Apostrophe Skincare Review

About Apostrophe

Apostrophe is a virtual skincare service that matches clients with board-certified dermatologists. Offering clinically proven skincare treatments for acne, aging, and hair loss, the brand uses compounding pharmacies to develop advanced, effective, and custom treatments that get real results.

The service’s unique and convenient approach has brought it attention from notable publications like Forbes, Cheddar, and WWD, along with an impressive following of 40k on Instagram.

If you’ve tried a million and one products and nothing has worked for your skin, this service may be what you need. To find out if it’s worth your attention, check out this Apostrophe skincare review.

In the following sections, we’ll cover everything you need to know about the service, including how it works, answers to important FAQs, and what customers think about it. Ready to dive in? Let’s first take a look at some background info on the brand to get a feel for what it’s all about.

The story of Apostrophe wouldn’t be complete without YoDerm—the brand’s name before its rebrand in 2019. YoDerm offered pretty much the same thing the current version of the service does, only it didn’t ship.

After noticing that almost ⅓ of patients weren’t picking up their medications after consultations, the company swapped to a free shipping subscription-based platform to totally take the hassle out of getting a prescription.

Located in Oakland, YoDerm, now known as Apostrophe, was founded by Ben Holber and Ryan Hambley in 2014. The story of why the two created the brand is actually quite impressive, and surprisingly succinct. Hambley, being the son of a dermatologist, always had great skin. Holber did not.

Could it be that the difference between great and poor skin is that simple? Turns out, it is, or at least, it should be. With traditional dermatology, getting treatment is actually incredibly costly, time-consuming, and frustrating, and so Apostrophe was born to alleviate those pains.

Thanks to the completely board-certified, e-based service, patients are able to get a prescription quickly, cut down on doctor’s visits, and get their prescriptions shipped right to their door.

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Our team spends hours researching, consulting with medical experts, gathering insight from expert professionals, reviewing customer feedback, and analyzing products to provide you with the information you need.

Pros & Cons

Before we divulge too much about how the service works (more coming up next!), this Apostrophe skincare review will pause for a moment on the brand’s pros and cons:

Pros

• Personalized Treatment Plans: Apostrophe Skincare provides personalized treatment plans tailored to individual skincare needs. This approach allows for targeted solutions and may be more effective than generic skincare products.
• Access to Dermatology Experts: The platform connects users with board-certified dermatologists who can provide expert guidance and recommendations. This ensures professional advice and support throughout the skincare journey.
• Convenient Online Service: Apostrophe Skincare operates entirely online, offering a convenient and accessible platform for skincare consultations and product purchases. This eliminates the need for in-person visits to dermatologists and allows for remote access from anywhere.
• Evidence-Based Approach: The brand emphasizes a science-backed approach to skincare, prioritizing the use of evidence-based products and ingredients. This focus on scientific research may inspire confidence in the effectiveness and safety of the products.

Cons

• Limited Availability: Apostrophe Skincare may only be available in certain regions or countries. It’s important to check if the brand operates in your location before considering their products and services.
• Cost: The cost of personalized treatment plans and skincare products from Apostrophe Skincare can vary. Some customers have reported that the prescriptions can be expensive, although they found the results worth the investment. Pricing details are typically provided upon consultation with the dermatology experts.

Features

This brand is as painless as they come. Erasing the hassle of dermatologist offices, not to mention the fees, this simple service gets you the help you need.

Though this is an Apostrophe skincare review, the process to sign up for its other treatments follows the same scheme, and next, we’ll outline all the important facts to get you started. But first, let’s take a look at what makes this brand different from the rest:

1. Online Dermatology: Apostrophe functions as an online dermatologist, providing users with access to dermatology experts, education, and evidence-based products. Users can create an account and choose their skin condition to receive personalized treatment plans.
2. Custom Treatment Plans: Apostrophe offers customized treatment plans tailored to individual needs. These plans may include prescription medications, topical treatments, or other recommended products to address specific skin concerns like acne, aging, and hair loss.
3. Dermatologist Consultations: Through Apostrophe, users can have virtual appointments with board-certified dermatologists. These consultations allow users to discuss their skincare concerns, receive professional advice, and get prescriptions if necessary.
4. Evidence-Based Approach: Apostrophe follows a philosophy of science over hype. The brand focuses on ingredients with proven scientific and clinical evidence, avoiding unnecessary ingredients that may cause irritation or allergic reactions.
5. Acne Treatment: Apostrophe specializes in personalized acne treatments. Their products and treatment plans aim to address acne and help improve skin condition.
6. Product Range: Apostrophe offers a range of skincare products, including cleansers, moisturizers, serums, and sunscreens. These products are designed to work in conjunction with the personalized treatment plans and are formulated to be safe for acne-prone and sensitive skin.
7. Positive Customer Reviews: Apostrophe has received positive reviews from customers. Users have reported improvements in their skin conditions and express satisfaction with the convenience and effectiveness of Apostrophe’s personalized approach.

