Beauty / news
Dermata’s First Consumer Brand Aims for ‘Microneedling Lite’ With Spicule Treatment
Dermata Therapeutics is pivoting from prescription development to consumer skin care with Tome, a once-weekly spicule treatment described as a gentler alternative to microneedling. The brand debuts Aug. 25.
Foundational Treatment, Tome’s debut product, is priced at $178 for four treatments, or about $45 per use, and targets discoloration, acne, fine lines and uneven texture by accelerating cell turnover. The formula relies on spicules from Spongilla lacustris, a natural freshwater sponge.
Dermata, co-founded in 2014 by Gerry Proehl and SkinMedica cofounder Tom Hale, originally developed the ingredient for a prescription acne product in 2017. Proehl, now president and CEO, said the company switched to an over-the-counter brand because continuing prescription development was costly and would add four to five years to market entry.
The brand is positioned as an at-home complement to professional microneedling, with Proehl describing the once-weekly treatment as a lighter version of the procedure. It is designed to deliver skin-rejuvenating benefits without needles or clinical visits.
Tome launches direct-to-consumer on Aug. 25 with the single Foundational Treatment product, marking Dermata’s entry into the consumer beauty market.