The virtual skin clinic: Klira
Wait time: 48 hours
Cost: from £49 a month

Founded by Dr Emma Craythorne, a consultant dermatologist, trustee for the Cosmetic Practice Standards Authority and former president of the British Cosmetic Dermatology Group, Klira is a bespoke prescription skincare service and virtual skin clinic. The service, dubbed the ‘dermatology clinic of the future’, asks customers to upload detailed images of their skin to categorise it into one of 12 scientifically backed categories or ‘SkinSizes’, which is then reviewed by a derm team before creating a bespoke and potent night serum or ‘Klira Special’ containing all of the actives your skin needs and promises to change your skin for the better.

Dr Craythorne has been putting together these potent prescription formulas for years in her Harley Street practice so when Covid hit used her time to develop Klira’s algorithms (using data from 12,000 online tests) and launch Klira in 2023.

As well as bespoke, dermatologist-approved prescription skincare, subscribers get unlimited access to a dermatology team online that can diagnose conditions, recommend appropriate products for your skin type and show people how to do things step-by-step, including washing your face, cleansing and moisturising, as well as advice on which SPFs to use.

The annual cost is £588 (£49 a month), or slightly less than the cost of a single dermatologist appointment with Dr Craythorne. “I’m cutting out the middle man… I’m cutting out myself, essentially… There’s so much misinformation. I wanted to stop the nonsense of skincare… and get really effective skincare to people who want to see a change in their skin. We know this works; it has an FDA license.”

I spoke to the clinic about my rosacea and my sensitive, reactive and dehydrated skin. The team told me that many rosacea patients react to phenoxyethanol, which is found in lots of skincare products. They recommend a Special that contains ivermectin, azelaic acid, tretinoin and celantra. Many ingredients are prescription only, and no other product exists on the market with all of these ingredients. In addition, there’s a full dermatology team that clients can access online at any time. What sets it apart from other digital services is that it’s a full two-way discourse where you can share images and ask unlimited questions.

I’m a beauty editor and this is why I’m loving the new instant dermatology services