Time to tell you about these two serums from Medik8 which have become my favorite two products they makes. OXY-R PEPTIDES is a brightening serum for spots and discoloration. Details per Medik8:
Only available at Medik8 in a previously unattainable concentration of 1% oxyresveratrol, Oxy-R Peptides delivers clinically proven action on all skin tones for visibly brighter, more even skin with fewer dark spots and post-imperfection marks.
Unlike others, Medik8's patented, click-activated stabilization system ensures unmatched peptide potency for profound visible results - from the first drop until the very last.
Key Benefits
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Professional Strength Power on Dark Spots (1% oxyresveratrol) - Clinically proven to deliver profound yet gentle visible action on dark spots, discoloration and uneven skin tone.
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Proven Efficacy On All Skin Tones - Proven to be effective on all skin tones, including deeper skin tones where visible dark spots can be a more prevalent concern.**Proven via independent clinical & consumer studies on Oxy-R Peptides conducted on all skin tones (33% of our panels were FP 5-6 skin types)
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Effective Until The Last Drop - The formula is suspended in a unique preservation serum and split across 2 click-activated bottles to ensure optimal stability and power from activation until the final drop.
- Hydration Booster - This hydrating serum absorbs instantly and boasts a silky, non-greasy finish.
Key Ingredients
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1% Oxyresveratrol (Oxy-R) - Naturally derived from the mulberry family, oxyresveratrol (pronounced 'ox-ee-ress-vera-trol') is one of the most powerful skin-brightening agents available in skincare. It helps to prevent the formation of dark spots to transform the look of dull, uneven skin tones
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Tetrapeptide-30 - An illuminating peptide that helps to minimize the formation of visible dark spots.
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Acetyl Glycyl Beta-Alanine - Works to support a brighter, more even-looking complexion with less visible dark spots.
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Hyaluronic Acid - With a unique ability to attract and retain more than 1,000 times its own weight in water, hyaluronic acid draws moisture into the skin. This leaves the complexion visibly nourished and supple.
Science Behind The Formula
While exceptionally powerful in brightening the look of the skin, oxyresveratrol (Oxy-R) is an incredibly unstable ingredient. This means it can easily lose its power when it comes into contact with light, heat and air.
But, with yet another one-of-a-kind stability system, Medik8 has been able to yield the unmatched visible benefits of oxyresveratrol at the previously untapped strength of 1%.
Storing 1% Oxy-R within an innovative preservation serum in the bottle's lid to protect its potency, Oxy-R Peptides then uses click-activated packaging technology to ensure the formula remains constantly stable and powerful for maximum visible results.
Medik8 once again delivers with this product. The texture is ultra waterlight. It absorbs so quickly which I completely adore. It's not sticky so everyone should love that. You get two vials with this product. You push the powder in the cap down into the liquid and mix. The color of the product is an amber with no discernible scent. It has a dropper dispenser. I love that you get two vials so everything is as fresh a possible. I used this once a day for two vials in the morning. It definitely lasted longer than I thought it would. I think it was about two months, maybe even three to finish both bottles. You really don't need much of the serum, about 4-5 drops. I applied this after cleansing, before my essence and other serums. The texture is amazing. I adore ultra waterlight formulas. They make it so easy to apply closer to the skin. I always prefer my pigmentation and peptide serums as close as possible to the skin after cleansing.
I honestly didn't expect that much with this product as I do with most pigmentation serums. I have melasma plus sun damage from my years using a tanning bed and sunbathing in the '90s and topical skincare only does so much for my pigmentation in general. I was however pleasantly surprised by this product. I started this right after finishing 16 weeks on Sente Cysteamine HSA Pigment & Tone Corrector. OXY-R PEPTIDES managed to continue reducing my pigmentation, not by leaps and bounds but it definitely helped even my tone and reduced the depth of my dark spots. It did a great job overall. I put this up there with my other pigmentation favorites like Sente, SkinBetter Even and NIOD RE:PIGMENT.
It's mid-range at $67, it lasted well as you only need a small amount, the texture is perfect and it does do a great job overall at brightening and reducing the depth of my dark spots. One thing I do worry about with pigmentation serums is irritation or sensitivity. I have rosacea and dry skin so my barrier is always compromised to some degree to begin with--even without actives. I can't use ascorbic acid due to the low pH, fruit acids tend to irritate me, the Sente managed to give me a contact allergy after 16 weeks so I'm unable to use it anymore.
