Finally, Real Results: How Monderma Is Redefining Prescription Skincare

Every so often a new voice cuts through the noise of the skincare industry. Not through celebrity gloss or influencer hype, but with honesty, clarity, and lived experience. For Oliver, founder of Monderma, that voice was born from frustration.

His story begins in Brazil, where an encounter with tretinoin changed everything. That first swipe of a prescription cream became a turning point: clearer skin, renewed confidence, and a belief that access to effective skincare should never depend on geography or privilege.

Back in the UK, Oliver discovered how difficult prescription-grade skincare could be to access. Monderma was created to close that gap, offering pharmacy-backed formulations and clinical oversight at an accessible price point. Its mission is simple: meaningful results should not require over-the-counter guesswork or a passport stamp.

We sat down with Oliver to explore how personal frustration became a formula for change.

Oliver, everyone appreciates an origin story. Tell us about the moment when your own experience became the inspiration for Monderma. How did it shape your vision of modern, clinically informed skincare?

For years, I cycled through over-the-counter retinol and trending ingredients that promised results but offered little change. The turning point came thousands of miles from home in Brazil, where I first tried tretinoin, a topical retinoid and vitamin A derivative. The results were transformative: clearer skin, renewed confidence, and a realisation that dermatological actives work. The real barrier was access.

Back in the UK, prescription-strength products were either difficult to obtain or entirely unavailable. That gap between what I knew could work and what people could actually get became impossible to ignore. Monderma was founded to change that, making prescription-grade skincare part of everyday routines, so that people no longer have to guess their way, chase trends, or cross borders in search of visible skin improvement. Clear, healthy skin should be a right, not a reward.

You have described frustration as your starting point. Which moments most influenced Monderma’s mission and the way it serves people today?

The greatest challenge was always access. In the UK, common skin concerns like acne, hyperpigmentation, and rosacea can sit low on the healthcare agenda. The NHS rightly prioritises resources for life-threatening skin conditions, but that can leave common concerns overlooked. The process can be discouraging from the start. You need a GP appointment, a referral, and then face a wait that can extend beyond 20 weeks. All the while your skin may worsen.

Private treatment is the alternative, but often out of reach. Dermatologist appointments can cost up to £300 each and tend to lean towards oral or procedural approaches, with topical treatments restricted to a limited range of ingredients at fixed strengths. Monderma now offers a third path through pharmacy-backed care with dermatological expertise that removes the gatekeeping. Our mission is clear: effective skincare, no waitlists, no guesswork.

The headlines often mention long waitlists and limited specialist access. Where do you believe the current system struggles to meet people’s skincare needs?

The UK gets dermatology wrong in three ways. People wait too long for treatment, private care is costly, and contrary advice can often fill the disconnect online. The same ingredient is praised in one post and dismissed in the next. The confusion can be paralysing. Monderma changes that by placing qualified professionals at the centre of every step, bringing calm and clarity to a category that has become too noisy.

Some people express concern that easier access to prescription skincare online might lead to misuse. How does Monderma maintain safety and clinical standards?

People are more informed than ever, but the responsibility for safe prescribing rests with us. Monderma is a GPhC-registered pharmacy where all treatments are prescribed and compounded by licensed prescribers, pharmacists, and technicians. Each formula passes through at least four checks before delivery. We provide clear usage guidance, age safeguards, and ongoing support to ensure safe and effective use. Convenience matters, but never at the expense of clinical standards. People should feel confident that accessing prescription skincare online from trusted teledermatology providers is every bit as reliable as stepping into a high-street pharmacy or clinic.

Monderma describes itself as pharmacy-backed and prescription-first. What does a typical customer journey look like, from consultation to delivery?

Most people come to us after months of waiting lists or cycles of over-the-counter skincare that never delivered. Their journey begins with a short, free online consultation, where they share details about their skin and goals. A GPhC-registered prescriber reviews each case and, when appropriate, designs a personalised treatment plan. Every formula is then compounded to order under strict pharmacy protocols, combining up to three active ingredients at tailored strengths in a gentle, vegan base, all for £23.99 a month. Most orders leave our pharmacy within a working day.

Pricing is a sensitive issue in healthcare. How do you maintain affordability while ensuring professional oversight and quality ingredients?

Skincare has long been priced beyond its value. We remove unnecessary marketing mark-ups and invest directly where it matters. This includes professional oversight, high-quality ingredients and careful compounding. The result is effective prescription skincare at a transparent price.

Terms like “compounding” and “actives” can sound technical. How do you make the science understandable for people?

People are curious about the science but prefer clarity over jargon. Within skincare communities, terms like “compounding” and “actives” are becoming increasingly familiar, but we make sure to explain them in plain language. In this context, compounding means the careful mixing of ingredients that make up a skincare product. Actives are the ingredients that do the biological work and target specific concerns.

How do you measure success at Monderma?

Success starts with confidence. Every person who feels more comfortable in their own skin. We monitor visible improvement, adherence, and feedback from people who no longer feel they need to pursue lengthy referrals, costly appointments, or over-the-counter skincare guesswork. Those stories show the difference we make.

Online reviews and clinical credibility do not always align. How do you protect Monderma’s reputation as the brand grows?

By focusing on evidence and consistency. We can only be as good as our products, which is why our focus remains on producing skincare that is effective. Hype fades, clinical integrity endures. We rely on licensed staff, clear information, and measurable results. Credibility is not built overnight, but earned quietly, one formula at a time.

Looking five years ahead, what is next for Monderma, and how do you see the future of accessible prescription skincare evolving?

In five years, success for Monderma means expanding into international markets. We also plan to address adjacent concerns like hair loss that many people still struggle to treat effectively with over-the-counter skincare.

The landscape of prescription skincare is evolving rapidly. Of more than 2,000 recognised skin conditions in the UK, only a fraction are currently treatable, but that number is growing every year. Our goal is to extend that progress further, and where clinically appropriate, make safe, evidence-based prescription skincare as simple and routine as booking a haircut.

Monderma is not trying to reinvent beauty rituals. It is redefining what modern skincare should be: honest, effective, and accessible. Oliver’s vision cuts through industry noise with the empathy and action of someone who has lived the problem himself. In a marketplace of quick fixes, Monderma’s quiet confidence stands apart. Skincare built on trust, care, and clinical credibility.