Dr Somji Skincare was founded by cosmetic surgeon Dr Munir Somji and skin expert Henal Somji, the husband-and-wife team behind the Dr MediSpa clinics in Knightsbridge, Marylebone and Loughton. In celebration of British Beauty Week, they explain why they built a fragrance-free, UK-made range around four targeted Concentrates, and why the skin barrier sits at the centre of every routine.
At a glance
- Founders: Dr Munir Somji, cosmetic surgeon and postgraduate lecturer in clinical dermatology at King's College London, and Henal Somji, co-founder and skin expert.
- Clinical roots: built on Dr MediSpa, the clinic group they founded in 2014, with clinics in Knightsbridge and Marylebone (London) and Loughton (Essex).
- Launched: October 2024.
- How the range works: four Concentrates for blemishes, redness, pigmentation and wrinkles, used with serums, cleansers, moisturisers and SPF designed to work together.
- Formulation principles: fragrance-free, dermatologically tested, independently tested, developed and manufactured in the UK.
- Technologies: encapsulation, exosomes and the SOM1X® complex.
What made Dr Munir Somji and Henal Somji create Dr Somji Skincare?
Dr Munir Somji: It really started with what we were seeing every day in our clinics.
Patients would come in with concerns like pigmentation, blemishes, redness and ageing, but increasingly we were also seeing something underneath all of those concerns: impaired, sensitised skin barriers.
People were using multiple active ingredients, layering products from different brands, combining acids with retinoids, exfoliating too frequently or simply using products that weren't right for their skin. They were trying to do the right thing for their skin, but often ended up overdoing it.
And that created a real problem. If the skin barrier isn't functioning properly, adding more and more powerful actives isn't necessarily the answer. Sometimes the skin needs you to step back, restore its defences and create a healthier foundation first.
Henal Somji: We were also finding that when Munir recommended skincare, there wasn't one brand that gave us everything we wanted.
He might recommend one product from one range for pigmentation, another brand for redness, something completely different for barrier support and then another serum to complement it. The individual products might be good, but they weren't necessarily designed to work together.
That was the real starting point for Dr Somji. We wanted to create a complete skincare system where the products were developed in synergy, so you could target a specific concern without compromising the health of your skin.
Has skincare become too focused on powerful actives?
Dr Munir Somji: Not exactly. We believe in active skincare. We believe in ingredients that have evidence behind them and concentrations that can make a meaningful difference.
The problem is that active doesn't have to mean aggressive. We were seeing people who were using several highly active products at once, without understanding how those ingredients interacted or whether their skin could tolerate that level of stimulation.
Our approach was to ask a different question: how can we deliver meaningful results while helping the skin become stronger and more resilient over time? That means thinking about the whole formulation: the ingredients, their concentrations, how they're delivered, the size of molecules, how they interact and how the products work alongside one another.
Henal Somji: It also meant taking sensitivity seriously. We wanted skincare that could be effective but still feel considered and comfortable to use. That became a fundamental part of our development process: efficacy without unnecessary irritation.
That's why our formulations are fragrance-free, dermatologically tested and independently tested. Every ingredient has a reason for being there.
Which skin concerns does Dr Somji Skincare treat?
Dr Munir Somji: Four concerns came up repeatedly in the clinics: blemishes, redness, pigmentation and wrinkles. Those became the starting point for our Concentrates.
Rather than creating one product that tries to do everything, we developed potent, targeted Concentrates designed around these specific concerns. They can then be combined with the appropriate serum, either Signature Serum or Signature Serum Light for normal to oily skin, and other products in the range, depending on someone's skin type and needs.
Henal Somji: That's really important to how we think about skincare. We don't believe everyone needs the same routine, and we don't believe you need to use every active every day.
The Concentrates allow you to target what your skin needs, while the rest of the routine supports the skin around it. It's a more considered approach to active skincare: treating the concern while building the foundations for healthier skin at the same time.
Why is the skin barrier so important?