Ingredients

It’s important to know what you’re putting on your skin. With that in mind, here are some of the active ingredients Apostrophe uses in their formulations:

• Aloe Vera, when applied topically, can help to reduce inflammation and redness. It also has potent antioxidant properties thanks to the quantities of Vitamins A, C, and E present.
• Vitamin E is one of your skin’s best friends. It helps to protect the skin from stressors and helps mitigate the signs of aging.
• A 2019 study investigated the effects of Propylene Glycol on skin texture, tone, and radiance in women aged 35-65 years. The results showed that the use of the product for 8 weeks led to significant improvements in skin hydration, texture, and radiance, as well as a reduction in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
• Olive Oil is known for its balanced fatty acid composition and high nutritional value. It contains components such as phenols and lignans, which are potent antioxidants. 

Apostrophe Review

Below, this Apostrophe skincare review will tell you exactly how the service works, outlining what to expect when signing up, who will be treating you, and how much it costs. To get the ball rolling, we’ll fill you in on who the service is best suited for and why so you can see if it’s the right fit for you.

Who Is Apostrophe For?

Apostrophe’s services are done completely online. You never have to step foot out of your house and you won’t need to waste time in waiting rooms for a dermatologist who seems to always be at least one hour behind.

Offering treatments for skin, eyelashes, and male pattern baldness, Apostrophe is more geared towards those who struggle with acne, rosacea, hyperpigmentation, and aging skin.

Ideal for anyone who wants to avoid lengthy visits to the doctor’s office, or simply wants to take control of their skin and streamline the prescription process, Apostrophe makes it easy to be seen, heard, and treated.

How Does Apostrophe Work?

There you are on Apostrophe’s site. It sounds great, maybe it’s the thing that will finally help. You decide to take a leap of faith and sign up, only, as far as risks go, this service is pretty low on the scale.

Signing up is relatively straightforward, but we’ll outline the service completely here so you know exactly what you’re getting.

Step 1: Create an account

After you click ‘Get Started’, you’ll need to create an account. This account will be what you use going forward to complete the next few steps and head back to make changes, so you may want to press ‘Remember Password’ when your computer prompts you.

Step 2: Choose your condition

Once you’ve registered, you’ll then select which condition you’d like treatment for. Your options being:

1. Skin
   • Acne
   • Fine lines & wrinkles
   • Rosacea
   • Hyperpigmentation
2. Eyelashes
3. Male Pattern Baldness

Step 3: Get matched!

You’ll then fill out a little more information about yourself and you’ll be matched with a dermatologist in your area. You’ll read all about your specific doctor and even get to see what clients have to say about them.

Step 4: Pay the consultation fee & take the quiz

Your dermatologist needs as much information about your skin to prescribe the right custom treatment. For this, you’ll fill out a questionnaire, which includes around 30 questions or so about the condition of your skin and what your medical history is.

You’ll also get to let them know if you’re interested in one type of prescription over the other and they’ll decide if it’s the right fit.

Step 5: Upload Photos

Don’t worry, they’re secured in an encrypted place, but they’re necessary for your derm to assess your skin’s condition and make a proper diagnosis.

After all of this is done, your dermatologist will review your profile and issue a prescription. This usually happens within 24 hours from when you submit your photos.

Step 6: Prescription

Your work is done for the time being. Now, it’s the pharmacy’s turn. Specializing in compounds, Apostrophe pharmacies will measure and mix your formula to fit your skin’s specific needs. Each formula is tested for potency and stability before it’s sent out. Shipments are delivered free of charge and take around a week to get to you.

Step 7: Application

Begin taking and using Apostrophe’s medications as prescribed. You’ll continue to use them for three months, then schedule a follow-up appointment with your dermatologist to reassess.

If you need anything in the meantime, use the Patient Portal to get in touch with an expert.

Who Are Apostrophe Experts?

Apostrophe has two facets, dermatologists and pharmacists. The dermatologists the service uses are certified by the American Board of Dermatology in over 40 states.

To meet the faces behind Apostrophe and get an idea of who you may meet in your appointment, head to the Our Derms page.

