Medik8 r-Retinoate Youth Activating Cream Review

I’ve not come across Medik8 before, and if I’m honest the use of a numeral in the name made me think of cheaper supermarket branding, but I’ve been really intrigued to find out more about them. Boy, was I wrong.

Their philosophy revolves around high quality professional products, at the correct strengths, with a focus on an enhanced stability and freshness of all ingredients. Their website is full of scientific explanations about molecule size, concentration and how they minimise their impact on the environment. All great stuff, and all got me itching to give their r-Retinoate Youth Activating Cream a try.

The r-Retinoate is an innovative active ingredient that was developed with a Korean ‘superlab’ and has won the Korean’s President Award for Technology. But what exactly is it? It’s a blend of a synthetic retinol, retinyl retinoate, with vitamin E & vitamin C, hyaluronic acid and glycerin. Let’s dig deeper.

I’m going to start with my favourite skincare ingredient – hyaluronic acid. It’s amazing for pumping moisture into the skin, and in my limited opinion, the sweet holy queen of moisturising ingredients. Vitamins E & C are classic options for offering antioxidants and keeping free radicals away.They don’t sound as fancy as some of the others for sure, but classic can still be great. The glycerin provides a barrier to retain moisture, the perfect partner to that hyaluronic acid. Finally, the synthetic retinol. What is retinol and why do we want a different version of it?

Retinol is another word for vitamin A and has been seen in skincare for a long time now. It’s considered one of the very top ingredients in anti-ageing skincare to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. However retinol doesn’t come without side effects, and some find it irritates their skin, and it can cause sensitivity. This traditionally meant that all of these products were night creams, as light sensitivity is also increased. Strong suncare is always needed when using vitamin A on your face.

r-Retinoate claims to be 8x stronger than retinol, yet gentler on the skin, and even suitable for those with sensitive skin. Even more surprisingly, it’s for day and night use, which caught me off guard, to begin with. I’m a big believer in using day and night creams for different purposes, and it’s rare to find a cream now that is promoted for both. Interesting. Very Interesting.

I’ve been using the cream for just over a week now; both morning and night. I have rosacea on one cheek, so have been watching it closely to see if it reacts to it. I’ve found no negative reactions, but I can definitely feel a slight tingle all over when I apply it. It’s not unpleasant, but reminds us that these powerful creams do actually do something to our skins and we should be careful to follow instructions.

I wear factor 50 as a primer every day anyway (Velvet Face from Frezyderm). I still felt a little anxious about wearing a retinoid product out in the day time! So far so good though, so I’m trusting their science for now!

Medik8 r-Retinoate Youth Activating Cream comes in a 50ml size and costs £135, which isn’t cheap, certainly. However, I do believe you sometimes have to pay more for skincare if you really want to be using the best ingredients to get the best results. It can be ordered direct here.