If you’ve been dreaming of glowing, age-defying skin, now’s the perfect time to indulge in Medik8’s cult-favourite skincare range . Known for its science-backed formulations and A-list fan base – including the likes of Victoria Beckham, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, and Hailey Bieber – the science-backed skincare brand is offering 25% off sitewide until November 29 .
As well as the discount, customers can benefit from a range of additional deals – and it could pay to spend that little bit extra. That’s because the retailer is offering free shipping on orders over £25 , saving money on postage. Anyone who spends more than £100 will earn themselves a free cleanser, worth £25, while those who splurge £150 will bag both the free cleanser and a £45 serum . That’s £70 worth of free products, which is pretty impressive.
But where to start? Particularly if you’re not overly familiar with the brand, it can be tricky to know where to begin looking when it comes to shopping the sale. So we’ve pulled together a list of celebrity favourites and beauty editor-approved picks to give you a head start on your Christmas shopping or skincare shake-up.
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From hydration heroes like Hydr8 B5 Intense to cutting-edge anti-ageing treatments like r-Retinoate Day & Night , here’s what we recommend shopping in the Medik8 Black Friday sale.
Medik8 Crystal Retinal is loved by This Morning’s Nadine Baggott – from £33.75
This Morning beauty expert Nadine Baggott celebrated her 60th birthday this year and says her age-defying complexion is mostly down to the award-winning Medik8 Crystal Retinal . The powerhouse Vitamin A product is said to provide ‘clinically proven wrinkle reduction with just one tube’, with users noting an improvement in texture, brightness, firmness and clarity.
Perfect for those with perimenopausal skin around the age of 45+, the formula comes in ‘stages’, starting with 1, moving up in potency to CR3, 6, 10 and 20. Users are recommended to use the products a couple of times a week to build a tolerance before using daily, moving up through the strengths until they are able to use number 20 on a regular basis. Nadine uses the highest strength Crystal Retinal daily .
The columnist and YouTuber said: “Retinal is the strongest form of Vitamin A you can get on the market prior to prescription skincare and my favourite is this one from Medik8 . I always have a 10 and 20 on the go all the time. Vitamin A is like your skin’s cheerleader and helps your skin repair at night. It boosts collagen production and elastin production, boosts hydration and stops the clumping of pigment, which causes age spots and brightens the skin, too.
“It smells of almonds, and that marzipan kind of smell now kind of lulls me to sleep. It has an iconic orange colour and it’s my perfect gel cream texture.” The only downside is that, because of the product’s orange hue, it can transfer onto fabric, with Nadine adding: “The only reason you know I’m an addict is that it does make your pillowcases yellow.”
As well as the retinal, which effectively targets the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, uneven skin texture and loss of firmness, the Medik8 product is also packed with hydration hero hyaluronic acid to leave the skin feeling supple, while vitamin E works to protect against the ageing effects and glycerine locks in moisture.
A tube of the CR1 starts at £45 , with each higher strength increasing in price, with CR20 coming in at £99 . But if that’s out of your beauty budget, Nadine suggests The Ordinary has a 0.2% which she said ‘is the equivalent of Medik8 20 for a fraction of the price’. She added: “More budget products tend to be in a less luxurious base, so if you’re going to use a budget product, I recommend creating a retinal sandwich, so put a moisturiser or serum on first, then your retinal and moisturiser on top because it just helps buffer it into the skin and is more hydrating.”
Georgia Toffolo says the Medik8 C-Tetra Serum is the ‘best’ – was £39, now £29.25
Made in Chelsea star Georgia Toffolo has often been open and honest about her skin struggles. The TV personality has battled with acne since she was 13, even getting a medical exemption to wear foundation while filming I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here.
One product she loves is Medik8’s £39 C-Tetra Serum, which she discovered while browsing in Space NK. “Even the name sounds like it will do some serious things to your skin,” she told The Mirror. “I really love Medik8 and their C-Tetra serum is the best one that I’ve tried.”
Medik8 is known for its potent formulations, and this particular serum boasts 7% potency. It is suitable for sensitive skin and works to brighten uneven skin tone while reducing the appearance of dark spots, fine lines, and wrinkles. It boasts a 4.8 star rating on the Medik8 website, with shoppers praising it for its glow-giving ability.
One said: “Most of my friends say I have great skin and look 10 years younger than my actual age.” With another commenting: “Very nice treatment in the morning, also a good base for makeup, makes my skin glow.”
Another, not quite as satisfied, commented: “I received this serum as my birthday gift. Usually, I prefer lighter vitamin C serums that absorb into the skin. However, I find that this one feels a little more oily and takes a while to absorb in my skin. It does give my skin a glow, but I don’t prefer it to other serums I have tried or used.”