The Apostrophe pharmacy is a compounding pharmacy, meaning they create special prescriptions that meet your unique needs. Operated by licensed pharmacists, the brand tailors products for your skin to give you the right mixture it needs—no one products fits all motto here.

What Do You Get When You Sign Up For Apostrophe?

When you decide it’s time to get serious about your skin, you’ll be swiftly taken through the steps of an intake questionnaire, photo upload, and feedback from a dermatologist.

If necessary, the dermatologist will write you a three-month prescription and will ask to see you again at that time. You’ll get your prescription mailed right to your door and can give the service a shout if you ever have any other questions or need something clarified.

So with your subscription, you’re getting feedback from a board-certified dermatologist, a prescription, and support—and hopefully, the solution you’ve been looking for.

What Much Does An Apostrophe Custom Treatment Plan Cost?

Because Apostrophe wants to make sure you’re getting the right treatment plan for your unique skin, you’ll need to see a virtual dermatologist. Before any of this can happen, and even before you fill out your questionnaire, you’ll need to pay a $20 consultation fee.

Why is it so low? Well, being virtual certainly helps, but also, the process doesn’t take a ton of time. You’ll get your chance to express your concerns and the doctor will look over your photos, but the whole thing is relatively quick and painless. That’s the beauty of online services.

If the dermatologist finds that you do need a prescription, they’ll write one up for you and your $20 fee will be credited towards your prescription’s cost. If they can’t do anything for you (rare, but it can happen if what you need is outside of what they prescribe) your consultation fee will be refunded.

Apostrophe Skincare Review

Apostrophe specializes in skincare. With its service, you can receive prescriptions for an array of concerns like melasma, acne, rosacea, and aging skin. The service also provides prescriptions for male pattern baldness and sparse eyelashes, but ahead, we’ll be sticking to its best-selling skincare products only.

Apostrophe Skincare ‘Screen SPF 43 Review

No matter the skin condition, or even if you think you have perfect skin, protecting it is important. The Apostrophe Skincare ‘Screen SPF 43 is an unscented, easy-absorbing cream that shields UVA and UVB rays by way of zinc oxide, Octinoxate, and Octisalate.

Recommended for use with the brand’s skincare system, this hydrating sunscreen uses sodium Hyaluronate, panthenol, and allantoin to moisturize, calm, and soothe troubled skin.

This protector is offered in a 3 oz tube to encourage constant wear—other clinical brands usually only give 1.7 oz. Pick up ‘Screen for $26.

Apostrophe Topicals Review

The Topicals Apostrophe uses are all prescription-grade, prescribed by a dermatologist—not blends made with some prescription-based ingredients.

Along with the power-players that address inflammation, oil production, and bacteria, Topicals are made with a 4% niacinamide, aloe, and vitamin E mix to help nourish and condition your skin.

Easy to apply just as you would face cream, Apostrophe Topicals don’t come in weird metal tubes that need to be refrigerated or temperamental goo.

Depending on your skin’s condition, a 90-day supply is around $75–$90.

Apostrophe Orals Review

In addition to topical treatments, you may be prescribed something to take orally as well. Orals help to reduce inflammation from the inside, addressing the underlying causes of acne while your Topicals work on the outside at the skin’s level.

Depending on your unique skin, a 90-day supply of Orals can cost anywhere from $45-$90.

Apostrophe Reviews: What Do Customers Think?

For those who struggle with acne and other skin-related issues, finding a product that yields results often comes with a hefty dermatologist bill and a basketful of products that don’t actually work.

To find out if these ones do, in this section of our Apostrophe skincare review, we scoured the web to track down helpful feedback as of June 2023. Ahead, you’ll find ratings for the brand’s three skincare products it offers, as well as ratings from Trustpilot, and an in-depth review from a blog called Wake Up For Makeup.

• ‘Screen: an average of 5/5 stars from 7 reviews
• Topicals: an average of 4.4/5 stars from 362 reviews
• Orals: an average of 4.2/5 stars from 294 reviews

The above ratings were taken from the brand’s website, and we decided to take a closer look at what patients had to say about the Topicals.

Keep in mind, topicals vary with condition, but what’s presented below is specific to acne, as it’s the most common condition people use Apostrophe to treat.

One user who has dealt with acne for their entire life wrote, “Even after Accutane, I wasn’t free from it. Topical Tretinoin + Clindamycin really cleared my skin and have kept me acne free for the first time in my life. It’s truly amazing.”

Other reviews are similar, with many users reporting fast results and “glowy, clear, and smooth” skin. Of course, experience varies, but the fact that Apostrophe is said to help those who have, up until now, struggled is a pretty great thing.

