Our Rating: 5 stars

I recently stumbled across the Truth In Aging website and was hooked. I am now a Marta devotee. I love that the focus of the website is information. So I was thrilled when I was chosen to try the Medik8 PRETOX Eyelift ($70 in the shop). I am in my early 50s, and I have an olive complexion that has finally settled into good skin. Of course, due to my age, there are other issues to contend with now. I have the dreaded eye puffiness with the dark rims underneath and have tried many products to alleviate the “etching” I now see every morning. So I am a fine candidate for this product. And what a product!

Medik8 says its PRETOX Eyelift is specifically designed to dramatically reduce the appearance of dark circles and unsightly puffiness around the eyes, plus target fine lines and wrinkles with peptides. It is marketed as professional strength with four peptide blends for under-eye dark circles and unsightly puffiness. Peptides are the work horses in anti-aging skin products, so it stands to reason that more is better.

First up, Regu-age Complex consists of specifically purified soy and rice peptides that improve microcirculation. Haloxyl works to loosen small blood fragments in the under-eye area as well as improve moisture, which promotes cell rejuvenation. Eyeliss is made of three natural peptides that work together to eliminate under-eye bags and improve puffiness by utilizing the lymphatic draining dipeptide-2. Lastly, Dermaxyl is a patented oligopeptide and ceramide blend that smoothes wrinkles and repairs age-related skin damage. It works by stimulating older cells to communicate like younger cells in the deeper skin layers. The website also states that these high concentrations of peptides and next-generation ingredients will visibly plump, fill and lift any and all of your problem zones. I can think of lots of areas to apply this!

Also note-worthy is Chrysin, an isoflavone with antioxidant properties to control inflammation. It also works to eliminate pigmented bilirubin and iron deposits underneath the eyes. Hesperidin (a citrus bioflavonoid) improves skin tone and stimulates circulation to reduce dark circles. In addition, there is a slew of conditioning, smoothing and plumping ingredients too numerous to list.

PRETOX is packaged in a sleek pump top tube. It has a creamy serum texture that absorbs quickly and completely, leaving the eye area firm and moisturized. I found that if I use my thumb to pump I can better control the amount dispensed, as a full pump is almost too much for just the eye area. I use it morning and night spreading under the eye, under the eyebrow and even on the worry line between my eyebrows figuring (hoping!) the fillers might do their magic here as well.

Okay, now five weeks later and the results? Let me preface by saying that the model on the Medik8 website had a geisha fan of crow’s feet wrinkles and I do not. My concerns were to address the ashy puffiness, which made me look tired even after a good night’s sleep and the newly acquired crepey under-eye texture. I was on the fence at week 4 then began to notice subtle results. Upon waking my reflection appears to have been airbrushed, and I do indeed look more rested. The ashy under-eye tint is all but gone. There is still puffiness but even that has diminished, and I love the plumping effect that has resulted in between my eyebrows. I will continue to use the product as I feel the effects have just begun to show and will follow up if anything significant transpires. Thumbs up to Medik8 PRETOX Eyelift!

Ingredients: Water (aqua), Alcohol Denat (Ethanol B100), Glycerin, Xanthan Gum, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Chrysin, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone, Dipeptide-2, Hydrolyzed Rice Bran Protein, Glycine Soja Protein, Oxido Reductases, Steareth-20, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Tribehenin, Ceramide 2, Biotin, PEG-10 Rapeseed Sterol, Mica, CI77891 (Titanium Dioxide), Silica, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorhexidine digluconate, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone