Beauty

This Skin-Plumping Face Serum From The UK Keeps Selling Out — So What’s All The Fuss About?

Everything you need to know about the buzzy British peptide serum that’s gone viral Stateside.

Written by Natalie Gale
Updated: 
Originally Published: 
Medik8/Bustle
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Have you been hearing about peptides everywhere lately, but you’re not exactly sure what they do? It turns out they’re incredibly beneficial for pretty much any skin concern imaginable, from dryness to a loss of firmness to unwanted hyperpigmentation. And there’s one serum in particular that just might be the best way to get your daily dose of peptides.

British beauty brand Medik8 is known and loved for its dermatologist-recommended, medical-grade skin care products. They make an impressively effective, editor-loved retinol, and they’ve been touted by the likes of Hailey Bieber and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley — both known for their gorgeous skin. But one of Medik8’s sleeper hits, their Liquid Peptides serum, has sold out four times in the last year alone. So, what’s all the fuss about?

The Science Behind The Serum

First, a bit more about peptides — the hero ingredient that powers Medik8’s Liquid Peptides serum. Scientifically speaking, peptides are chains of amino acids, aka the building blocks of your skin and hair. Since they’re naturally occurring in our bodies anyway, adding extra peptides topically will help aid your skin’s natural functions like collagen and elastin production, improving the skin barrier, and optimizing your skin’s defense functionality. Different peptides have different functions, so when it comes to skin care products, the more, the merrier. The serum has no fewer than 10 peptides in its formulation, making up 30% of the serum’s composition. Peptides include matrixyl 3000, carnosine, and drone-targeted copper peptide, each of which helps to promote the look of smoother skin in different ways.

The serum also contains hyaluronic acid, a superstar hydrating ingredient known to hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water. Also naturally occurring in the body, hyaluronic acid is a humectant, meaning it works to draw in moisture to leave your skin bouncy and supple. As we age, our skin loses some of its natural hyaluronic acid, so serums like this one are a great way to help replenish our skin’s moisture levels.

Thanks to its blend of peptides and humectants, the serum aims to promote smooth, plump, hydrated skin both immediately and over time — and, according to an eight-week independent consumer study on 55 participants, the serum does exactly that (and more). In fact, its proven results, like increased skin plumpness and firmness, were purportedly visible in just seven days.

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Looking for an increased firming effect under your eyes, specifically? Medik8 also makes a companion Eye Peptides, a lightweight eye gel that delivers five targeted peptides to the under-eye area to help smooth, brighten, and de-puff. It gives the area (which is prone to extra dryness) a boost of nourishment and hydration, along with a cooling effect, too, so it’s perfect for looking like you got those full eight hours even when you definitely didn’t.

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