Dear Brightly Company Overview

Dear Brightly provides users with a customized retinoid to help treat photoaging. Dear Brightly uses premium ingredients that have been formulated by board-certified dermatologists that are cruelty, paraben, and fragrance-free. Their products contain Tretinoin, a natural collagen booster, and hyaluronic acid to help retain moisture. Dear Brightly is proud to be your one-stop-shop by providing an online doctor consultation, a customized prescription-grade retinoid, and free shipping, all this without ever having to leave your home.

You simply start by choosing the product package you are interested in, set up an account, and complete a brief questionnaire and photos of your skin. Your board-certified doctor will then evaluate your skin profile and prescribe medication if applicable. Your customized retinoid treatment will be delivered to you. If you wish, Dear Brightly allows you to choose to have your prescription sent to the pharmacy of your choice.

Dear Brightly over-the-counter products can ship anywhere in the US; however, their prescription-grade products are available in 31 states (AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, HI, IL, KY, MA, ME, MI, MO, MN, MT, NE, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI, WV, WY).

Is Dear Brightly Right For You?

Through the use of telemedicine, healthcare has become increasingly accessible to all. Dear Brightly was created to educate people on why the use of retinoids is so beneficial and to provide easier access to a dermatologist to receive a prescription for this treatment. Dear Brightly is a one-stop-shop making it an excellent option for anyone, especially those with a busy lifestyle who may not have the ability to take time out of their schedule to visit a doctors office, or to those who have limited access to see a dermatologist due to living in a rural area or have transportation or mobility issues. 

One of Dear Brightly’s goals is to spread the word about the benefits of using retinoids to prevent the signs of aging and emphasize that this is a positive movement for women to feel empowered about how they look and feel. Dear Brightly, reviewers appreciate that their message doesn’t surround the negative expectation that women should look younger or be perfect. 

Dear Brightly does not use the word anti-aging; they use photoaging because they want to create a world where everyone feels secure in their skin. They want to illuminate their users and help them to forget perfection and provide products to help you live life as your best self. If this sounds like something you are on board with, Dear Brightly might be just the thing you need to add to your daily skin care routine. 

Whether you've been wanting to combat the signs of aging skin or get ahead of the curve, Dear Brightly's products could be the answer you've been looking for. 

Is Dear Brightly Credible?

Dear Brightly was not founded by doctors but by two women who have had personal experience with the difficulties of gaining access to a dermatologist in-person and access to affordable skincare treatments that fight photoaging. These women used their expertise as engineers and faithful retinoid users to leverage technology and explain why retinoids should become a part of your skincare routine.

The founders looked at over 40 years of research that proves retinoid use offers long-term benefits to improve fine lines, wrinkles, pigmentation, uneven skin tone, enlarged pores, and acne and decided to create Dear Brightly to make access to this product easier for everyone.

Dear Brightly uses board-certified dermatologists who specialize in cosmetics and aesthetic medicine to bring you your tailored retinoid treatment. The Dear Brightly platform is HIPAA compliant, and they take your privacy seriously.

Skincare Conditions Treated by Dear Brightly

Dear Brightly is a telemedicine dermatology company that prescribes retinoids to treat the signs of aging skin (photoaging) specifically. These are common photoaging signs that could improve with the use of a retinoid from Dear Brightly.

• Wrinkles

  • Using a retinoid stimulates the production of collagen to improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles

• Pore size

  • Using a retinoid helps to clear out cellular debris around your pores, making them look smaller.

• Acne

  • Using a retinoid decreases the number of comedones and micro comedones (acne papules), reducing your non-inflammatory and inflammatory acne.

• Roughness

  • Using a retinoid helps to improve the roughness of your skin by diminishing the layer of dead skin cells and increasing the production of glycosaminoglycan (they support and maintain the skins structural proteins like collagen and elastin)

• Sun and Dark spots

  • Using a retinoid helps to improve the pigmentation of freckles, melasma, sunspots, and dark spots by scattering melanin granule

Retinoid vs. Retinol Treatments

Retinoids are Vitamin A derived. Vitamin A supports more than healthy skin; it improves vision, regulates cell proliferation, grows bone tissue, activates the functions of the immune system, and contains tumor suppressor genes.

