I put Medik8’s High-Dose Retinal on my face and woke up with skin that felt like a sunburn I didn’t earn. Not cute — but also not the disaster I expected.
The real story: this stuff peels you like a potato in week one, then hands you glass skin by week three. Most retinols lie about the purge. This one tells you upfront.
It’s retinaldehyde — one conversion step away from prescription tretinoin. $68 for 30ml. The claim that got me: “prescription-level results, no script.” Bold. Stupid. I bought it.
0.1% Retinaldehyde
Strong enough to work, weak enough to not nuke your face entirely.
Triple-Action Delivery
Oil-soluble formula that sinks in 30 seconds — no greasy film.
Vitamin E + Squalane
Actually buffers the sting so you don’t cry into your pillow.
Photo: Viktoriia Muzyka / Unsplash
This isn’t a cocktail party of filler extracts. Four ingredients do the heavy lifting, and they don’t need friends.
- Retinaldehyde: Converts to retinoic acid faster than retinol ever could
- Vitamin E: Stops the redness from turning into full-on rage
- Squalane: Makes the peel less aggressive than it has any right to be
- Peptides: They’re here for the long game — collagen support, not instant drama
Photo: Rosa Rafael / Unsplash
Texture: think thin, silky oil that disappears. No tackiness. No pilling under moisturizer. But day three? My chin shed like a snake. Not cute.
Week two: the peeling stopped. My pores looked smaller — not tighter, actually *smaller*. The weird part? My skin felt thicker. Like it grew armor.
Photo: Sonia Roselli / Unsplash
Fine lines on my forehead? Softened. The texture around my nose? Smoother. But my dark circles stayed exactly the same — this isn’t a magic eraser.
It’s the retinol for people who want results and don’t mind a little suffering. Just prep your moisturizer and don’t quit at the peel.