If you take stock of your current skin care routine, you’ll likely notice a slew of different products from various brands, all banding together to help you achieve your skin goals. Ideally, we’d shop for our favorite hydrating cleanser, reparative serums, and nourishing moisturizers from one brand’s offerings. Unfortunately, you seldom come across a brand with impressive formulas that can deliver fascinating results across the board. This a mission I’ve been on for as long as I can remember, but my search started and stopped with one particular brand: Medik8.
Medik8’s Crystal Retinal collection was my first dance with the brand. Beloved by dermatologists, skin enthusiasts, and, well, beauty editors, Medik8 relies on clinical and consumer research to develop expertly formulated, science-backed at-home skin care that delivers results comparable to in-office visits. Each product is engineered by Medik8’s in-house chemists, resulting in a plethora of signature patented ingredients used across its most popular creations, including the Liquid Peptides, Super C Ferulic, and Crystal Retinal line, which is as close as you’ll get to prescription-grade retinol.
Our picks for the best Medik8 products of 2024
Everything you need for your full skin routine can be found within the brand, regardless of your skin type or skill level. Looking to boost radiance? The Press and Glow toner or Surface Radiance Cleanser can aid in brightening and smoothing skin. If incorporating vitamin A (retinal or retinol) in your routine has been top-of-mind lately, Medik8’s Crystal Retinal line offers six different strengths. Ahead, I perused my personal Medik8 stash and combed through customer reviews to map out a complete guide to the best Medik8 products of all time.
Vitamin A is a tricky ingredient to navigate. Too strong of a formula can wreak havoc on skin not primed for its formula, and too low a percentage makes for slow, barely noticeable results. Crystal Retinal expertly demonstrates the difference between retinal and retinol—the former is the more potent, fast-working version of vitamin A, while the latter is slower and more tolerable for most skin types. Because of this, Medik8’s Crystal Retinal line supplies the powerhouse ingredient in various strengths depending on skill level: 1, 3, 6, 10, 20, 24. Regardless of which one you choose, the formula is designed to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and firm and brighten the skin. Of course, a retinal-heavy routine needs cushion, so this formula packs hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin E to calm the skin.
Best for: All skin types
Key ingredients: Retinaldehyde
Size: 1 fl oz
Medik8 rating: 4.8/5 stars
An ELLE editor says: “My introduction to Medik8 was through its Crystal Retinal line. Confident in my already retinol-primed skin, I started at CR6 a few times a week and noticed the peeling effects almost immediately. So I decreased the intensity to the CR3 and found this to be my sweet spot. I still see my renewed skin peeking through the flakes, and my face looks more radiant and smoother.”—Nerisha Penrose, ELLE.com beauty commerce editor
Dullness and breakouts are no match for the enzyme-packed toner. While Medik8’s Press & Clear is an ELLE editor favorite, Press & Glow addresses loss of radiance and texture, resulting in clarified, brighter, and softer skin.
Best for: All skin types
Key ingredients: Acai extract, prickly pear extract, aloe, gluconolactone
Size: 6.7 fl oz
Medik8 rating: 4.9/5 stars
An ELLE editor says: “My morning skin routine isn’t complete without this gem. As someone with acne-prone skin, half my battle is trying to erase or fade dark spots and brighten my hyperpigmentation. The more I use this, the brighter my skin appears, and the smoother it feels. This in the AM and my CR3 in the PM has my skin looking amazing.”—Nerisha Penrose
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Peptides are all the rage in skin care right now because of their anti-aging benefits. This composition delivers a supercharged burst of peptides’ firming and plumping goodness—the main star being Matrixyl® 3000, a combination of peptides—to stave off fine lines, wrinkles, and loss of elasticity for as long as possible.