Retinoids:

• Work more quickly on your skin

• Have over 40 years of research, proving its long-term safety and efficacy

• Contain the active ingredient retinoic acid, which is the key ingredient to boost collagen levels

• Is FDA-approved to treat acne and signs of aging (photoaging)

• Have protective effects against precancerous skin lesions

• Are prescription grade and require a prescription from a doctor

• Are 20 times more potent than retinol

Retinol is a non-prescription grade retinoid often found in anti-aging skin creams purchased over-the-counter.

Retinol:

• Can take much longer to see visible results

• Does not contain the active ingredient retinoic acid

• Contains a weaker precursor of the active ingredient

• Is not prescription-grade

• Can be found over-the-counter

• Is not FDA approved to treat photoaging (signs of aging)

Side Effects of Using a Retinoid

Like most skincare products, there are side effects that can arise when you begin a new regimen. These are common side effects of using a retinoid:

• Sensitivity

• Peeling

• Redness

• Sensitivity to the sun

The good news is that these common side effects are temporary and can be significantly reduced with proper use. Many retinoid users say that they generally don’t last longer than four weeks if they experience any of the above side effects. 

It is also essential to use sunscreen when using retinoids to help reduce your sensitivity to the sun. The use of retinoids has been studied for over 40 years, and they have yet to find any systemic side effects or risk to long term use of topical retinoids. However, it is not proven that topical retinoids are 100% safe for pregnant or nursing women, so Dear Brightly will not treat women in these situations.

How Much Does Dear Brightly Cost?

Dear Brightly offers its patients products that directly treat aging signs, so their product line is minimal. Dear Brightly offers:

Tailored Retinoid Set

• Cost: $48.50/month for a two-month supply, then $137/quarter ($45.66/month), billed every three-months 

• Includes: 

  • Night Shift Retinoid Serum + Salve Moisturizer 

  • Tailored Doctor Consultation

  • Free shipping

Tailored Retinoid Serum

• Cost: $29.50/month for a two-month supply, then $99/quarter ($33/month), billed every three months

• Includes:

  • Night Shift Retinoid Serum

  • Tailored Doctor Consultation

  • Free shipping

Medical Grade Moisturizer 

• $38/bottle

• Designed to be used alongside your retinoid

What are the Active Ingredients in Dear Brightly Products?

• Night Shift: Hyaluronic Acid, Tretinoin (strengths range from 0.015% to 0.1%), Cyclopentasiloxane, Polysilicone-11, C30-45 Alkyl Cetearyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, PEG-16 Macadamia Glycerides, Dimethicone, Oenocarpus Bataua Fruit Oil, Pentaclethra Macroloba Seed Oil, Phosphatidylcholine, Tocopheryl Acetate, BHT

• Medical Grade Moisturizer: Water/Aqua/Eau, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Cetyl Alcohol, Isopropyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Stearic Acid, Bisabolol, Stearyl Alcohol, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Opuntia Ficus-Indica (Napol Cactus) Extract, Sacchara- myces Cerevisiae Extract, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Biosaccharide Gum-1, Allantoin, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Hydrogenated Soy Polyglycerides, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dimethiconol, Panthenol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Disodium EDTA, Carbomer, C15-23 Alkane, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol

What Do We Think About Dear Brightly?

We think that Dear Brightly is an excellent option for anyone looking to treat their signs of photoaging. Dear Brightly makes gaining access to prescription retinoids super simple and affordable compared to going to your dermatologist. We really appreciate that they are not just pushing their product; they also care enough to inform you about the benefits their product provides along with numerous articles on their blog with a ton of skincare advice, all written by the founders of Dear Brightly or by their board-certified doctors. 

When browsing their website, you can see how much Dear Brightly cares about their users and have created a streamlined process to start receiving your treatment. If you are looking to add a prescription retinoid treatment to your skincare routine, we think that Dear Brightly is a great place to start!