Dr Munir Somji: Because healthy skin needs healthy defences.
The skin barrier is constantly protecting us from the environment while helping to maintain hydration and keeping irritants out. When it's compromised, skin can become more reactive, uncomfortable and prone to problems.
For us, skincare isn't just about making something look better today. It's about building skin that can function better tomorrow, next year and beyond. That's what we mean by resilience. We want to strengthen the skin's own defences, so a routine doesn't leave someone constantly chasing the next problem.
Henal Somji: And that's why our philosophy is very much about building healthy skin from within. You can have the most sophisticated active ingredients in the world, but if you're continually compromising your barrier, you're not creating a sustainable routine.
Our products are designed to work together, combining targeted actives with ingredients that support hydration, barrier function and resilience.
Where to start if your barrier is compromised: The Barrier Builders brings together three steps for sensitive, reactive or compromised skin. The Exosome Barrier Repair Serum and Night Recovery Cream support repair, and Vitamin C Daily Defence Moisturiser SPF30 protects during the day.
How does clinical experience shape Dr Somji formulations?
Dr Munir Somji: We start with the skin concern rather than the ingredient trend. We look at what the skin needs, what the evidence tells us, which ingredients have meaningful clinical support and how we can formulate them so they work effectively together.
We're also interested in how ingredients are delivered, not simply whether they're present in a formula. Across the range, we use technologies including encapsulation, advanced delivery mechanisms and carefully selected molecular sizes to help ingredients work effectively and synergistically. Some of our formulations also incorporate newer technologies such as exosomes.
Our SOM1X® complex is another example of that approach, bringing together a carefully considered combination of ingredients designed to support the skin barrier and overall skin health.
Henal Somji: The important thing is that the technology has a purpose. We aren't interested in adding an ingredient because it's fashionable or because it makes a good marketing story. If we use something, there needs to be a reason.
Every ingredient we use is explained in our Ingredients A–Z.
Why is Dr Somji Skincare fragrance-free?
Henal Somji: Because skincare is something you use repeatedly, often every day. We wanted the experience to feel luxurious through the formulation, texture and performance rather than relying on added fragrance.
Especially when you're creating products for skin that may already be sensitised or compromised, we don't think unnecessary extras belong there.
Dr Munir Somji: It's part of the same philosophy. We wanted to remove things that didn't need to be there and focus on what does. Effective skincare shouldn't have to be harsh to be taken seriously.
For sensitive skin: browse the sensitive skin edit, or start with the Nourishing Cream Cleanser, made for dry, sensitive and easily irritated skin.
What does being a British beauty brand mean to you?
Henal Somji: For us, it's much more than putting "Made in the UK" on a label. Our products are developed and manufactured in the UK, and where possible we work with smaller UK-based suppliers and businesses.
We're proud to be part of a British beauty industry that has such a strong reputation for formulation, science, innovation and quality, and we want to contribute to that ecosystem.
We're still a small team, so we're very conscious that we can't do everything. But being small also means we can be agile, move quickly and make decisions without layers of corporate process. We're still learning, still testing and still figuring things out as we grow. We're a little bit scrappy, in a good way.
Dr Munir Somji: And we've always believed in building businesses that have substance behind them. The Dr Somji story didn't start with a skincare brand. It started with more than a decade of running Dr MediSpa clinics, treating patients, understanding skin, working in aesthetics and seeing what actually happens when people use products in the real world.
How has Dr MediSpa shaped Dr Somji Skincare?
Dr Munir Somji: Dr MediSpa has been treating patients since 2014, so by the time we created Dr Somji Skincare, we already understood quite a lot about building a business and a brand.
More importantly, we understood the customer. We knew what people were concerned about. We knew the questions they asked. We knew where skincare routines were going wrong. We knew what happened when people overused actives or combined products that weren't designed to work together. And we had seen the difference that the right skincare could make.
