Our Rating: 5 stars

Weeks before the summer solstice arrived regaling the season of longer days and teeming warmth, I found aromatic citrus “liquid gold” and became highly “Medik8d.” I have lavished my skin with a topical age-erasing protocol that has worked well on my vintage baby boomer skin… enough to make me fall in love with vitamin C all over again. Enter the Medik8 CE-Tetra Pro-Collagen Synthesis Super Antioxidant Serum ($115 in the shop), the British skincare “Green Cosmeceutical” brand. This highly stable groundbreaking formula contains a new 7% vitamin C derivative and natural vitamin E. To me, it works better and I prefer it over my other more expensive CE ferulic acid vitamin C serums.

I found this product to be unique in that it totally melts right into your skin, plumping and brightening – without feeling heavy or harsh. So many other vitamin C serums I have used irritate my sensitive skin, burn on contact and case breakouts – both acne blemishes and milia (those pesky deep seeded white bumps that form when skin cells become trapped rather than exfoliate naturally). In the beginning I have an all-out passionate love affair with the newest vitamin C serum on the block, and then about a week or two in my skin misbehaves and it takes several more weeks to heal, clear and feel normal again. Although it does have a distinct pleasant and invigorating citrus scent, the fragrance-producing oils are natural (jojoba and grapefruit seed) and disappear seconds after application leaving no telltale perfumy trail.

I have been using the CE-Tetra serum every morning as part of my serum prepping routine. It pairs well with Medik8 Growth Factor serum ($160 in the shop), which I am totally enamored with after using the entire sample within the recent Discover with Marta summer kit. CE-Tetra layers very well as a supple and smooth primer underneath my makeup. It is suitable for use on all skin types and is especially gentle for the most sensitive. Contained in a glass bottle with an eye dropper applicator, the 1-ounce size should last about three months or longer, using it once a day. Only two to three drops are needed, and I have used just over a fourth of the bottle within a month’s time.

Not only do I need to prevent any further superficial and deeper damage to my skin, but I most certainly need to correct and repair the existing damage and stave off the progressive intrinsic normal skin aging process for as long as possible. Professional strength serums that really “mean business” are a non-negotiable necessity at this stage of my skin’s life. CE-Tetra is hands down a welcome addition to my series of serums and one that will likely become a permanent member and step in my regime. It will more than likely replace my small army of other professional strength vitamin C serums, as it outranks with its ingredients, paraben-free quality, feel and all- around performance. It now tops my list of skincare standouts, and Medik8’s line really has my attention and calls for further exploration.

Ingredients: Simmondsia Chinensis Oil, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, PPG-12/SMDI Copolymer, Tocopherol (d-Alpha)