Experts in Vitamin A

THE GOLD-STANDARD IN SKINCARE

Vitamin A is able to visibly smooth the texture of skin and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Vitamin A can help to support natural exfoliation to leave skin looking smooth and evenly-toned. This helps to unclog any blocked pores, resulting in a visibly flawless complexion. Vitamin A also targets the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, while helping to promote brighter, more radiant skin.

The side effects of retinol are often associated with too much of the active being delivered too quickly. To counteract this, Medik8 developed a unique Time Release (TR™) delivery system. All of Medik8’s vitamin A serums use the active encapsulated in a micro-fluid or polymer shell. As the serum is rubbed into the skin, the encapsulation breaks down and the vitamin A is slowly delivered into the skin, for minimal irritation potential. This ensures that skin benefits are received slowly over a prolonged period of time.

At Medik8, we also recommend that retinol and retinal application be phased in gradually. We have developed a guide that allows the skin to get used to the ingredient (see diagram below).

Medik8 has a range of vitamin A products to suit every skin type and need. We don’t use traditional retinyl esters (eg retinyl palmitate) because they are known to be very weak and poorly absorbed by the skin. Instead, we focus all our attention on forms of vitamin A that are scientifically proven to provide great results.

You can be confident that our entry-level vitamin A is better than many competitors’ highest level.

RETINOL

The classic form of vitamin A. Tried and trusted in numerous dermatological journals, retinol is the form of vitamin A that makes the headlines. When retinol is applied to the skin, it undergoes two conversions. First, it is converted to retinaldehyde and then to retinoic acid. Retinoic acid is the active form of vitamin A; the form that can actually be utilised by the skin. It helps support natural exfoliation, targets visible signs of aging, and promotes a brighter looking complexion. We have a comprehensive retinol product collection, ranging from Night Ritual Vitamin A™ (0.2%) for absolute beginners, to maximum strength Intelligent Retinol 10TR™ for experienced vitamin A users. We recommend our Intelligent Retinols first and foremost as they contain climbazole, an ingredient able to supercharge the powers of retinol, enhancing its effects on the skin.

RETINALDEHYDE

With innovation at our core, we just weren’t quite satisfied with our range of intelligent retinol serums. We decided to take vitamin A to the next level and introduce retinaldehyde – a next generation vitamin A molecule which is one step closer to retinoic acid than retinol. Delivering results up to 11 times faster than classic forms of retinol in Crystal Retinal™,¹ retinaldehyde smoothes the texture of skin and visibly reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Delivered in a crystal encapsulation system, the active is time released throughout the night. This means retinaldehyde is just as gentle on the skin as retinol, but has effects similar to prescription-strength retinoic acid. Unlike other forms of Vitamin A, retinaldehyde contains powerful properties which allows it to promote a healthy, decongested complexion. Available in four different strengths, start with Crystal Retinal 3™ to get your skin used to the new vitamin A, using our phase in approach, and then move up to Crystal Retinal 6™ and ultimately Crystal Retinal 10™ if you wish to when your skin is ready. For sensitive skin, we also have gentle-strength Crystal Retinal 1™.

RETINYL RETINOATE

A true breakthrough in skincare, this innovative active was the result of 8 years of research in collaboration with a Korean superlab. Retinyl retinoate is a hybrid molecule which fuses retinol and retinoic acid. Patented worldwide and exclusive to Medik8, this encapsulated new molecule exhibits properties of both source ingredients; improving the activity of retinol while remaining gentle on the skin. Found in Retinoate®, it visibly reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, evens skin tone, and smooths uneven skin texture. The performance of this unique hybrid molecule has been demonstrated in multiple studies including a clinical trial published in the highly esteemed British Journal of Dermatology.² Plus, unlike many other vitamin A derivatives, retinyl retinoate is much more stable in sunlight, meaning remarkably it can be used day and night for accelerated results. Coming soon stateside, watch this space for updates.

¹ G. Seigenthaler et al., Biochemical Journal, 1990, 268, pp 371-378
² Kim et al., Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, 20018, 16, pp 6387-6393

To find out more about Vitamin A, read our guide here.