Our Formulas
We’re passionate that every one of our products has purpose, purity and integrity at its very heart. This is the Dermatology M difference. Discover it for yourself today.
Made in the UK
Every one of our formulas is designed by in-house dermatology experts, then handmade in small batches by our own team of natural formulations experts and cosmetic scientists based in Sussex, UK.
Passionate about provenance
Underpinned by Chinese Medicine, we import only the finest quality herbs directly from growers in China. In order to ensure control and consistency in both quality and supply, we choose not to go through agents or middlemen and have instead established direct relationships over the last 30 years with our suppliers, sourcing, authenticating and importing raw actives ourselves.
Each year, we visit every farm or grower in China in order to audit their practices, as well as invest in their infrastructure and business to support its continued development. The difference this makes to product efficacy is beyond measure.
Natural ingredients
We passionately believe in the power and performance of natural ingredients, in line with our Chinese Medicine principles. Our products are, therefore, on average 95% natural, meaning their ingredients are derived from herbs, plants, nuts or fruits.
The quality of these natural ingredients is of paramount importance to the efficacy of our formulas. We source all actives in their raw form before using a variety of ways to process them, selected specifically to get the very best form of extract and performance. Such processes include steam distillation, ethanol and CO2 extraction, vacuum condensing, maceration and fine milling.
Cruelty-free
We are proud to be certified a cruelty-free company. We do not conduct any testing of our formulations or ingredients on animals – their efficacy is instead tested via selected human participation groups through our Avicenna Skin Clinic.
Testing cosmetic products on animals was made illegal in 1993, with testing of ingredients added to this ban in 2009. In 2013, this legislation was extended to include the sale of cosmetics that may have been animal tested elsewhere in the world.
Vegan and Halal
In order to make our products as accessible as possible, all our formulas are suitable for Vegetarians while many are also Halal and suitable for Vegans. We remain transparent in all our communications and advise on the small selection of products that contain animal by-products such as beeswax, honey or guar. Please be assured that these particular ingredients are safe, responsibly sourced and do not cause any harm to animals in the process.
Dermatology M is proudly free from:
SLS | Though permitted for use in skincare and body washes in certain quantities – and widely used by many personal care brands – we prefer not to include Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLES) in our formulas. These surfactants, while helping with foaming and lathering, can strip skin of its beneficial natural oils and may also exacerbate already sensitive skin. Instead, we choose to use milder, biodegradable surfactants that are derived from natural oils, including Coconut Oil and responsibly sourced Palm Oil.
Parabens | Parabens are widely used in cosmetic formulations as preservatives to prevent the growth of fungi, bacteria and mould in formulas. Due to long-standing debate over their safe use, however, we chose not to include them in our formulas. Due to the composition of our tinctures and ointments, these formulas are inherently self-preserving, while the safety of our other blends is assured through the inclusion of a safe, high-quality synthetic preservative.
Synthetic colour| We keep our formulas as gentle and natural as possible in order to preserve and protect the quality, condition and health of your skin. We, therefore, do not believe it is necessary or appropriate to add synthetic colour, especially as some such ingredients may cause skin irritation.
Synthetic fragrance | In accordance with our commitment to keeping our formulas as natural as possible, the only fragrance in our blends comes from our use of pure organic essential oils and absolutes, selected for the contribution they bring to the efficacy and performance of our products.
Petrochemicals | We are committed to providing clean, safe and effective natural skincare of the highest quality. Though permitted for use in skincare formulas at certain concentrations, we remain concerned about the effects of these toxins not only on skin but also our wider health. We have, therefore, never included any forms of petrochemicals or their derived ingredients, such as mineral oil and paraffin wax, in our products.
Steroids | Though widely used by conventional medicine, there have been reports that the use of topical steroids may trigger or exacerbate skin conditions such as acne, rosacea and dermatitis. We, therefore, choose not to include them in our formulas.
GMOs | The World Health Organisation defines Genetically Modified Organisms as ‘organisms in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in such a way that does not occur naturally.’ Such genetic engineering is commonplace in crops grown for food and, as certain plant extracts used in skincare formulas derive from food products, there may be concerns they include GMO ingredients.
Please be assured that Dermatology M formulas have, and will always be, GMO-free. Our base carrier oils and butters are all certified organic while the sourcing, auditing and selection process we personally undertake with each of our raw herb suppliers ensures our utmost confidence in their farming methods.