Review: Medik8 Sleep Glycolic Time Release AHA Overnight At-Home Peel

All hail the return of Medik8 to the blog! With COVID concerns and the fast pace of life whirling around me, it's actually been quite a few months since my last Medik8 post and shamefully, I didn't realise until now. Thankfully, that's going to change, because I get to talk about my new favourite discovery from Medik8, and that's their Sleep Glycolic Time Release AHA Overnight At-Home Peel!

 

 

What exactly is this and why should you be trying it? It's an at-home 10% glycolic acid peel, and it's meant to be used two to three times a week to help brighten, smooth and de-congest your skin. Glycolic acid is known to exfoliate the skin and help battle issues like hyperpigmentation. This is a treatment that shouldn't cause irritation, and doesn't require downtime. It is recommended that you use this twice to three times a week, and in doing so, it will help slough off your dead skin cells, resulting in a more even toned complexion, and an added luminosity to the skin. This is also supposed to help smooth the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. 

When we talk about peels, the first thing that springs to mind is the stuff that gets done by someone who's professionally trained, at a salon, while you're lying down, surrounded by fragrant candles and soft music in a dimly lit room. Sadly, my budget doesn't stretch so far that I can get something like that done very often, and let's face it, when it comes to skincare, we now have to rely on ourselves a little more, because COVID has really turned this on it's head. 

 

There are lots of other brands that already do glycolic acid products that you can use at home, but what I really like about this is that this actually seems to work well without causing irritation to my skin. As someone who doesn't tend to get peels done, but who does use skincare products with high concentrations of active ingredients, this still gets the work done without taking off half of my face. The question you may be asking yourself right now is this - what exactly is in this product?

 

The magic ingredient is 10% Glycolic Acid, which is encapsulated in a crystal 'shell' that ends up breaking down upon contact with skin enzymes, and that is what allows for it to be a time release product. This is the smallest particle size of all AHAs, and it works by breaking down the bonds between dead skin cells, letting them be easily exfoliated away to show fresher, newer skin cells for brighter and smoother skin. To counteract that, Korean Clover Extract is added to  help the skin's repair and hydration process, while Glycerin is used as a humectant to draw moisture to the skin, helping it feel hydrated and supple.

 

All you need to do is clean your face, then add a pea-sized dollop to the skin on your face and neck - no more than that. When you look at the tube, which has a nozzle to help you control the amount that you get out, it doesn't look like it would last you for very long, but trust me, this is definitely one of those 'a little goes a long way' type situation. Then, all you need to do, is simply go to bed! I have used this for a few weeks now, over a total of 8 applications, and I have actually found it to almost help 'reset' my skin! Even though it's weird going to bed without my usual 5 layers of skincare on, and my skin feels almost a little tight, I wake up to smoother, and slightly brighter skin, which I can't complain about! This retails for $69.95, and you can find it over here. 

What is your go to glycolic acid product?

*This product was provided for editorial consideration