Meanwhile, another user couldn’t stop praising: “I’ve been using this each morning with the daily moisturiser and wow, what a difference it’s made to my skin. It’s so soft and plump. It looks brighter and firmer too. I wait until it’s fully dry before applying the moisturiser afterwards and then wait a good while before applying makeup and it works well for me. Really pleased with this purchase.”
If you’re looking for something that packs even more of a punch, the brand’s C-Tetra Luxe serum features twice the amount of vitamin C (14%) than the original C-Tetra serum. This makes it ideal for those looking for enhanced skin radiance and antioxidant protection alongside deep nourishment.
Hailey Bieber has been known to use Medik8’s r-Retinoate Day & Night
Hailey Bieber is a long-time client of Australian facialist and skincare expert, Melanie Grant, who posted on social media back in 2019 to give a run down of the products in Hailey’s skincare routine. Among them was the Medik8’s r-Retinoate Day & Night – a youth-boosting Vitamin A serum which is designed to deliver visible brightening, revitalising and smoothing results while remaining gentle.
The product features a Medik8-exclusive encapsulated retinyl retinoate, which is proven to be eight times more powerful than standard retinol when it comes to delivering age-defying benefits. It also contains stabilised vitamin C and hyaluronic acid for which work together to improve skin tone, texture and radiance.
Usually £149, the serum is reduced to £111.75 for Black Friday, and has a 4.7 star rating from shoppers. One said: “This is great if you want to reduce the number of products you’re using. It’s a high price tag but this product replaces 3 other products in my existing routine so actually works out cheaper!”
Another added: “This product is expensive, but it is amazing. It glides on your skin, quickly absorbs and then works its magic . I have been using it for a while now and wouldn’t be without it.”
One knocked off a star due to the scent, adding: “I like the product and the results you see; however, my only dislike is the smell… I rather prefer the smell of the “normal” day and night creams.”
What are our product picks from Medik8?
It’s not just celebrities who have been raving about Medik8 – our beauty editors swear by their science-backed formulas too. Zoe Cripps raves about the Hydr8 B5 Intense around the office, hailing it as ‘the hydration hero you need’. Now, it’s down to £44.25, instead of £59, so what better time to give it a try.
Zoe said: “If your skin is like mine and sometimes just drinks up moisture like a sponge, you’ll love Hydr8 B5 Intense . This serum has been a game-changer, especially during those colder months when my skin feels extra dry. Packed with different weights of hyaluronic acid (to hydrate at multiple layers of the skin) plus vitamin B5, it makes my skin feel instantly plump and super soft.
“What I love about it is how long-lasting it is. So many hyaluronic acid serums give you that quick hydration hit, only to vanish a few hours later. Not this one—it keeps my skin looking dewy all day, without any sticky or tacky feel. It’s a dream under make-up or even on its own for WFH days when I don’t need to see anyone other than the ASOS delivery man.”
Another hero product is Medik8’s Liquid Peptides 30% Complex Multi-Peptide Age-Defying Serum. Cosmetic professional Dr Ewoma Ukeleghe ‘swears’ by the product and vouches for its impressive age-reversing effects, raving: “[It’s] literally Botox in a bottle. I’ve been using liquid peptides on and off for over a year and I visibly notice a difference in hydration but also the firmness of my skin.”
It has a £55 price tag, currently reduced to £41.25, and is packed with a potent blend of at least 10 different peptides. The remarkable Medik8 Liquid Peptides 30% Complex Multi-Peptide Age-Defying Serum claims to not just reduce but also help prevent the future onset of fine lines and wrinkles, leaving you with a rejuvenated and youthful glow.
According to the Medik8 website, you should begin to see impressive results and the effects of its Liquid Peptides 30% Complex Multi-Peptide Age-Defying Serum in seven days. And in a matter of four weeks, skincare enthusiasts are likely to see their wrinkles taking a backseat and their skin exuding luminosity and youth.
What other Black Friday beauty deals are available?
Elsewhere, Charlotte Tilbury has launched several early Black Friday deals, including a discount on its beloved Dewy Pretty Blushed Cheeks Kit. The set contains two of the brand’s best-selling products: the viral Hollywood Flawless Filter and a Cheek to Chic blush. Plus, Stacey Solomon’s co-owned brand Rehab is offering up to 50% off its hair care heroes, a free mini brush, and a trial of its popular hair oil capsules with every order.
Or, if it’s beauty gifts you’re after, Boots has launched a selection of Star Gifts, from the Liz Earle Glowing Hydrating Routine 4 Full-Size Piece Gift Set , worth £93 but down to £38, containing four full-sized skincare heroes, to the MAC Go For Gold Golden Heroes set , which slashes £55 off a selection of the brand’s most popular products. Retailing at £39, it contains four full-sized favourites worth £94 – but as part of the deal, they work out at £9.75 each.