OXY-R PEPTIDES has oxyresveratrol, tetrapeptide-30 and acetyl glycyl beta-alanine for brightening. It does also have gluconolactone and lactic acid. It's so odd as normally I cannot do those two ingredients on a daily basis without it triggering a rosacea flare and killing my skin barrier. For whatever reason this formulas was OK for me. It wasn't irritating at all for me. I did skip applying this around my nose focusing mostly on my forehead, cheeks and chest. That must be why it was OK for me as around the nose is my most sensitive area. I've been trying to use this method for all future pigmentation serums and it's been working for me. You can do the same thing with retinoids to reduce irritation (avoid sensitive areas like around the nose, chin). I would buy and use this product again, it's been added to my list of favorites for pigmentation serums.
Ingredients
Aqua (Water), Butylene Glycol, Artocarpus Lakoocha Wood Extract, Hydroxyresveratrol, Gluconolactone, Acetyl Glycyl Beta-Alanine, Glycerin, Lactic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Benzoate, Disodium EDTA, Tetrapeptide-30, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Metabisulfite, Calcium Gluconate.
I've been using LIQUID PEPTIDES for a while now. It's one of my favorite peptide serums ever. Details per Medik8:
30% Complex Multi-Peptide Age Defying Serum ft. Copper Peptides.
Reduce the appearance of expression lines and deep-set wrinkles in just 1 bottle. Liquid Peptides is an advanced daily peptide serum that's expertly formulated with no fewer than 10 peptides in a 30% blend, to both slow and prevent the visible formation of expression lines and deep wrinkles.
This supercharged serum supports the skin's natural age-defying functions and features drone-targeted technology to deliver our unique blend of potent peptides where they’re needed most in the skin - for maximum visible benefits. Say 'no' to expression lines and 'yes' to a visibly smooth, plump and hydrated complexion.
Key Benefits
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All-in-One Youth-Boosting Effect - Fine lines, expression lines, and deep-set wrinkles are visibly smoothed as the lightweight serum visibly plumps, firms and refines uneven skin texture.
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Effective Hydration - Proven to leave the skin feeling deeply hydrated as well as visibly soft and supple.
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Peptide Power Where Your Skin Needs It Most - Innovative, drone-targeted technology ensures each powerful peptide is delivered where it’s needed most - for maximum visible results.
- Age-Defying Results Booster - Perfectly complements the visible age-defying results of Medik8’s proven C + A strategy; vitamin C by day, vitamin A by night.
Key Ingredients
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Matrixyl® 3000 - A combination of peptides which help to improve the look of skin firmness while minimizing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
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Drone-Targeted Copper Peptide - A peptide with targeted action technology, to ensure it's delivered where it's needed most for maximum visible effect.
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Expression Line Peptide - Helps to smooth the appearance of temporary expression lines while working to prevent the formation of permanent lines.
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Carnosine - A peptide that is naturally produced in the body, carnosine helps to prevent the formation of visible wrinkles.
- Multi-Weight Hyaluronic Acid - With a unique ability to attract and retain more than 1,000 times its own weight in water, hyaluronic acid draws moisture into the skin. This leaves the complexion visibly nourished and supple.
Science Behind The Formula
Peptides are short chains of amino acids, linked together by peptide bonds. There are 20 individual naturally-occurring amino acids which can be linked together in any order to give millions of different peptide combinations; with each helping to target different skin concerns. Recognizing that peptides do so much more than simply smooth the skin, Medik8 has taken traditional peptide technology to the next level. Formulated with a unique, multi-beneficial blend of 10 different peptides at 30%, Liquid Peptides uses drone-targeted technology to ensure that each powerful peptide is delivered to where it’s needed most, for maximum youth-boosting results.
I adore this peptide serum. I've been through a few bottles by now. It has a lightweight texture. Think thin gel serum, with no discernible scent. It has glycerin and sodium hyaluronate to hydrate, plus prebiotics inulin and alpha-glucan oligosaccharide which are hydrating and help support the skin. This serum has a ton of peptides. I love it when a peptide serum doesn't just have one peptide and then call it a peptide serum. I always apply a peptide serum twice a day, closest to the skin after cleansing. I do apply my light essence first, then the peptide serum. After that I move on with my other water based serums, then creamy serums and so on.