Best for: All skin types
Key ingredients: Matrixyl® 3000, hyaluronic acid
Size: 1 fl oz
Medik8 rating: 4.9/5 stars
An ELLE editor says: “I’m at the age where I’m investing in products to make me age healthily, instead of ones touted to keep me young forever. You see, I’m not averse to aging, but as someone battling insomnia, I understand it’s only a matter of time before my late-night scrolling catches up to me. Using this peptide serum is the antidote to my aging woes; powered by various types of peptides and hyaluronic acid, Liquid Peptides is basically my fountain of youth in a tiny bottle.”—Nerisha Penrose
Boosting radiance isn’t a job reserved for serums. The Surface Radiance Cleanse starts the job from step one, using a blend of AHAs and BHAs to gently resurface rough texture and uneven tone.
Best for: All skin types
Key ingredients: Mandelic acid, lactic acid, salicylic acid
Size: 5 fl oz
Medik8 rating: 4.8/5 stars
A Medik8 reviewer says: “This is the best face cleanser I have ever used. It leaves my skin feeling clean and clear without drying it out. You only need a small amount so the value for your money is really good. I recommend it to everyone!”
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Vitamin C works great alone, but even better with its handy sidekick, ferulic acid. The Super C Ferulic serum imparts its antioxidant benefits to brighten, firm, and even the skin.
Best for: All skin types
Key ingredients: L-Ascorbic Acid (vitamin C), ferulic acid, vitamin E, turmeric root extract
Size: 1 fl oz
Medik8 rating: 4.7/5 stars
An ELLE editor says: “Of all the vitamin C serums I’ve tried, I enjoy this one most because it’s non-sticky and lightweight. This formula keeps my skin bright and smooth. Read all about my experience here.”—Nerisha Penrose
After splashing your skin with Liquid Peptides, add an extra layer of nourishment with this face cream. Designed for use at any time during the day, the creamy texture is comprised of hyaluronic acid, peptides, and ceramides to deliver moisture and restore plumpness and bounciness.
Best for: All skin types
Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, peptides, ceramides, and lipids
Size: 1.6 fl oz
Medik8 rating: 4.9/5 stars
A Medik8 reviewer says: “You don’t often believe the advertising when you look at photos of models’s moisturized faces. But this is exactly the case when after the first week you are in the same place of this model with a moisturized face and skin that seems to breathe with its whole chest again!”
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The eyes are the most delicate part of our face, which means it needs a touch more care and attention as we ago. An extension of the Crystal Retinal line, this eye cream uses a similar formula to reduce the look of wrinkles and fine lines under the eye while calming the area.
Best for: All skin types
Key ingredients: Retinaldehyde, ceramides, hyaluronic acid, chamomile extract
Size: 0.5 fl oz
Medik8 rating: 4.8/5 stars
A Medik8 reviewer says: “I noticed a visible reduction in dark circles within a couple of weeks of using the product. The area around my eyes looks more radiant and even-toned.”
If you want to be confident that every trace of your makeup has dissolved, add this cleansing oil to your routine. As the safflower oil helps break down all dirt and makeup lodged in your pores, moringa extract and omega-6 provide nourishment to strengthen the skin throughout the process.
Best for: All skin types
Key ingredients: Safflower oil, moringa extract, oemga-6
Size: 4.7 fl oz
Medik8 rating: 4.9/5 stars
A Medik8 reviewer says: “Takes everything off without a trace. It takes off a full face of make up, SPF and mascara, and really helps to keep skin clear, too.”
Nerisha Penrose
Beauty Commerce Editor
Nerisha Penrose is the Beauty Commerce Editor at ELLE.com. Prior to joining the team, she was an Editorial Fellow at ELLE.com. In her current role, she helps lead coverage on makeup, skin care, hair, and fragrances. With over six years of experience in the world of beauty editorial, Nerisha enjoys delving deep into the complexities of fragrance notes, hunting for the best fixes for acne-prone skin, and advocating for daily sunscreen use. She regularly researches and tests the latest products, consults beauty professionals (including our Beauty Advisory Board) to determine the best expert-approved formulas to recommend, and conducts interviews with luminaries across the industry. Nerisha received her bachelor’s degree in Communication and Media Studies from Temple University before joining the editorial teams at Nylon and Billboard. In 2020, she co-launched our popular franchise The State of Black Beauty, an ongoing exploration of—and destination for—beauty at the intersection of Black culture.
