"I swapped out my entire skincare routine for Medik8 products for a month and it changed my skin"
Out of all the categories that land on my desk, a new skincare product elicits the most excitement from me. It might be because I'm a 90s baby who was exposed to one too many 'miracle skincare' teleshopping ads, but there's just something about a serum promising to fix all my woes that gets me every time. Spoiler: They don't exist, but that doesn't stop me from slathering every one of them on my face. The point is, that I want to try everything and being exclusive to one skincare brand sends a shiver down my spine. In the spirit of beauty journalism – and facing my commitment-phobe fears – I did just that and swapped my entire skincare routine out for a Medik8-only one.
Why Medik8 you might ask? Well, it's one of the rare brands that is loved by both skincare experts and social media, and I (ashamedly) hadn't tried much from the range, like its famous Crystal Retinal Serum, so I decided that if I was going to test out this marriage thing with one skincare brand, it might as well be one that delivers results.
As I was starting from scratch, I took Medik8's regime builder test. Like a 'Which Sex and the City character are you' quiz, I answered a series of questions based on my skin type and goals and got emailed my Medik8 routine. It's not exactly as sophisticated as a skin subscription service but it did the trick. Next up, I stuck to the entire routine for a month and documented the whole thing to see if Medik8 really lived up to the hype.
Here's a breakdown of the products I tried and tested, plus my overall review of my MOM (month of Medik8).
My AM Medik8 routine
I usually start my day by just washing my face with water and applying a hydrating toner (Rhode's Glazing Milk is a fave of mine). However, the only Medik8 toners on offer contain exfoliating acids – I'd hit my fist wall. My skin is sensitive, so starting the day with AHAs is simply a no-go, which meant I had to skip this step altogether and go straight into serums.
Medik8 Super C Ferulic, £69
I'm a huge fan of the OG SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic serum (£165), so the chance of this being similar and more than half the price intrigued me. It was greasier in texture and finish than SkinC's – if you're on the oilier side this might be too much to handle – but there was no denying it delivered some serious glow.
It features 30% ethylated L-ascorbic acid (aiming to battle fine lines and pigmentation), ferulic acid and vitamin E to help prevent free-radical damage. Considering its potent formula, I was very happy to see it didn't set off any sensitivity (a very common occurrence with me and anything vitamin C-related).
Medik8 Clarity Peptides 10% Niacinamide-Infused Peptide Serum, £45
I think I'm in the minority here, but I always apply niacinamide in the morning. It irritated me that for some reason this was in a tube when all the other serums were in dropper bottles (make it make sense?), but I was impressed with how lightweight and silky this serum was, as some I've tried tend to be gritty and thick, but not this guy.
Medik8 Advanced Day Ultimate Protect Age-Defying Moisturiser with Photolyase SPF 50+ | PA++++, £59
This is way more than I would typically spend on an SPF (one of my fave bargain ones is this L'Oréal Paris number), but it does say it's a 2-in-1 moisturiser/SPF hybrid and it does act as a blue light shield, a pollution defence and a UV-filter shield, so girl math applies here.
For an SPF50 it's surprisingly grease-free and melts into skin to leave me with a dewy sheen. It even played well under makeup, with no pesky pilling in sight. However, in the winter months, I think my dry areas might need a bit more oomph in the hydration department, but I have layered it over a moisturiser and it works a treat.
My PM Medik8 Routine
I immediately hit another wall: taking off my makeup. I always go for a cleansing balm; they melt away makeup like no micellar or cream cleanser ever could and leave my skin hydrated, but Medik8 don't have one in their line-up (take the hint, guys). This meant I did have to cheat and use one from another brand (yes, this was bordering on a situationship but I'm trying here).
Medik8 Cream Cleanse, £24
After taking off my makeup, I applied this cloud-like cream. It didn't foam up whatsoever (a huge win in my books) and didn't leave my skin feeling tight or dehydrated. Gold stars from me.
Medik8 Crystal Retinal®, £45
Arguably the most hyped-up product in the range is this famous serum. It contains vitamin A (AKA, retinol), which is normally a fire starter for my rosacea. They have five different strengths of the stuff, with their lowest percentage being 0.01% retinal and meant to be safe for sensitive skin. To check whether it would be suitable, I asked an expert if my rosacea could handle a low-dose retinoid.
First up, what's the difference between retinol and the retinal in this serum?
"Both compounds have to be converted into retinoic acid to exert the anti-ageing and collagen-boosting effects on the skin," dermatologist, Dr Derrick Phillips tells me. "Retinol is converted into Retinal and subsequently retinoic acid, whilst retinal only has a single conversion step. For a given concentration, retinal is considered more potent than retinol," he adds.
Can someone with rosacea use retinol?
"Retinols are excellent anti-ageing ingredients, but they encourage exfoliation of the stratum corneum (the top layer of the skin), exposing immature cells, and increasing general sensitivity and sensitivity to sunlight. For these reasons, retinols can aggravate rosacea and should be approached with caution," explains Dr Phillips.
However, he caveats that "if you do have rosacea and are keen to introduce retinol into your routine, speak to a consultant dermatologist. Low concentrations applied sparingly once or twice a week, followed by a hydrating moisturiser, may allow you to reap the benefits of retinol without experiencing irritation or aggravating rosacea."
