# Dermasence ## Facts | | | |---|---| | Founded | 1991 | | Origin | Germany | | Headquarters | Münster | | Status | Active | | Previous names | Dermatest (product brand name from 1992; DERMASENCE became the umbrella name for all products at the 2009 relaunch) | | Manufacturing | Germany (predominantly, per the brand: 'vorwiegend in Deutschland'), Bernburg, Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany (Medicos Science Center: in-house extraction of selected natural active ingredients) | | Distribution | Pharmacy | | Website | https://www.dermasence.de/ | Dermasence is a German medical skincare brand from Münster, sold mainly through pharmacies. It was founded in 1991 on the initiative of dermatologists and a pharmacist who wanted to make skincare formulations they could recommend to their own patients [2]. The products first appeared under the name Dermatest, and the brand took its present name as an umbrella label for the whole range in 2009. Today the line runs to more than 60 products for dry, oily, ageing and reactive skin, as well as for conditions such as acne, rosacea, atopic eczema and psoriasis. The brand is made by Medicos Kosmetik GmbH & Co. KG, a privately held company in Münster that was known as P & M Cosmetics until 2023 [8]. It has remained independent of the large beauty groups. In 2024 the long-time managing shareholder, Detlef Isermann, handed day-to-day management to his nephew, Philipp Beckmann. The brand is active, with a steady run of product launches and press announcements through 2026. ## Origin & founders Dermasence traces its beginnings to 1991 in Münster. According to the company, five dermatologists and one pharmacist set it up with a simple aim: to develop formulations they could recommend to patients with a clear conscience [2]. The brand does not publish the founders' names. An account in the German pharmacy trade publication APOTHEKE ADHOC counts the founding circle differently. It lists the first shareholders as two dermatologists and a pharmacist from Münster, together with two dermatologists from Gütersloh, which makes four dermatologists and one pharmacist [8]. The same report names Rembert van Delden, a textile manufacturer who sat in the German parliament for the CDU from 1961 to 1976, as an early investor. The difference may come down to who is counted: the company speaks of the people behind the initiative, while the trade report lists the shareholders at the start. Neither account reconciles the two figures. The original company name was P & M, short for *Pharmazie & Medizin* (pharmacy and medicine), naming the two professions behind it. In its first years, the company says, a team of five worked out of premises in a residential area of central Münster. ## History & milestones ### Dermatest and the early years The first products reached the market in 1992 under the Dermatest name. A first promotion in pharmacies, still branded Dermatest, introduced the range to pharmacy customers. Among the early products was Adtop Creme, a cream for dry skin that the company says quickly became a classic of medical skincare. Detlef Isermann shaped the company from its early years. He started as assistant to the management, later became managing director, and from 1998 held the role of managing shareholder [6]. He would lead the business for roughly three decades. In 2000 the company left Münster for a larger building in Telgte, in the Münsterland region. ### The 2009 relaunch The brand as it is known today dates from a relaunch in 2009. The company introduced a new logo, the slogan *Gesunde Haut mit System* ("healthy skin with a system") and a colour-code system that sorted products by skin type. Dermasence became the umbrella name for every product, and the Dermatest Adtop Creme was renamed under the new label. ### Return to Münster and growth In 2013 the company moved back to Münster, taking over a site of about 9,000 square metres in the city's harbour district. According to the company, the site included 3,600 square metres of hall space and a new, larger laboratory, and the move represented an investment of 2.5 to 3.0 million euros. The company marked its 25th anniversary in 2016 and reports that revenue grew by 25 percent that year. It also began expanding outside Germany, starting with Austria, and launched in the Netherlands in 2017. 2018 was a busy year. The company set up a subsidiary, the Medicos Science Center, to handle research and production methods for plant-based active ingredients. It launched the RosaMin series for sensitive skin prone to redness, which it later described as one of its most popular ranges. In October of that year, Dermasence ran its first television campaign, built around people with different skin needs to present the range as skincare for the whole family. The Medicos Science Center opened its facility in Bernburg, in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, in 2021. The opening also launched celebrations for the company's 30th anniversary. ### Redesign and new headquarters In 2022, thirteen years after the previous redesign, the packaging received a more modern look. Many products were renamed at the same time and grouped into series aimed at specific skin conditions, so that each series could form a complete care routine. A new four-storey headquarters followed in 2023, built next to the existing harbour-side site in Münster. APOTHEKE ADHOC reported that the building has about 3,000 square metres of floor space, cost 11 million euros and was built to Germany's KfW 40 energy-efficiency standard. The same year, the operating company changed