Medik8. Here’s a brand that I came to know and instantly related to their branding, their mission and their marketing. Also, the name is sort of pun-ny, so obviously they started off on the right foot with me.
Founded by a scientist who strongly believes in the CSA philosophy (vitamin C and sunscreen by day, vitamin A by night), Medik8 makes it a point to state that while they agree with the clean movement’s values of natural ingredients and sustainability, they don’t want to deviate from the proven results that scientific studies have been able to provide. So we are both in agreement when it comes to this: all for being sustainable, as long as we are doing something that works. Otherwise, what’s the point?
Needless to say, I had high expectations for this brand.
Hydr8 B5 Liquid Rehydration Serum (30ml – 58€)
I’ve used a travel version of this serum before, and like I mentioned in that post, hyaluronic acid is so common now in so many formulations that I don’t think spending too much money on a serum for that ingredient exclusively makes a lot of sense. This does contain panthenol (aka vitamin B5) which is hydrating and soothing, but for a product that just has these two ingredients to boast about, it’s absurdly expensive.
The texture is nice, very watery and easy to spread, and it does leave skin softer and more hydrated. I just think there are other less expensive options that do the same, and Medik8 has other products in their repertoire that are more worth the money.
Hydr8 B5 Liquid Rehydration Serum Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Calcium Pantothenate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid.
Hydr8 B5 Intense Serum (8ml – 21€)
Here’s a better hyaluronic acid option, in my opinion. It is more expensive than the simple Hydr8 B5, but I believe the price difference is worth it. Beyond having the same star ingredients as the previous formula, it contains a lot of other NMFs (natural moisturising factors – like urea, diglycerin, arginine, etc) and their main function is to help skin bind water. So this is the serum to keep you hydrated. Great hydrators, and no sketchy ingredients that are fillers or potential skin irritators.
Texture wise, it’s a thick serum. It’s not oily nor creamy, it’s more like a fatty water. Still easy to apply and spread, but I do have a tendency to use more of it than with the typical, very liquid-y, hyaluronic acid serums. Curiously enough, it’s also purple. I’m not aware of any colour additives in the formula, so I don’t know which ingredient gives it that purple hue – maybe it’s the black carrot juice. Kind of fun, though.
Hydr8 B5 Liquid Rehydration Serum Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Panthenol, Glyceryl Glucoside, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Sodium PCA, Amelanchier Alnifolia (Saskatoon) Fruit Extract, Urea, Calcium Pantothenate, Trehalose, Taurine, Creatine, Diglycerin, Acetyl Glucosamine, Daucus Carota Sativa (Black Carrot) Juice, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Seed Extract, Lysine HCL, Alanine, Arginine, Histidine HCL, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Phenoxyethanol, Serine, Allantoin, Proline, Lactic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Lysine, PCA, Sorbitol, Glutamic Acid, Threonine, Valine, Leucine, Glycine, Isoleucine, Phenylalanine, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid.
Pore Refining Scrub (75ml – 42€)
The Pore Refining Scrub feels like a thick cream with a lot of fine grainy particles. I found it interesting that they make it a point to say it’s “100% Microbead-Free”. But don’t be fooled by that claim, this is as much a physical exfoliator as it is a chemical one. The jojoba esters are likely the little grains I feel – it’s better than coffee or rice particles for exfoliation, but they can still be too rough for the skin so make sure you don’t rub too fiercely.
There are a lot of good ingredients here. The one I have seems to have an outdated ingredients list, so Medik8 must have updated their formula in the meanwhile, but a lot of it is the same, just on a different order. My version contains salicylic acid, which is a great anti-acne ingredient and great to clean out pores, so I don’t know why they decided to remove it from the newer formula – maybe so it wouldn’t be so drying on the skin, since it already contains kaolin (clay), which is a sebum absorbent. Both versions contain niacinamide, which is a superstar ingredient, and some anti-microbial and soothing ingredients. It’s a well balanced scrub. It contains very little fragrant ingredients (tangerine peel oil and limonene), and considering this product doesn’t stay on the skin too long, there’s not much of a risk of sensitising it.
Pore Refining Scrub Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Diatomaceous Earth, Jojoba Esters, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Behenyl Alcohol, Niacinamide, Kaolin, Salicylic Acid, Dicaprylyl Ether, Mandelic Acid, Stearic Acid, Sucrose Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Glycol Distearate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Dimethicone, Citrus Reticulata (Tangerine) Peel Oil, Carbomer, Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Passiflora Incarnata (Passionflower) Flower Extract, Xanthan Gum, Phenethyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Allantoin, Potassium Sorbate, Caprylyl Glycol, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Water, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Alcohol, Phytic Acid, Limonene, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate.