Henal Somji: We've also built all of this while raising a young family. So we're not sitting in a boardroom designing an imaginary customer. We're running a small business, looking after our family, working in the clinics and building a skincare company at the same time.
That keeps everything very real. We know people are busy. We know routines need to be achievable. And we know that skincare has to fit into real life if people are going to use it consistently.
Visit Dr MediSpa
- Marylebone: 59 Chiltern Street, London W1U 6NF
- Knightsbridge: 18 Beauchamp Place, London SW3 1NQ
- Loughton: 8 Forest Road, Loughton, Essex IG10 1DX
Book a consultation, arrange a virtual consultation, or meet the clinical team. See patient outcomes on our Real Results page.
What makes Dr Somji Skincare different?
Henal Somji: We haven't built the range around having as many products as possible. We've built it around what we see skin actually needs.
The Concentrates allow us to address the four concerns we see most often (blemishes, redness, pigmentation and wrinkles) while the wider range supports the skin around those concerns. The idea is that you're not constantly adding more and more products. You're building a routine where everything has a role.
Dr Munir Somji: And we're not interested in skincare that gives you a short-term result at the expense of long-term skin health. For us, success is skin that becomes more resilient over time.
What's next for Dr Somji Skincare?
Henal Somji: We're continuing to develop the range, but we're not interested in launching products simply because there's space on a shelf. Every new product needs to solve a problem.
We'll continue listening to our patients and customers, looking at the science and identifying where there are genuine gaps, just as we did when we started.
We're also passionate about education. There is so much information available about skincare now, but more information doesn't always mean better information. Sometimes people need someone to explain what their skin actually needs and, importantly, what it doesn't.
Dr Munir Somji: Ultimately, that's why we created Dr Somji. We wanted to take what we've learned from more than a decade of treating skin and create skincare that people can use every day: active enough to make a difference, thoughtful enough to respect the skin barrier, and designed to work together.
The philosophy behind Dr Somji Skincare, in one thought
Dr Munir Somji: Don't just treat the problem you can see. Build stronger skin underneath it.
Henal Somji: For us, it's about creating healthy, resilient skin that can hold up to real life. You don't need to constantly push your skin harder to get better results. You need the right ingredients, the right formulations and the right balance.
That's what we've tried to build with Dr Somji: targeted treatment, barrier support and long-term resilience, all working together. And we're proud to be building it here in Britain, with a small team, UK-based partners and a very clear reason for every product we make.
Not sure where to start? Take the skin quiz and face scan for a routine matched to your skin, or shop by concern. Every order is covered by our 90-day money-back guarantee.
Frequently asked questions
Who founded Dr Somji Skincare? Dr Somji Skincare was founded by Dr Munir Somji, a cosmetic surgeon and postgraduate lecturer in clinical dermatology at King's College London, and skin expert Henal Somji. The couple also founded Dr MediSpa in 2014, which has clinics in Knightsbridge, Marylebone and Loughton.
What are Dr Somji Concentrates? The Concentrates are four targeted treatments, each formulated for one concern: blemishes, redness, pigmentation or wrinkles. They are used alongside a Dr Somji serum and the rest of the routine, so you treat one concern while the other products support hydration and the skin barrier.
Is Dr Somji Skincare suitable for sensitive skin? Every Dr Somji formula is fragrance-free and dermatologically tested, and the range is built around supporting the skin barrier. For sensitive or reactive skin, The Barrier Builders set brings together three barrier-focused steps. As with any new product, patch test first.
Where is Dr Somji Skincare made? Dr Somji Skincare is developed and manufactured in the UK, working with smaller UK-based suppliers wherever possible.
Can I get a skin consultation with the Dr Somji team? Yes. You can book an in-person consultation at Dr MediSpa in Knightsbridge, Marylebone or Loughton, or a virtual consultation. For a starting point at home, the Dr Somji skin quiz and face scan suggests a routine for your skin.
What if Dr Somji Skincare doesn't work for me? Orders from drsomjiskincare.com are covered by a 90-day money-back guarantee.