To get some more information on how effective the brand’s treatments are, we turned to Trustpilot. The review site revealed a 4.5/5 star rating from 186 customers and the following snapshot:

• Excellent: 80%
• Great: 8%
• Average: 3%
• Poor: 4%
• Bad: 5%

Browsing through comments, we saw many that spoke of considerate doctors, how easy the service is to use, and the appreciation of how quick it was to get a prescription.

We also came across several that said how their skin had cleared up in just a week. One Apostrophe skincare review read, “Within DAYS my acne has gone down it’s incredible. I’ve been using it for a week and I can’t imagine my life without it.”

So far, it sounds like a really great service with medication that actually works. To back this up, we wanted a little more depth and headed over to an Apostrophe skincare review on Wake Up For Makeup.

The writer, Ivy, said she struggles with melasma (dark spots) and occasional breakouts. After her consultation with the dermatologist, she said that her medication arrived in “less than a week from the time of prescription”—a helpful fact to know because who wants to wait around to start anything?

After 6 months of use, Ivy reported that her melasma lightened “by about 25%. It’s as though someone turned down the contrast.” As for her acne, she said that “Tretinoin has helped my skin stay virtually breakout free.”

Overall, Apostrophe skincare is truly effective. The service looks to be quick and painless, and shipping is fast.

Is Apostrophe Worth It?

Considering seeing a dermatologist can cost $150 just for the consultation, Apostrophe’s $20 fee makes this service worth it right off the bat. Plus, this fee is refunded if they can’t help you, making it pretty much risk-free.

Throw in effective, fast-acting skincare solutions and there’s nothing to be debated, really. If you prefer an in-person conversation, this Apostrophe may not be the best choice for you. For everyone else, virtual appointments are ultra-convenient and can be done without you ever having to leave home.

Apostrophe Promotions & Discounts

Remember that $20 fee we talked about? Well, the fact that it gets credited toward your prescription means that seeing a dermatologist is virtually free.

We mean, you can’t really ask for more than that, but during this Apostrophe skincare review, we also spotted that the brand offers a $10 discount when you sign up for its newsletter.

Where To Buy Apostrophe Skincare

As a telehealth company, you can sign up for the brand’s services directly at Apostrophe.com.

Alternatives

Looking to shop around? We’ve got you covered:

1. Proven Skincare: Proven Skincare is a CEO-led skincare brand that offers personalized skincare solutions. They provide a free Skin Assessment to help you discover what personalized skincare can do for you.
2. Glossier: Glossier is a beauty brand that believes in beauty being a collaborative process. They involve their customers in the decision-making process and offer a range of skincare and makeup products.

FAQ

In what states is Apostrophe available?

The service is available in 37 states from California to Hawaii and even New York. A full list is available on the brand’s site.

Where will my prescription be filled when I order through Apostrophe? 

Apostrophe uses three pharmacies across the US to fill prescriptions:

1. Apostrophe Pharmacy, Arizona
2. PostMeds Pharmacy, California
3. ITC Compounding Pharmacy, Colorado

With more pharmacy options, medications can arrive faster, and the brand is able to serve more patients.

Why do I need to submit photos to Apostrophe?

While researching for this Apostrophe skincare review, we found that the service’s dermatologists will not be able to prescribe you medication without physically seeing your condition—it’s actually illegal to do so.

Photos are stored using 256-bit encryption, so in other words, they’re locked up safe and sound.

If I am under 18, can I use Apostrophe?

Totally. Apostrophe is suitable for those 13 years or older. If you are under 18, you’ll need permission and an e-signature from a parent or legal guardian.

How do I pause or cancel a subscription?

Your subscription will continue to auto-renew until you decide it’s time to take a break from Apostrophe skincare. Whether you’d like to pause or cancel, the steps to complete it are the same, and all outlined for you below:

1. Log into your account
2. Click ‘Settings’
3. Head down to ‘Shipment Information’
4. Choose ‘Pause’ or ‘Cancel’

So that you aren’t charged for your next order, be sure to do this at least 48 hours before your next shipment.

What is Apostrophe’s Return/Refund Policy?

The service does not take returns on prescription medications for any reason. By law, once a prescription leaves the pharmacy it cannot be returned. The only refund the brand offers is your consultation fee if a dermatologist wasn’t able to help you out.

How to contact Apostrophe

If you’re a member, you can get in touch with a customer care member through your Patient Account. If you haven’t signed up yet and need more information not included in this Apostrophe skincare review, reach out to the brand via:

• The Contact Form page
• Email: [email protected]

Apostrophe’s team is available Monday through Friday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm PST.

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