♥

Medik8 is a brand I’ve known about for some time now, having first come across them at Mi:skn Clinic, where their products are used post-Omnilux (you can read more about my experience with that here!). Having always been a high-end, cosmeceutical brand since inception, I assumed that Medik8 being 100% vegan was probably out of the question, however they have always been cruelty free which is hugely important to me.

Recently, Medik8 made the transition to becoming fully vegan – and I wanted to dig in and find out more behind the decision & what exactly was involved, so we spoke to Director of Research at Medik8, Daniel Isaacs. Read on to discover more about the brand’s fascinating journey!

Can you share a little bit about how Medik8 started and the story behind the decision to create the business?

Medik8 was born out of a passion to deliver the benefits of serious skincare science without needing to compromise on the demand for ethics, transparency, sustainability and beautiful textures and fragrances found in natural brands. Elliot Isaac’s mission (founder of Medik8) was, and still is, to demystify the anti-ageing skincare industry with his trademark CSA Philosophy of ‘vitamin C plus sunscreen by day, and vitamin A by night’. This simplicity plus the end of choosing between results or experience is the secret to Medik8’s success.

What was behind your decision to transition to a 100% vegan skincare company?

Over the last 5 years, veganism has become a growing movement. This lifestyle extends way beyond just a diet. It involves what cosmetics you use, what household products you buy or the clothes you wear, to name but a few. In the UK alone, the number of vegans has quadrupled over the last four years. The reasons why are clear; according to The Vegan Society if the world went vegan, it could save 8 million human lives by 2050, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by two thirds, and avoid climate damages of $1.5 trillion.[1]

With consumers becoming increasingly conscious of whether a product has been derived from an animal byproduct or not, vegan beauty products make it simple and provide a guilt-free moment of indulgence. You can also rest assured that Medik8 do not test on animals nor ask others to test for us. This includes finished products and products within development or production, as well as ingredients used within our products. We are animal lovers and look forward to the day when animal testing is banned worldwide forever.

Vegan beauty is a no-brainer. Better for the planet, 100% cruelty free and often of higher quality, vegan products are exceptionally easy to swap to and you don’t lose any efficacy with the product.

Were you driven by your customers / social media to make the change?

We have always had a huge Vegan following and always listen to our fans, but ultimately this is something close to our hearts and at Medik8 we wanted to take full responsibility for our actions. We understand that having a beauty regime filled with vegan skincare is beneficial for the planet and your skin.

♥

What is the process involved for Medik8 in transitioning to being a fully vegan brand?

We conducted a full audit of all our products in 2018 and discovered that only 5 of our products were not vegan. This was due to some legacy formulas containing ingredients like yoghurt. We then set ourselves the goal of making every single Medik8 product completely vegan by the end of 2019, which we have achieved.

Our Ultimate Recovery Intense is a rich, restorative cream for dry, compromised and post-treatment skin. It used to contain silk serica (derived from the silkworm), which we replaced for allantoin. Allantoin is a natural component in comfrey root, which helps to support natural wound healing, speeding up skin renewal and softening the skin.

Advanced Night Restore is a deeply hydrating cream that works while you sleep, featuring an intelligent moisturisation complex of ceramide, fatty acids and (non-vegan) cholesterol. We now use a combination of synthetic cholesterol and a plant-derived form of cholesterol called phytosterol. Phytosterol gives structure to the plant’s cell membrane the same way cholesterol does for our skin. They both function similarly in enhancing the skin’s natural lipid barrier to lock in hydration.

Balance Moisturiser uses a high-performance blend of prebiotics and probiotics to rebalance the skin’s natural microbiome, promoting a healthy-looking, radiant complexion. While the probiotics were previously based on fermented milk-derived lactobacillus, they are now obtained from the fermentation of plant-based lactobacillus extracts – 100% vegan!

We also removed beeswax from our White Balance Overnight Repair and replacing it with vegan emulsifiers, plus removing non-vegan yoghurt extract from our Surface Radiance Cleanse.

What would you say to other businesses considering making the switch?

As a brand we have a responsibility to our planet and our customers, we believe everyone should be taking the steps to better themselves and be transparent with their consumers.

Thanks to Daniel for taking part in this interview with us! If you’d like to find out more about Medik8, hop on over to their website, Facebook or Instagram.