Founded in 2009 by UK scientist Elliot Isaacs, Medik8 is an award-winning, age-defying skincare brand. Borne from years of clinical and consumer research, Elliot embarked upon a unique mission to deliver one simple customer promise: results without compromise.
After completing his university degree in physiology and pharmacology, Elliot’s vision for a skincare brand started when backpacking around Asia for 4 years. Long inspired by The Body Shop founder, Anita Roddick, he, too, wanted to build a consumer business from scratch based on ethical and fair trade, but utilise the power of science.
Upon returning home, Elliot delved into the skincare landscape and discovered a market ripe for disruption. He recalls “I saw the gap for a brand that had the consumer appeal of existing luxury products but that prioritised ethics and sustainability without sacrificing efficacy."
Elliot spent months in the British Library looking for peer-reviewed evidence in dermatological journals, and then experimenting with formulas at the back of his father’s pharmacy (lovingly known as ‘The Shed’) just outside London, UK. All the empirical evidence pointed to just 3 key ingredients for the vast amount of proven efficacy: vitamin C, sunscreen and vitamin A (aka retinoids). Medik8’s ‘CSA PhilosophyⓇ’ (vitamin C plus sunscreen by day, vitamin A by night) was born - still the brand’s core philosophy today.
From ‘The Shed’, Elliot developed the first ever Medik8 product, Retinol 3TRTM. He crafted a unique waterless formula that solved the usual stability and irritation pain points of other retinoids. It was an immediate success with customers queuing round the block to try it. Next came C-TetraⓇ , his first waterless vitamin C serum, and then an efficacious SPF 30 sunscreen that simply felt like a beautiful moisturiser. This completed the first CSA regime.
The brand started to gain industry traction - being sold exclusively through professional medispas and clinics. Elliot knew he needed a full time team of scientists in-house to take his ideas and Medik8 to the next level. In 2011, Elliot invited his brother and talented chemist, Daniel Isaacs, to join him as Chief Product Officer, tasked with building the capabilities for research, development and manufacture all in-house.
In 2018, the brothers formulated Crystal Retinal from Medik8’s own labs just outside London. A skincare first; awarded a global patent for stabilising vitamin A, retinaldehyde, into a remarkable age-defying skincare serum with a unique ladder of strengths. A global bestseller for a reason - this icon is the UK’s No 1 dermatological face serum* and continues to deliver age-defying results for millions of customers globally today.
Further incredible innovations garnered a mass cult following. From Advanced Night Restore, the ceramide-rich signature night cream for skin firming and plumping to Liquid Peptides, the 30% multi-peptide powered serum to address stubborn wrinkles - the range has dermatologist recommended products that truly get results.
Results were never at the expense of the planet though. Elliot always had ethical and environmental concerns at the very heart of the brand. Awarded B Corp status in 2023, the notion of ‘results without compromise’ remains the brand’s guiding principle.
Today, Elliot helps steer the 300+ employee company from the board level, with Daniel as Chief Product Officer leading all technological advancements. Daniel's in-house research team of 20+ experts operates from Medik8's state-of-the-art Innovation Centre. Their ongoing collaborations with universities and dermatologists ensure a robust innovation pipeline, promising more groundbreaking Medik8 firsts on the horizon.
**Proven via independent study on a Medik8 CSA regime, on 24 participants over 6 months.