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If there’s one beauty buzzword dominating 2026, it’s ‘longevity’. Rather than chasing overnight, temporary fixes, skincare fans are looking for products that support skin health over time and help slow signs of ageing before they appear. We first saw the trend with Paula’s Choice’s Cellular Youth Serum and No7’s Prime Forever range, and now Medik8 has joined the movement with its new Exo-PDRN Prismatic+ serum.
PDRN – or rather Polydeoxyribonucleotide – is typically derived from salmon DNA but Medik8’s formula uses a pioneering form of vegan PDRN ‘with a stable tetrahedral structure for 100% better skin absorption than traditional PDRN’. This vegan PDRN is said to ‘penetrate 61% deeper than traditional PDRN’.
The Medik8 formula is designed to strengthen the skin barrier and promote a healthier, more radiant-looking complexion. All of its ingredients work together to ‘restore visible vitality, refine tone and texture, boost luminosity and support calm, resilient-looking skin’.
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The traditional method is reportedly a star ingredient in the beauty prep of many-a-celeb ahead of red carpet events thanks to its regenerative properties. It’s said to boost collagen helping reverse the signs of ageing, improve skin tone by evening out hyperpigmentation, calming inflammation and, of course, giving a dose of hydration for that ‘glass skin’ effect.
In fact, it’s an alleged favourite in a variety of forms for a number of Kardashians – Kim has openly shared how she goes for salmon sperm facials, while Kendall Jenner has shared how she’s a fan of the Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Capsule Mist. Reportedly Hailey Bieber, Jennifer Aniston and more are also fans of the stuff, preferring to apply it topically.
With this in mind, our beauty team were itching to try out the new Exo-PDRN Prismatic+ serum from Medik8 to see if it delivered similar results, and left us looking as good as Jennifer Aniston does at 57 – what with it being hailed as a ‘Youthful Vitality Serum’. With this in mind, three of us tried it, ranging in ages – Beth in her 20s; Eve in her 30s; Laura in her 50s.
Unlike many PDRN serums, Medik8 uses a pump bottle instead of a dropper, making it easy to control how much product you use. It’s said to contain 80 uses, which at £79 per bottle, works out at less than £1 a pop. The lightweight formula absorbs quickly, hydrates instantly and layers well with other skincare, while PDRN itself works happily alongside most active ingredients, taking the stress out of skincare routines.
Eve, Beth and Laura tested the serum out over the course of a few weeks to really put its ingredients to the test. Here are their honest opinions.
View 4 ImagesAfter using the serum for two weeks, my skin looked notably fresher and glowier(Image: Bethan Shufflebotham)
After two weeks, I must admit I didn’t see drastic anti-ageing results, but my skin looked had never looked fresher. After four weeks, it was notably glowier and the redness around my cheeks also looked calmer. It’s done little to tackle the fine line on my forehead I’ve increasingly aware of as I approach 30, but something like a retinal (I use Medik8’s Crystal Retinal nightly, too) is always going to perform better when it comes to anti-ageing.
For a budget-friendly option, the Boots PDRN Serum – which was released in January as part of a capsule skincare range from the brand – draws influence from K-Beauty. It’s priced at a purse-friendly £8, and is said to leave skin ‘feeling firmer, more supple, and radiant after use’.
As for Medik8’s newest launch, while it’s not quite an injectable-in-a-bottle (nothing topical is), it’s pretty impressive and a worthy addition to pretty much any skincare routine.
View 4 ImagesEve Rowlands (right) after using the Medik8 serum (left) for three weeks(Image: Eve Rowlands)
I’ve been using this Medik8 serum religiously (every morning) for about three weeks now and I must admit, I’ve had a mixed bag of results. But let me first dive into the positives.
Its texture is slightly thicker and stickier than most serums I’ve previously used (bar the COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence, £20.99) but because of this, this serum feels like it’s hydrating my dry complexion. I also love patting it in after applying it to aid absorbtion and to wake up my skin.
After doing this, my skin really does have a lovely, dewy glow (especially on my cheekbones) that lasts almost all day. It’s also incredibly smooth – both in touch and textural appearance.
As for my fine lines and the dark spots on my chin and cheeks – which become more noticeable after lounging in the sun – they’ve not seemed to benefit from the formula just yet. While the crows feet around my eyes seem to have ironed slightly, the expression lines on my forehead remain the same. I’ll give it a few more weeks though to work some magic, though.
View 4 ImagesMy skin feels fresher and a little bit smoother after 14 days of use (Image: Laura McKenna)
As the proud owner of what’s politely referred to as “mature skin,” trying new skincare products can often be a little hit and miss. Like many women over 40, I’m still searching for that elusive holy grail product that promises plumper, fresher and firmer skin that somehow takes 20 years off in the process.
Pipe dreams aside, the Medik8 Youthful Vitality Serum hasn’t dramatically reduced my fine lines and wrinkles just yet — but I’m remaining optimistic. I’ve only been using it for around a fortnight, so I suspect it’s still early days when it comes to seeing real results.
What I can say already, though, is that unlike many other serums I’ve tried, this one feels beautifully lightweight and genuinely lovely on the skin. My skin feels instantly clean and fresh after use and I do feel that the fine lines around my eyes and forehead are starting to look slightly smoother.
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Without hesitation, it immediately feels softer and more luxurious on the skin than my usual cheap and cheerful Q+A Collagen Booster Serum. While this is nice enough and has done me well, it’s easy to see why the Medik8 serum is more expensive and packed with face-friendly goodies.
Having seen some of the incredible reviews on the Medik8 website however, I am determined to keep going with the serum until I see results. After all, the fact that it is “scientifically proven to boost the skin’s natural rejuvenation by over 50%” is just far too delicious to resist.