its name from P & M Cosmetics to Medicos Kosmetik [8]. ## Ownership Dermasence belongs to Medicos Kosmetik GmbH & Co. KG, a company registered in Münster. Its general partner is Medicos Kosmetik Beteiligungs-GmbH, whose managing director is Philipp Beckmann [3]. The company describes Medicos Kosmetik as the manufacturer behind the brand. The business is privately held and has not been sold to a larger beauty group. According to APOTHEKE ADHOC, the circle of shareholders has grown over the years through inheritance and the entry of further dermatologists, reaching about 30 owners by 2023 [8]. On 1 July 2024, Detlef Isermann stepped back from operational management and handed the running of the company to Philipp Beckmann. A company press release describes Beckmann as a business economist who had already held a senior role at Dermasence for years and who had previously worked at Beiersdorf in Hamburg [6]. The release presents the handover to Isermann's nephew as family-based continuity. Isermann remains a shareholder and continues in an advisory role. The company has given different workforce figures over time. Its about page cites about 200 employees, and a 2024 press release says just under 200. The brand's newsroom, updated in 2026, gives about 230 [5]. ## Philosophy & positioning Dermasence calls itself a specialist in medical skincare. The company says a single guiding idea has run through its history since 1991: a consistent focus on efficacy and tolerability, meaning how well a product works and how well the skin accepts it. Its stated mission is to help people solve their skin problems and feel comfortable in their skin, and its tagline reads *Wir wissen, was die Haut zum Gesundsein braucht* ("We know what skin needs to be healthy"). The brand presents its range as recommended by dermatologists and available in pharmacies, and it places particular weight on advice given at the pharmacy counter. According to the company, it runs a broad training programme for pharmacy staff. In a 2024 press release, Dermasence said that it ranked first in a 2023 survey of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians; the organiser of the survey is not named. The company's own description of its origin sums up its identity as "Invented in Münster. Made in Germany." Products are developed at the Münster headquarters and, in the company's wording, manufactured predominantly in Germany. ## Products & innovation The range covers facial and body care, cleansing, eye care, sun protection, scalp and hair care, and foot care. It is organised into series named after the skin condition they target. Adtop is aimed at dry skin, Seborra at blemished and acne-prone skin, RosaMin at redness-prone skin and Chrono retare at mature, dry skin. Other series include Vitop, Hyalusome, Polaneth, BarrioPro, SolvineaMed and Mycolex. Plant extracts play a central role. The company's Medicos Science Center in Bernburg extracts selected natural active ingredients in-house, using a specialised extraction and purification process. The trigger for setting up the centre was the Vitop forte Pflegecreme, a care cream for which, according to Dermasence, woad extract was made usable in medical skincare for the first time [2]. Launches announced in 2026 include the Adtop Handcreme in May, a restructured Seborra series in July, a presentation of the plant-extract-based Chrono retare series for skin during menopause, and the Hyalusome Retinol Serum plus in September. In June 2026 the company also announced a study that, it says, confirmed a soothing effect within 60 seconds for its Psoricur scalp liquid, a claim it qualifies with a footnote [5]. No third-party certifications are documented for the brand. ## Recognition The awards listed for Dermasence are all reported by the company itself. The brand says it has been named a *Marke des Jahrhunderts* ("brand of the century") four times, without giving the years. In 2026 it announced two awards at the German Brand Award and a renewed win at the Deutscher Gesundheits-Award [5]. In the trade press, APOTHEKE ADHOC covered the company's renaming and new headquarters in September 2023. ## Controversies APOTHEKE ADHOC reported in 2023 that the founding pharmacist left the company in 1995. According to the report, she was bought out after disagreements over the direction of the business [8]. The company's own history does not mention the episode. ## Current status Dermasence is an active, independent brand. Its newsroom published seven press releases between May and September 2026, the most recent on 21 September 2026. The company sells directly through pharmacies in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and Denmark, and works with partner distributors in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, Norway, Croatia, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania and Libya [4]. Its headquarters remain at the harbour-side site in Münster. ## Timeline {#belagg-timeline} | Year | Event | Source | |---|---|---| | 1991 | Company founded in Münster by five dermatologists and a pharmacist; a five-person team worked in a residential area in central Münster in the early years. | https://www.dermasence.de/unternehmen/philosophie/unsere-identitaet | | 1992 | First products launched, still under the name Dermatest; the Adtop Creme for dry skin followed. | https://www.dermasence.de/unternehmen/philosophie/unsere-identitaet | | 1995 | According to APOTHEKE ADHOC, the founding pharmacist was bought out after disagreements over the company's direction. | https://www.apotheke-adhoc.de/nachrichten/detail/markt/dermasence-neuer-name-neuer-sitz/ | | 1998 | Detlef Isermann became managing shareholder (geschäftsführender Gesellschafter), after serving as assistant to management and then managing director. | https://www.mynewsdesk.com/de/dermasence/pressreleases/auf-in-richtung-zukunft-generationswechsel-bei-dermasence-3333307 | | 2000 | Company moved from Münster to Telgte (Münsterland). | https://www.dermasence.de/unternehmen/philosophie/unsere-identitaet | | 2009 | Brand relaunch with a new logo, the slogan 'Gesunde Haut mit System' and a colour-code system by skin type. DERMASENCE became the umbrella name for all products, and the DERMATEST Adtop Creme was renamed. | https://www.dermasence.de/unternehmen/philosophie/unsere-identitaet | | 2013 | Return to Münster (Hafengrenzweg): about 9,000 m² site, 3,600 m² hall space, investment of EUR 2.5-3.0 million, new larger laboratory. | https://www.dermasence.de/unternehmen/philosophie/unsere-identitaet | | 2016 | 25th anniversary; the brand reports a 25 percent revenue increase that year. International expansion (Austria and others) from 2016. | https://www.dermasence.de/unternehmen/philosophie/unsere-identitaet | | 2017 | Market launch in the Netherlands. | https://www.dermasence.de/unternehmen/philosophie/unsere-identitaet | | 2018 | Subsidiary Medicos Science Center founded (triggered by the Vitop forte Pflegecreme with woad extract), RosaMin series for redness-prone skin launched, and the first TV campaign started in October 2018. | https://www.dermasence.de/unternehmen/philosophie/unsere-identitaet | | 2021 | Medicos Science Center opened in Bernburg, Sachsen-Anhalt; start of the 30th company anniversary. | https://www.dermasence.de/unternehmen/philosophie/unsere-identitaet | | 2022 | Packaging redesign (13 years after the previous one); many products renamed and regrouped into skin-condition series. | https://www.dermasence.de/unternehmen/philosophie/unsere-identitaet | | 2023 | According to APOTHEKE ADHOC: the company behind the brand, P & M Cosmetics (founded 1991 as 'P & M' = Pharmazie & Medizin), was renamed Medicos Kosmetik. A new four-storey headquarters (about 3,000 m², EUR 11 million, KfW-40 standard) opened at Hafengrenzweg, Münster. | https://www.apotheke-adhoc.de/nachrichten/detail/markt/dermasence-neuer-name-neuer-sitz/ | | 2024 | Management handover: Detlef Isermann handed management of Medicos Kosmetik GmbH & Co. KG to Philipp Beckmann on 1 July 2024. Beckmann is Isermann's nephew and previously worked at Beiersdorf AG; Isermann remains a shareholder and advisor. | https://www.mynewsdesk.com/de/dermasence/pressreleases/auf-in-richtung-zukunft-generationswechsel-bei-dermasence-3333307 | ## Awards {#belagg-awards} | Year | Awards | Category | Source | |---|---|---|---| | — | Marke des Jahrhunderts | Brand-reported: received for the fourth time (years not stated on the page) | https://www.dermasence.de/unternehmen/philosophie/unsere-identitaet | | 2026 | German Brand Award 2026 | Brand-reported: two awards ('zweifach ausgezeichnet'); categories not captured | https://presse.dermasence.de/ | | 2026 | Deutscher Gesundheits-Award | Brand-reported: winner again in 2026 ('erneut'); category not captured | https://presse.dermasence.de/ | | 2023 | Rank 1 in a survey of pharmacists and PTA | Brand-reported ranking; the survey publisher is not named | https://www.mynewsdesk.com/de/dermasence/pressreleases/auf-in-richtung-zukunft-generationswechsel-bei-dermasence-3333307 | ## Signature products {#belagg-products} - **Adtop Creme** — Die Adtop Creme für trockene Haut avanciert schnell zu einem Klassiker der medizinischen Hautpflege. — https://www.dermasence.de/unternehmen/philosophie/unsere-identitaet - **Vitop forte Pflegecreme** — Die Initialzündung für die Gründung gibt die Vitop forte Pflegecreme, für die erstmals Färberwaid-Extrakt für die medizinische Hautpflege nutzbar gemacht wurde. — https://www.dermasence.de/unternehmen/philosophie/unsere-identitaet - **RosaMin series** — Die Pflegeserie gehört fortan zu den beliebtesten Produktreihen von DERMASENCE. — https://www.dermasence.de/unternehmen/philosophie/unsere-identitaet - **Seborra series** — DERMASENCE Seborra! — https://www.dermasence.de/ - **Chrono retare series** — Für reife, trockene Haut — https://www.dermasence.de/ ## Key ingredients {#belagg-ingredients} Färberwaid-Extrakt (woad extract) Source: https://www.dermasence.de/unternehmen/philosophie/unsere-identitaet ## Proprietary technologies & patents {#belagg-tech} - In-house, unnamed extraction process for plant-based active ingredients at the Medicos Science Center (Bernburg) — https://www.dermasence.de/unternehmen/philosophie/unsere-identitaet ## Mentioned in {#belagg-press} - **APOTHEKE ADHOC** (2023) — Trade-press report 'Dermasence: Neuer Name, neuer Sitz' on the renaming of P & M Cosmetics to Medicos Kosmetik and the new Münster headquarters. Also covers the founding shareholders and the current shareholder structure (about 30 shareholders). — https://www.apotheke-adhoc.de/nachrichten/detail/markt/dermasence-neuer-name-neuer-sitz/ ## Sources 2. (T1) https://www.dermasence.de/unternehmen/philosophie/unsere-identitaet 3. (T2) https://www.dermasence.de/impressum 4. (T2) https://www.dermasence.de/dermasence-international 5. (T2) https://presse.dermasence.de/ 6. (T2) https://www.mynewsdesk.com/de/dermasence/pressreleases/auf-in-richtung-zukunft-generationswechsel-bei-dermasence-3333307 8. (T3) https://www.apotheke-adhoc.de/nachrichten/detail/markt/dermasence-neuer-name-neuer-sitz/ --- Glowpedia · · Published 2026-09-30 Please cite with a link to the article URL.