C-Tetra Serum (8ml – 14€)
C-Tetra is Medik8’s original vitamin C serum. It’s an oily serum, but a surprisingly nice one to use, because it dries down on the skin super fast without leaving a sticky or heavy feeling behind. It’s easy to spread but because it dries so fast, I find myself applying 8 to 9 drops to cover my whole face, so I go through this product pretty quickly. Using that amount hasn’t caused any sensitivity nor burning sensation on my skin, which can happen with strong formulations of vitamin C serums/creams. After a couple of times of using it my husband commented on how good and bright my skin looked, so I know it works.
The ingredients list is a bittersweet one. There is a nice, emollient oil that is the base of this serum (jojoba oil) and then you have Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, which is the vitamin C in this product that is going to do everything vitamin C does well: brighten the complexion, fade hyperpigmentation, and serve as an antioxidant. The problem is the amount of potentially irritant fragrant ingredients this also contains: grapefruit peel oil, limonene, citral, linalool and geraniol. And they are at the end of the list but there are also too many for me to give it a pass. Very disappointing.
C-Tetra Liquid Vitamin C Radiance Serum Ingredients: Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, PPG-12/SMDI Copolymer, Limonene, Citral, Linalool, Geraniol.
C-Tetra Luxe Serum (8ml – 19€)
The C-Tetra Luxe is supposed to be the intense version of the C-Tetra serum. The texture and user experience is exactly the same – without the label I wouldn’t be able to tell them apart. Yet, based on the ingredients, this is the serum I prefer, even with the higher price tag.
Beyond the jojoba oil and the vitamin C that C-Tetra also contains, there are a lot of other great ingredients: squalane, and a quite a lot of emollient, skin-softening oils (passion fruit, olive, sunflower, apricot and sweet almond oil). Unfortunately, this also has the same irritable, unnecessary fragrant components: grapefuit peel oil, limonene, citral, linalool and geraniol. Boo.
C-Tetra Luxe Liquid Vitamin C Enhanced Radiance Serum Ingredients: Squalane, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Dimethicone, Candida Bombicola/Glucose/Methyl Rapeseedate Ferment, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Ethyl Linoleate, Passiflora Edulis (Passion Fruit) Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Panax Ginseng Root Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, PPG-12/SMDI Copolymer, Limonene, Citral, Linalool, Geraniol.
Intelligent Retinol 3TR Serum (15ml – 48€)
Being currently pregnant has made me put retinol use on hold. Still, I have tried it, and although I can’t report on the long term use effects, I can talk about the texture and user experience. Like the vitamin C serums, it’s a pleasant to use oil, that dries down quickly without feeling heavy. I was surprised I enjoyed this since I wasn’t a fan of The Ordinary’s retinol serum because the oily feeling felt too occlusive (both of them have squalane as their base oil).
The ingredients list is simple but effective. Squalane is a great ingredient to pair with retinol because it’s a great, stable emollient that can really moisturise the skin. Then there is safflower seed oil, which is a nourishing fatty acid that also serves as an antioxidant, and vitamin E (Tocopheryl Acetate). And of course, it contains retinol, a great cell-communicating ingredient with proven efficacy in its anti-aging properties. And, there are no icky ingredients that serve no purpose other than smell good.
Intelligent Retinol 3TR Serum Ingredients: Squalane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Dimethicone, PPG-12/SMDI Copolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinol, Climbazole, Pogostemon Cablin (Patchouli) Leaf Oil, Decylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, 1,2-Hexanediol, BHT, Lecithin.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I like the brand, but I’m not over the moon with it. The price point is near luxury, in my opinion, but I like the simple and unisex marketing, the good quality packaging (I always prefer glass packaging to plastic) and in general the formulas are good. My main issue was with the vitamin C serums.
The vitamin C serums seem to deviate from their respect of ingredients and fall into that marketing ply that a vitamin C product must smell like oranges otherwise people won’t believe it works. They do brighten my complexion, and I haven’t felt any irritation from those serums, so I will continue to use them happily – but my skin is also pretty resilient, so I don’t know how someone with sensitive skin would get along with these.
Despite that, I’m comfortable recommending this brand if there is something in their line that piques your interest or seems like it’ll make sense for you. Most formulas are solid, and I’m actually curious to try other products from them (maybe a sunscreen next time?) – but I’ll wait for a discount before I splurge.