What I love about this Medik8 serum is that it has a delivery system for the peptides. Not many peptide serums have delivery systems. It is getting more common to have delivery systems nowadays which is nice. It was hard to find peptides with delivery systems when they first started gaining popularity. The delivery systems are way better now--they're more advanced than they were even ten years ago. With peptides there's always talk about how peptides are too big to get into the skin and do anything, or there's not enough research on them like retinol or ascorbic acid showing they're effective. That's true--there is a huge lack of research in the skincare area. It's expensive to conduct studies though. Matrixyl has some good research. And Argireline. However, having data showing increased collagen production or reducing the depth of lines/wrinkles is not any good if the product isn't formulated right or doesn't give the user the results they're looking for.
I say don't knock peptides until you try it. And if one isn't that great for you--try a different one. Maybe it was the formulation or didn't have a good delivery system (remember delivery systems have advanced a ton even in the last three years). Maybe there's another ingredient in the formulation that helps a different peptide serum work for you. You just have to try different ones. The reason why I apply peptides closest to the skin after cleansing is because I want less things blocking my peptides from contact with my skin. I feel this helps their effectiveness. I've been using peptides religiously for about 7 years or so now. I really started when The Ordinary launched theirs because it was cheap. They're a good gateway peptide product. I do prefer Medik8 now because of the delivery system. I also find Medik8 more effective than Paula's Choice as well and it's similarly priced at $64 (PC is $58). I recommend you stock up when they have their 30% Black Friday or even 20% sales. Medik8 is good about having sales.
Peptides are hydrating yes, they are amino acid chains and amino acids are hydrating. But they also do other things like help firm the skin and some peptides can help reduce wrinkle and line depth. Some actually help with dark spots and discoloration. Some help with wound repair. Some help reduce irritation. They won't magically make all your problems go away--but they do help target signs of aging. You need to use them every day though and be consistent (I would still recommend twice a day versus once, but once is better than nothing). You're not going to get good results in two weeks. You need to give them time. I think you need to really stick with it for six months minimum before you decide it's not working for you.
Another thing to keep in mind is that when you're young and your skin is still all plump, firm and doesn't have really visible wrinkles--you're not going to notice peptides do much for you. There's nothing for them to do--because you're still young. We're talking the anti-aging peptides, not pigmentation or sensitivity reducing ones. You'll notice hydration which does help with aging, but if your skin is 25 and firm--you're not going to notice firming from peptides. This can lead to disappointment in a product for some. You have to have realistic expectations from topical skincare. Now me at 45--I will notice a good peptide product lift my jowls in about 1-2 months. Some have even done it in two weeks for me. And this is not from hydration--trust me dry a** skin gets plenty of hydration, lipids and moisturizer. The only difference is peptides or not.
As I get older my rosacea gets bigger flares and becomes more sensitive to things it wasn't to in the past. This has affected my ability to use retinoids. Retinoids tend to make my flares worse and more often lately. So I quit using them a year ago. Now I just use peptides and my LED mask for aging. This has greatly improved my rosacea flares; However, I totally expected my skin to age and go backwards from not using retinoids anymore. I ended up being pleasantly surprised actually. I didn't go backwards. It's almost like I went forward due to reducing the irritation I got from not just retinoids, but acids and ascorbic acid as well. I feel better with my skin at 45 than I did at 38 when I was using everything under the sun on it. I even get carded at least once a month still. Peptides are great because they not only hydrate (you can ditch a separate hydration serum if you wish and just use a peptide serum), but they're tolerated by everyone well.
Signal peptides tell the body to do something like make collagen (ie Matrixyl). Carrier peptides deliver something to the skin (ie copper peptides). Neurotransmitter peptides inhibit muscle movements helping reduce lines and wrinkles. That's why they get the 'Botox in a bottle' though they are nowhere near as good as Botox (ie Argireline). Enzyme inhibiting peptides help keep it's targeted enzyme from breaking down something in the skin that you don't want to lose--like collagen. More on this topic when I delve into peptides deeper someday soon (hopefully). There's so much cool new innovation in the skincare market and peptides are only going to get bigger and better in the years to come. If you're 35+ and looking to upgrade from The Ordinary then I recommend Medik8. It's a great peptide product for firming and reducing wrinkle depth.
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Inulin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Carnosine, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Dunaliella Salina Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Sodium Benzoate, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Tetrapeptide-21, Pentapeptide-18, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Pantolactone, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Glyceryl Caprylate, Lactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Copolymer, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Phenylpropanol, Copper Palmitoyl Heptapeptide-14, Heptapeptide-15 Palmitate, Potassium Sorbate, Xanthan Gum.
*I bought several bottles of Liquid Peptides before receiving PR from the brand. I bought the Oxy-R Peptides with my own money.