MartiDerm
Pharmacy-formulated proteoglycan and pure vitamin C ampoules in nitrogen-flushed glass vials — the dose-controlled ampoule ritual translated for at-home use.
Ask ChokChok AI
Get instant answers about MartiDerm
Try asking
MartiDerm is the brand built around a single iconic format: the snap-top glass ampoule. Founded in 1952 as a pharmacy in Cervelló, just outside Barcelona, the modern brand was born when pharmacist José Martí Tor formalised the pharmacy's house formulations into commercial dermocosmetics in 1989. The signature is the proteoglycan ampoule — nitrogen-flushed glass vials of 5% pure L-ascorbic acid + proteoglycans + hyaluronic acid, sealed to keep vitamin C from oxidising until the moment of use. In Spain the ampoule before a wedding is a literal cultural ritual — and MartiDerm's Photo-Age HA+ is the ampoule. The newer DSP-Bright and Proteos Hydra Plus extend the format to pigmentation and pure plumping. The format itself is the differentiator: every dose is fresh, every ml is delivered through a system that the air can't oxidise.
Strengths
- + nitrogen-flushed glass ampoule format — solves vitamin C oxidation that ruins most C serums
- + 5% pure L-ascorbic acid + proteoglycans — clinical-tier dose, fresh per use
- + the ampoule-before-event ritual is a Spanish cultural anchor
- + proteoglycan technology adds plumping that pure HA doesn't
Weaknesses
- − glass ampoules are not travel-friendly and produce more waste than a pump
- − snapping the ampoule requires care — sharp glass risk if mishandled
- − premium per-ml cost vs. equivalent serum bottles
- − the ampoule format is unfamiliar to non-EU shoppers
The MartiDerm Story
The cosmetic ampoule — that small glass vial of concentrated serum, snapped open and applied in a single dose — is now a staple of global skincare. K-beauty brands sell them. French pharmacy brands sell them. German clinical brands sell them. But the format was invented in Barcelona, in a pharmacy on Calle Aragón, by a pharmacist named Josep Martí Tor. And the brand he founded to sell them, MartiDerm, has been making ampoules since before the rest of the industry knew what they were.
The pharmacy origin
MartiDerm was established in 1952 as Farmacia Martí Tor — a compounding pharmacy in Barcelona's Eixample district where magistral formulas (bespoke preparations mixed to a dermatologist's prescription) were the core business. For decades, Farmacia Martí Tor operated like thousands of other Spanish farmacias: filling prescriptions, compounding creams, and building trust patient by patient. The difference came in 1989, when the pharmacy developed the world's first cosmetic ampoule — a single-dose glass vial containing a concentrated blend of proteoglycans and vitamin C.
The innovation was not the ingredients. Proteoglycans (molecules that maintain skin's hydration and structural integrity) and vitamin C (the most evidence-backed antioxidant in skincare) were well understood. The innovation was the format. By sealing a fresh, precisely measured dose of active concentrate in an airtight glass ampoule, MartiDerm solved three problems simultaneously: oxidation (vitamin C degrades rapidly in open bottles), contamination (no repeated dipping into a jar), and dosing (every application delivers exactly the right amount).
The ampoule philosophy
MartiDerm The Originals Vitamin C Ampoules are the direct descendant of that 1989 formula. Snap the glass tip, pour the concentrate into your palm, press it into clean skin. The ritual takes ten seconds. The vitamin C is as fresh as the moment it was sealed. No preservatives needed because the product was never exposed to air until the moment of use. No oxidised serum at the bottom of a half-used bottle. No guessing how much to dispense.
The ampoule format expanded into a full system. MartiDerm Proteos Hydra Plus Ampoules combine proteoglycans with hyaluronic acid for intensive hydration. add broad-spectrum antioxidants for post-sun repair. target pigmentation with a brightening complex. represent the premium tier — maximum-concentration actives for intensive treatment.
Shop MartiDerm by skin type
Curated picks from MartiDerm's lineup, ranked for each skin type.
All MartiDerm Products
19 products reviewed and rated.
Photo-Age HA+ Ampoules
MartiDerm's most iconic ampoule — and the Spanish 'before-the-event' beauty ritual in glass-vial form. Each 2ml nitrogen-flushed ampoule carries 5% pure L-ascorbic acid + dual-weight hyaluronic acid (sodium hyaluronate + hydrolyzed) + ferulic acid + proteoglycans (sodium chondroitin sulfate, sodium DNA — MartiDerm's house actives) + Argireline peptide. The nitrogen-flushed glass keeps the vitamin C stable at full clinical potency until the moment you snap the ampoule. The ritual of snapping a glass vial, dispensing the entire 2ml dose, applying directly to clean skin, is part of why MartiDerm is the brand Spanish women reach for the night before a wedding, a job interview, or a photographed event. At $55 for 30 ampoules (~$1.80 each), mid-tier per dose — but a fresh, oxidation-free 5% L-AA hit that bottle-format serums genuinely cannot match.
Compare MartiDerm With
Similar ES-Beauty brands
Brands with comparable formulation chops and price points
