Original vs Intelligent Retinol

TRIED AND TESTED

One of the most well-known and well-researched ingredients in skincare, retinol is tried and tested and hailed as the gold standard for anti-ageing results. We will never use retinol esters (such as retinol palmitate), simply because we just don’t believe that they work.

As with all good things, there are downsides. Retinol has its issues. When delivered too quickly it can overwhelm the skin, causing irritation such as stinging, dryness and redness. Another problem we face when formulating with retinol is that it’s extremely unstable. Once it oxidises, it becomes useless. Retinol is sensitive to oxygen, heat and light. Many other brands just accept these downfalls as a side effect of using retinol. But not at Medik8.

OUR ORIGINAL RETINOLS

We are not like most skincare brands. At Medik8, innovation is at our core and we did not rest until we found the solution to retinol’s problems. To begin with, we developed Retinol 3TR™: a formula so intelligent that it overcomes retinol’s traditional issues and gives you next-level vitamin A results, without compromise. Our original vitamin A serum has an intelligent formula using 2 key factors which side-step all of the issues surrounding retinol, and provide you with real results you can see.

Firstly, we use Time Release Technology™, which slowly and consistently releases retinol into the skin over time. We use technology called polymer reservoirs, which act like a dam within the skin, controlling the delivery of retinol. This helps to minimise any irritation associated with the vitamin A. We also recommend introducing vitamin A slowly into your routine with the retinol ladder which prevents overwhelming the skin, so you can get all the benefits of retinol, without the irritation.

Secondly, our serums are based on nourishing safflower oil. This not only cares for the skin with moisturising emollients, but also keeps temperamental retinol away from water. Water can accelerate the oxidation process, so our water-free formulations help to protect the retinol. We believe we were the first brand to introduce a water-free retinol serum. Oxygen is another arch nemesis of retinol. For this reason, we manufacture our retinol serums in a chamber filled with nitrogen, with no oxygen in sight. This protects retinol from the damaging effects of oxidation, and gives us the ultimate confidence in its stability over time.

Our serums contain antioxidants which protect the retinol from damaging free radicals. Finally, all of our retinol serums are produced in dark, specialist amber bottles, which helps stop light from destabilising the potent active ingredient. We use a rigorous testing process called HPLC to prove that there is as sufficient retinol in our formula after 12 months, as when we started.

OUR INTELLIGENT RETINOLS

Ever the innovators, we’ve developed supercharged versions of our cult retinol serums to satiate the appetites of our loyal customers - we call these our Intelligent Retinols. Intelligent Retinol TR features a revolutionary retinol booster, climbazole. This ingredient bolsters the anti-ageing power of retinol, without increasing its potential to irritate the skin. Not only that, but we’ve based these formulas on hydrating squalane to nourish and replenish skin in need of a little added moisture.

With all of our retinol serums featuring innovative manufacturing methods and interesting developments, you can be sure that you are getting the absolute best of the best vitamin A. Why settle for anything else when you can have Medik8?