He also tells me that instead of using retinol, those with rosacea can use the following for similar-ish results if they'd rather play it safe:
Vitamin C: "This stimulates collagen production, reducing the appearance of fine lines, and inhibits tyrosinase a key enzyme in melanin production. It is also a potent antioxidant, protecting against harmful free radicals that can damage the skin and accelerate skin ageing."
Niacinamide: "Has anti-inflammatory properties and also helps to tackle hyperpigmentation."
Azelaic acid: "Azelaic acid can help with acne, hyperpigmentation, and rosacea. It has anti-inflammatory and anti-acne properties but is generally well tolerated."
I started using this once every three days and was pleased to see neither any purging nor peeling (both are very common side effects when you start using vitamin A) occurred. Rosacea-wise, my skin didn't act up more than normal but it didn't exactly help the issue either.
This formula is a game-changer because it contains retinaldehyde, a retinoid that is 11x faster-acting than retinol, according to Medik8. I'm 28, so fine lines are starting to creep in, but I was more after the retinal tackling post-breakout scarring than anything else.
Medik8 Calmwise™ Serum Soothing Elixir for Redness-Prone Skin, £39
On days when I was taking a Crystal Retinal break, I opted for this serum to soothe things over. It's fragrance-free, paraben-free and non-comedogenic (meaning it won't clog up your pores) and contains teprenone (known for its anti-redness and anti-ageing powers) to help strengthen the skin barrier to prevent any redness flare-ups.
It was oily, without being greasy, and did rehydrate my skin. Its anti-redness powers weren't instant (it took a few days of constant usage) but it did calm my more sensitive areas. My one bugbear? It's only 15mls for some reason, meaning I went through this far too quickly. Overall, this is nice but I still prefer my fave REN Clean Skincare Evercalm Redness Relief Serum.
Medik8 Hydr8 B5™ Intense Supercharged Multi-Weight Hyaluronic Acid Serum with NMF, £59
I followed up whichever serum I was using with this thirst-quenching number. It's one of the most lightweight hyaluronic acid serums I've ever used, so those with oilier skins' will be fans, however, it didn't leave my skin quite as plumped as previous ones I've tried. I also think hyaluronic acid is one you can budget-buy and still get results, so this is more than I'd usually spend on this ingredient if I'm honest. Did it leave my skin hydrated and dewy though? 100%.
Medik8 Advanced Night Restore™ Rejuvenating Multi-Ceramide Night Cream, £59
Last but not least, a night cream. This is jam-packed with ceramides to help skin recover overnight from any damage you've caused during the day. I was surprised by the light cream texture of this that my skin drank up speedily. It did a great job at hydrating my dry areas, without causing an oil overspill on my t-zone. My skin felt hydrated when I woke up without feeling greasy, but those with seriously dry skin might need something a tad more intense.
My Medik8 review
Total cost of routine: £399
I was so impressed with how well my entire routine of products layered with each other, leaving no pilling in sight. My stand-out product was the Medik8 Crystal Retinal® for how gentle yet effective it was, with the Clarity Peptides 10% Niacinamide-Infused Peptide Serum coming in a close second for how much it sped up any breakout phases.
It's worth noting that most clinical trials for skincare take up to six weeks, but results should start to appear after a month. If this was my skin after just four weeks, count me in.
It was glowing, spot-free and looked more hydrated and healthier overall. You can start to see some post-acne scarring disappearing, which is a great sign, too.
Pricing-wise, this isn't cheap. Weirdly, I think some things are very good value for money (like the Medik8 Crystal Retinal), whereas I reckon I could find a cheaper alternative (AKA, the Hydr8 B5™ serum). I might not stick to a Medik8-exclusive routine in the future but I do think they'll products will have a firm place in my routine. If you're looking for an effective routine that delivers and you don't have a budget, I would shop Medik8 till I drop.
Out of all the categories that land on my desk, a new skincare product elicits the most excitement from me. It might be the 90s baby in me being exposed to one too many 'miracle skincare' teleshopping ads, but there's just something about a serum promising to fix all my skincare woes that gets me every time. Spoiler: They don't exist, but that doesn't stop me from slathering every one of them on my face. The point is, I want to try everything, so – like my dating life – being exclusive to one skincare brand sends a shiver down my spine. In the spirit of beauty journalism – and facing my commitment-phobe fears – I did just that and swapped my entire skincare routine out for a Medik8-only one.
Why Medik8 you might ask? Well, it's one of the rare brands that is loved by both skincare experts and social media, and I (ashamedly) hadn't tried much else from the range other than its famous Crystal Retinal Serum, so I decided that if I was going to marry one skincare brand it might as well be one that delivers results.
It has an impressive range of products too, which meant that I'd probably find every type of product or ingredient that features in my skincare routine anyway (I'm not looking to totally overhaul everything here). As I was starting from scratch, I took the brand's regime builder test.
Like a 'Which Sex and the City character are you' quiz, I answered a series of questions based on my skin type and goals and got emailed my Medik8 routine. It's not exactly as sophisticated as a skin subscription service but it did the trick. Next up, I stuck to the entire routine for a month and documented the whole thing to see if Medik8 really lived up to the hype.
Here's a breakdown of the products I tried and tested, plus my overall review of my MOM (month of Medik8).
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