Retinol is loved by doctors, beauty bloggers and skincare enthusiasts the world over. It’s a widely accepted notion that nothing without prescription can improve the signs of photoaging quite like it. In fact, little else even comes close. That’s why it is commonly referred to as the gold standard in anti-aging. But retinol has its issues. When delivered at levels high enough to have a visible effect on skin, it can cause irritation in the form of stinging, redness and peeling. So the researchers at Medik8 decided to find a solution.
Time Release Technology
The side effects of retinol are often associated with the active being delivered too quickly and in too large a quantity. To counteract this, Medik8 has developed and patented a unique Time Release (TR™) delivery system. All of our TR serums feature retinol that has been encapsulated in a polymer shell. As the serum is mechanically rubbed into the skin, the encapsulation breaks down and the retinol is slowly released into the skin. This significantly minimizes the risk of irritation and ensures that skin benefits are received slowly over a prolonged period of time.
The Retinol Ladder
We also recommend that retinol application be phased in gradually. We have developed a ‘retinol ladder’ that allows the skin to adjust to the ingredient.
At first, start with a low-strength retinol twice a week for two weeks, then once every two nights for a further two weeks, and then nightly application. Once your skin has built-up a tolerance to the ingredient, you can then move on to higher-strength retinols. Medik8’s Retinol TR™ serum range comes in strengths from 0.1% to 1% retinol, so there is a vitamin A serum to suit every person, from retinol beginners to more experienced users.
The Future of Anti-Aging
Innovation is at our core, so even after we patented our signature Time Release Technology (TR™), we continued to develop our research into Vitamin A. A worthwhile mission, because just 8 years later, after copious amounts of clinical testing, we launched r-Retinoate.
A true breakthrough in the field of anti-ageing, this lightweight, fast-absorbing facial serum-cream bolstered the youth-renewing properties of retinol to unprecedented heights.
The unique formula harnesses the power of retinyl retinoate, a hybrid molecule that fuses retinol with another vitamin A derivative known as retinoic acid. Developed and patented by Medik8 researchers and Korean scientists, this encapsulated molecule exhibits properties of both ingredients, improving the anti-aging activity of retinol. Unlike many other vitamin A derivatives, it is 100% light stable, meaning it can be used day and night for accelerated results.
The Full Routine
For the best anti-ageing benefits, Medik8 recommends the combined use of vitamin C and sunscreen in the morning and vitamin A in the evening. These two ingredients act synergistically to yield much faster anti-ageing results.
