Medik8 Crystal Retinal 1 30ml

Begin your Vitamin A journey with Medik8 Crystal Retinal 1. This entry-level, midnight-blue serum is specifically designed for those with very sensitive skin or those who are completely new to the world of retinaldehyde.

Formulated with a gentle 0.01% concentration of encapsulated Retinal, it allows the skin to acclimate to high-performance resurfacing without the typical irritation, providing a smooth path toward a clearer, more youthful-looking complexion.

Awards & Recognition

Crystal Retinal is one of the most decorated vitamin A serums on the market. The awards below are as published by Medik8 and apply to the Crystal Retinal range; where a single strength won that award, it is named.

Winner · Best Retinoid · Who What Wear 2025Gold · Best Retinoid · Get The Gloss 2025Winner · Best Retinol Serum · Marie Claire Skin Awards 2024WWD Beauty Inc · 100 Greatest Skin Care Products Of All Time

2025 winners

• Best Retinoid Product – Who What Wear
• Best Retinol – Cosmopolitan Acne Awards
• Best Retinoid, Gold – Get The Gloss Beauty Awards
• Best Retinol Product – Face The Future Awards
• Best For Anti-Ageing – SheerLuxe Beauty Icons
• Beauty Favourite – Woman & Home Beauty Awards
• Best Anti-Ageing Product – Aesthetic Awards (Crystal Retinal 24)
• Best Retinol – The Zoe Report Beauty Awards (Crystal Retinal 24)
• Best Serum For Acne-Prone Skin – Marie Claire Skin & Hair Awards (Crystal Retinal 24)

2024 winners

• Best Retinol Serum – Marie Claire Skin Awards
• Best Retinol – Glamour Power List Awards (Crystal Retinal 24)
• Best Vitamin Serum, Anti-Agers – Prevention's Best of Beauty Awards
• Serum – Who What Wear Beauty Awards
• Best Retinoid (Silver) and Classic Hero (Silver) – Get The Gloss Beauty Awards
• Best Retinol Product – Face The Future Awards (Crystal Retinal 10)
• 100 Greatest Skin Care Products Of All Time – WWD Beauty Inc

Also recognised: finalist for Best Beauty Icon at the CEW Beauty Awards, and nominated at the Vogue Beauty Editor's Choice Awards, Pure Beauty Global Awards, Universal Beauty Awards, Woman & Home Clever Skin Awards, Condé Nast Traveller Beauty Awards and SheerLuxe Beauty Awards.

Awards as published by Medik8 at medik8.com/pages/medik8-awards. Crystal Retinal® is a trademark of Medik8.

Key Benefits

• Gentle Introduction: The lowest strength in the Crystal Retinal ladder, offering a controlled 0.01% dose of Retinaldehyde to improve skin texture and tone with maximum tolerance.
• Next-Generation Efficacy: Powered by Retinal, which acts 11x faster than traditional retinol, helping to stimulate collagen and accelerate cellular renewal for visible results in less time.
• Antibacterial Properties: Naturally possesses direct antibacterial action, making it a perfect starting point for sensitive skin types that also experience occasional congestion or blemishes.
• Nourishing Delivery: Features a hydrating cream-serum base enriched with Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin E to soothe the skin and lock in moisture, ensuring the face feels soft and supported overnight.

Size and packaging

• Size: 30ml
• Boxed dimensions: 3.1 x 5.1 x 13.8 cm
• Shipping weight: approx. 50 g

Full ingredients (INCI)

Aqua (Water), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Isododecane, Cetearyl Olivate, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Cetearyl Alcohol, PPG-12/SMDI Copolymer, Sorbitan Olivate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Titanium Dioxide, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Cyclodextrin, Squalane, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Rubus Chamaemorus (Cloudberry) Seed Oil, Alumina, Isostearic Acid, Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Stearic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Retinal, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Sodium Polyaspartate, Climbazole, Disodium EDTA, Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Dipteryx Odorata (Tonka) Bean Extract, Hydroxyacetophenone, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Vanilla Planifolia (Vanilla) Fruit Extract, Decylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, BHT, Coumarin.

Formulations are updated from time to time. Please check the ingredient list printed on the pack you receive before use.

Safety

For external use only. Avoid direct contact with the eyes. Discontinue use if irritation occurs. Patch test before first use. Keep out of reach of children.

Which Crystal Retinal strength?

• Crystal Retinal 1: the entry-level strength, for those new to retinal or with very sensitive skin.
• Crystal Retinal 3: for those who have used a low-strength retinol and are ready to step up.
• Crystal Retinal 6: for those comfortable with vitamin A who want to step up.
• Crystal Retinal 10: for experienced vitamin A users who have acclimated to Crystal Retinal 6.
• Crystal Retinal 20: for experienced retinoid users who have acclimated to Crystal Retinal 10.
• Crystal Retinal 24: the highest strength, for experienced retinoid users who have mastered lower concentrations.
• Crystal Retinal Ceramide Eye 3: the entry point for the eye area.
• Crystal Retinal Ceramide Eye 6: for the eye area, for those already comfortable with vitamin A.
• Crystal Retinal Ceramide Eye 10: for the eye area, for experienced retinoid users.

Start on the lowest strength you haven't used and move up after a tube.