Sesderma

Sesderma is a Spanish dermocosmetic laboratory founded in 1989 by the dermatologist Dr. Gabriel Serrano [1][9]. The company develops, formulates and manufactures skincare and body-care products, and is best known for building its formulas around liposomal encapsulation, a delivery technology it markets under the Nanotech name. It is headquartered in Valencia and sells its products in more than 80 countries.

The brand is owned by Sesderma, S.L., the parent of the wider Sesderma Group, and remains fully active, with a live direct-to-consumer site and ongoing research into newer delivery methods such as exosomes [5].

Sesderma grew directly out of its founder's medical career. Dr. Gabriel Serrano was born in Colombia into a medical family, moved to Spain at nineteen to study medicine, and later specialised in dermatology, earning his doctorate from the University of Valencia and training as a resident at the city's Hospital General de Valencia [3]. According to the company, it was during that residency that Serrano encountered a shortage of, and difficult access to, quality dermatological products for treating his patients — the gap he set out to fill by founding Sesderma to offer what the company describes as personalised dermocosmetic care with high quality standards [3].

Although Serrano was born in Colombia, the company was founded and is based in Spain, and describes itself as a Spanish dermatological laboratory. He remains associated with the brand as its public founder figure and has focused in recent years on its international expansion.

The company celebrated its thirtieth anniversary in 2019. A central milestone was its move into cosmetic nanotechnology, though the sources date this differently: the brand's own Nanotech page states it has been pioneering the approach "since 2008" [4], while editorial coverage, including a Care to Beauty interview, records a 2010 launch of nanotechnology using "nanometric liposomes with high penetrating power" [8]. The 1989 founding date, by contrast, is consistent across the brand's own material and independent reviews.

In September 2018 the company opened new headquarters in Puzol, Valencia, described as an 18-million-euro investment covering some 18,356 square metres.

Sesderma is owned by Sesderma, S.L., registered in Valencia and operating as the Sesderma Group. Alongside the consumer Sesderma line, the group includes Mediderma, which makes professional-use products such as chemical peels and fillers, and Dermopartners, which manufactures dermocosmetics for third parties across categories from facial and body care to pediatric, hair and dental products [5].

Sesderma positions itself as a science-led dermocosmetic laboratory, summarising its focus as research, development and manufacturing with a specialisation in R&D. Its stated tagline is "Listening to your skin," and the company frames its three core values as know-how, humanity and generosity. Editorial coverage places the brand in the mid-to-premium tier, with one review citing prices between roughly 28 and 68 US dollars for standard-sized products, and describes an approach built less around a single signature ingredient than around matching specific formulations to individual skin concerns [9].

Products reach customers through a multi-channel model spanning pharmacies, the company's own online store and professional channels.

Sesderma's formulations draw on ingredients including retinol, vitamin C, niacinamide and glycolic acid; the company says it used several of these decades before they became mainstream, and describes itself as one of the first brands in Spain to offer a glycolic acid cream. Its best-known technology is Nanotech, which encapsulates active ingredients in liposomes — vesicles the company says have a structure similar to the skin's — to improve penetration and tolerance [4]. A more recent platform, marketed as Exoses, uses biotechnological exosomes that the company links to improvements in wrinkles, firmness and hydration.

Among its products, the Azelac Ru Liposomal Serum, a treatment aimed at hyperpigmentation, has been reported to sell one unit every 30 seconds in Spain [10]. Other frequently cited products include the Melases TRX depigmenting gel, the Acglicolic moisturising range and the Sensyses cleansers [8].

On the research side, the company points to a 2013 penetration study from Valencia's Hospital General Universitario that it says validated its liposome approach, and to work on functionalised liposomes for vitiligo and psoriasis under a CDTI research initiative. Its manufacturing is certified to ISO 22716 cosmetics good-manufacturing standards, with the group's Mediderma division additionally holding ISO 13485 for medical devices [6]. The company reports no vegan or cruelty-free certification on its quality page.

Sesderma has been the subject of trade and regional press coverage rather than formal awards. A 2019 Care to Beauty interview examined its liposome platform and product range, The Dermatology Review published an editorial assessment of the line, and an Emirates Woman feature described the company as a pioneer in nanotechnology skincare [11].

Sesderma is active. It operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce site with current promotions, continues to develop new product lines such as its exosome-based range, and reports distribution in more than 80 countries [2].