I swapped my boring retinol for Medik8 Crystal Retinal 3 for a month. No breaks. No buffer BS.
My skin peeled exactly once (day 4, around my mouth — looked like a lizard). Then it just… worked. Faster than any retinol I’ve used in 10 years.
It’s retinaldehyde — one step closer to prescription tretinoin than retinol. £42 for 30ml. The claim that made me try it: “visible results in 7 days.” I rolled my eyes. Then I saw it.
Encapsulated Retinal
Stays stable until it hits your skin. No weird orange tint by week three.
Vitamin E + Hyaluronic Acid
Kept my face from looking like a dried apricot. Genuinely hydrating.
Triple-Action Delivery
Absorbs in 12 seconds flat. No waiting 20 minutes to moisturise.
Photo: Alexandra Tran / Unsplash
No fluff. Four ingredients doing the heavy lifting. The rest is just delivery system.
- Retinaldehyde: 3x faster than retinol at skin turnover
- Vitamin E: Calms the purge before it starts
- Hyaluronic Acid: Plumps so fine lines look softer
- Glycerin: Keeps barrier intact so you can use it nightly
Photo: Alexandra Tran / Unsplash
Texture is a thin gel-cream. Spreads like butter left out too long. Sinks in before you finish your other hand. First week: tingling. Not burning — just a polite reminder something’s happening.
Week 2 my chin broke out in tiny bumps. Almost quit. Week 3 they were gone and my skin looked like I’d slept 10 hours. The unexpected part? My dark circles looked lighter. Nobody talks about that.
Photo: Soheil Kmp / Unsplash
Fine lines around my eyes? Noticeably softer by day 18. The deep one between my brows? Still there but less angry. Acne scars faded about 40%. New breakouts? Zero from week 3 onward.
Photo: Element5 Digital / Unsplash
It’s not magic. It’s just retinal actually doing what retinol promises. I’ll buy the next strength up.