cent of our collagen can be lost in the first five years of the menopause, and depleted oestrogen causes skin dryness). Its Serum-in-a-Cream is a month’s supply – the first costing £4.99, then £29.99 a month after that. The bespoke formula, which is created under the guidance of a dermatologist, can change in line with any hormonal fluctuations.
If you still like to pick and choose your own skincare, I also rate Dr Sam’s, a line developed by British dermatologist Dr Sam Bunting. Her cleansers (from £19), moisturisers, serums and sun creams are easy to choose from and she’s struck a fine balance with skincare that is very effective, but also gentle and non-irritating. Once you find the products you like, you can sign up to her subscription plan, which gives you 20 per cent off the price of your routine (don’t worry, it is very flexible).
Generally with subscription plans, you only get enough product to last until the next delivery, so wastage is minimal. If you take a break from the skincare you have subscribed to, you can delay the arrival of your next product or skip a month. Or if you use products at different rates, you can get more of one and not the other. I find the key to achieving great results with skincare is consistency. And these subscriptions definitely deliver that.
2024-07-26T09:33:17Z dg43tfdfdgfd