Is Medik8’s ‘magic’ eye cream as good as people claim it is? Fashion & Beauty Lead Shani Cohen puts it to the test to see what all the hype is about
When it comes to anti-ageing products, there’s no better brand than Medik8 (in my opinion), and while the products may be pricey, I don’t mind splashing out when they give me Botox-like results.
I’ve always been into skincare, however since turning 28 this year, I decided to invest in preventative products with the right ingredients to help with ageing – hopefully stalling my trip to the clinic. One area which I’ve been conscious about for a while now is my eye area, in particular my newly-formed crow’s feet and dark circles.
Having scrolled through hundreds of glowing reviews about Medik8’s ‘magic in a tube’ retinol eye cream, I decided to put it to the test to see what all the hype was about – and here are my honest thoughts.
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According to Medik8, it’s the world’s first clinically proven night-time eye cream containing retinal (not retinol) which works 11x faster than standard retinol to deliver remarkable visible results in just 1 use* – and there’s three progressive strengths to choose from; 3, 6 and 10.
To give the product a thorough test for you all, I started using the mid-strength 6 retinol eye cream around three months ago, gently dabbing a few dots under my eyes and rubbing it in, in an upwards direction to lift the skin – something I was taught to do by a skincare expert a few years back.
I followed Medik8’s guidelines, using the product twice a week for the first two weeks, every other night for the next two weeks and then eventually applying it every night. I was a little sceptical at first as I didn’t see any noticeable differences to my under-eye area, however after week three when my usage picked up, that’s when the results really kicked in.
After three months of use, my puffy morning eyes are no more and dark circles have definitely brightened up since adding this ‘magic’ cream to my daily routine. As for my lines, the skin around my eye area appears to be smoother and plumper, although they weren’t too noticeable to begin with.
Despite it looking quite scary on the skin at first, one of the best things about the serum is the lightweight, easily blendable formula that sinks into your skin within seconds, leaving no yellow cast in sight. I even wear it underneath my concealer as it smooths out the skin to stop makeup from cracking or flaking.
As well as containing a strong dose of retinal, the formula is made up of ceramides which work to mimic the natural liquid barrier to intensely replenish and nourish the complexion, hyaluronic acid to smooth the look of fine lines and wrinkles and chamomile, also known as bisabolol, a natural antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties which helps soothe and visibly calm delicate skin to ensure optimal comfort during use.
While some people may think using anti-ageing products at 28 is a little unnecessary, I’m all about investing in preventative skincare treatments which’ll not only save me time, but a whole lot of money in the long run. So, if you’re thinking about getting Botox for your eye area, I suggest putting this £55 serum to the test first.
If it’s your first time using a retinal-based product, I suggest starting with the strength 3 option and following Medik8’s usage guidance for progressive visible results.
Now I know Medik8 isn’t the cheapest, so if you’re on a slightly tighter budget another I eye serum I highly recommend for similar anti-ageing results is The Ordinary’s Multi-Peptide Eye Serum, priced at £19.90.
The Multi-Peptide Eye Serum is a water-based formula designed to target the appearance of common signs of aging around the eye area. This serum utilises multiple peptide technologies to help reduce the appearance of crow’s feet and under eye wrinkles, eye bags, puffiness, and dark circles, leaving the eye area looking brighter, smoother and less puffy.
