Dermatica vs Skin + Me: Which UK Prescription Skincare Service to Choose

Pori, our own app, tracks your skin during treatment but doesn't prescribe. For the prescription itself, Dermatica is the cheaper, broader choice for most UK readers: £24.99 a month, published strengths, and options like adapalene, ivermectin and tranexamic acid. Skin + Me suits people who want azelaic acid in their cream and a gradual, hands-off rise in strength, at a listed £29.99 per bottle.

We make Pori, so we've put it first; here's what each one does well. Below we compare Dermatica and Skin + Me on actives, strengths, price, who prescribes, check-ins, canceling and pregnancy, then match each common concern to the better fit. Prices are as of October 2026. We haven't used either service ourselves; everything here comes from each company's own pages and terms, plus dermatology references.

Dermatica vs Skin + Me at a glance

Where does Pori fit?

Pori is a companion to either service and prescribes nothing itself. It turns a selfie into a 0–100 skin score in about 10 seconds, with sub-scores for hydration, pores and texture, pigmentation and tone, and aging signs, plus a skin-age estimate. Its before/after comparison and progress charts help you judge whether a formula is working at week 8 or week 12, when changes are too gradual to trust memory, and its ingredient scanner (Pro) flags the cleanser and moisturizer you pair with a prescription as beneficial, use with caution or avoid for your skin type. It doesn't diagnose, prescribe or check moles. For a full method, see how to track acne progress.

Which one has stronger, broader actives?

Dermatica has the longer list and tells you the strengths. Its ingredients page lists tretinoin at 0.015–0.1%, adapalene 0.1–0.3%, clindamycin 1%, hydroquinone 4%, fluocinolone acetonide 0.01% (a steroid, for melasma), ivermectin 1% and metronidazole 0.75% for rosacea, plus non-prescription benzoyl peroxide 2.5%, tranexamic acid 3–5%, niacinamide 4%, vitamin C 15% and ferulic acid. Its acne page also offers oral doxycycline as an add-on at £39.99 for 16 weeks.

Skin + Me's ingredients FAQ names seven actives: tretinoin, azelaic acid, niacinamide, clindamycin, metronidazole, hydroquinone and hydrocortisone. It doesn't publish strengths; its pages say formulas start at suitable strengths and increase gradually each month.

Azelaic acid inside the prescription cream is the main thing Skin + Me has that Dermatica's formula list lacks; Dermatica sells it only as a separate non-prescription Clarifying Azelaic Acid Cream. DermNet notes it helps acne and is particularly useful for darker skin prone to lasting brown marks, and it's also used for melasma. For more on the retinoid both services rely on, see tretinoin explained.

Which is cheaper, Dermatica or Skin + Me?

Dermatica is cheaper on list price. Its pricing page shows £24.99 a month on a rolling plan, £21.00 a bottle on a 4-month plan, £19.83 on 6 months and £18.67 on 12 months, with a £2.90 first month. Skin + Me's billing FAQ lists £29.99 per bottle every four weeks, with a £4.99 pharmacy fee still due on promotional orders. Both ship roughly every 28 days, so a year means about 13 bottles.

Prepaying is where Dermatica's savings come from, but its terms of sale say prepaid plans aren't refundable if you cancel partway through. Skin + Me offers frequent promotional first months; check the total on your order summary.

Which gives a more thorough consultation?

Both use an online questionnaire plus selfies, and both have a prescriber review it; the difference is who that prescriber is and how follow-up works.

• Dermatica: its website terms say its Consultant Dermatologists are GMC-registered doctors working under a CQC-registered organization. Subscribers get unlimited check-ins and the FAQ recommends monthly check-ins so the team can review progress and adjust the formula. It doesn't say whether a consultant reviews every case.
• Skin + Me: prescriptions are written by pharmacist independent prescribers registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council and trained by consultant dermatologists. A prescription comes within 24 hours if you're eligible, and a progress checkup is set up after six months; you can request a reconsultation by email any time.

If having a doctor in the loop matters to you, Dermatica's structure is closer to that. If you want speed and a set-and-forget plan, Skin + Me is clearer about its timeline.

Which is easier to cancel or pause?

Both let you cancel online. Dermatica requires at least 48 hours before the next scheduled shipment, or you're charged for it; delivery-date changes need 7 days' notice. Skin + Me lets you cancel any time, but if your next bottle already shows as "Currently Formulating", you pay for that one. Skin + Me bills one to three days before shipping, and bills the second box after 21 days.

Which is better for your concern?

Here's how the two line up by concern, based on what each lists. Your prescriber makes the final call, and either service may decline to treat you.

On pregnancy, both companies' statements come from Dermatica's FAQ and Skin + Me's pregnancy page. If you take hydroquinone for melasma, DermNet notes its safety in pregnancy and breastfeeding hasn't been established and that long, heavy use is linked to a bluish-gray darkening called ochronosis. Skin + Me also only treats the face and doesn't treat eczema, vitiligo or psoriasis.

How long until you see results with either?

Expect two to four months with either service. Dermatica says most people need at least six to eight weeks to see a difference and up to 12 for significant results. Skin + Me says 8 to 16 weeks. Both start gently and raise strength over time, and an early flare is possible with tretinoin; our guide on purging vs a breakout explains what to watch for.

So which should you choose?

Choose Dermatica if price matters, you want to know your strengths, you have rosacea, or you'd like oral antibiotics as an option. Choose Skin + Me if you want azelaic acid, prefer a pharmacist-led plan that steps up on its own, and are happy to pay about £5 more a bottle. Whichever you pick, start on a monthly plan, take photos in the same light every couple of weeks, and see a GP for acne that's deep, painful or scarring.

For the detail on each service, including the full price tables and cancellation terms, read our Dermatica review and Skin + Me review.