Review: REN Radiance Renewal Mask

A good couple of weeks ago, the lovely people over at Cult Beauty got in touch with me and asked if I'd like to test out any of the products that they stock - If the name doesn't give it away already, Cult Beauty are retailers for only 'the best of the best' in terms of beauty products and sell only those that deserve cult status. It's a site I could browse for hours! (Honestly, I want it all!). If you want to browse the site yourselves then you can find it here. Anyway, when I told them that I was looking for anything that could help with skin rejuvenation and the scarring issues on my face, I was very kindly offered a bottle of REN's Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask*, a product I'd had my eye on for a very long time as I'd heard brilliant things about it from other bloggers!

Soo.. 'What's a Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask'? I can hear some of you asking yourselves right now. Well, let me run you through it. This potent mask is one of REN's top selling products and is made with around 5-6.5% Glycolactic acid, an effective chemical exfoliator that 'actively dissolves the bonds that hold skin build-up'. All skin needs a little prepping up from time to time and can become a little bit congested, so this mask works fantastically well at exfoliating away all of the dirt from the surface of the skin and the AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids) that it contains resurface the top layer of the skin which visibly improves the appearance.

I hope I'm not losing you with this one! It sounds fancy, and it is pretty fancy.. but oh so simple all at the same time. REN keep things clean, hence the branding 'clean skincare', and have kept their products free from all those nasties such as parabens, sulphates, mineral oil, fragrances, etc. All that does the work with this is the active element of a 100% pure fruit acid complex - lactic, glycolic, tartaric, citric, papain enzyme, pineapple extract, omega 3 - that gently targets dull and congested skin (these are what gives it it's yummy fruity scent too). The ingredients break down the dead cells and the outcome is a bright, new complexion! Ideal for targetting: fine lines, acne scarring, blemishes and blackheads.

Does it work? Yes. Can I just leave it at that?.. Yes, it does work! The first time I used this I was expecting to be blown away because of the hype, and I felt a little bit underwhelmed because I didn't see any immediate results. But as I persevered and continued to use this 1-2 times a week I noticed more and more improvement to my skin, both long term and short term. The long term effects are that scarring and blackheads are gradually diminishing and fading away to become less prominent, and the short term effects are the super intense exfoliation and 'glowing' effect that it gives to the skin as all the dullness on the top layer has been dissolved away. Such a lovely pick me up for an instant burst of radiance!

Just one pump is enough to cover the entire face in a thick even layer - I was using more than this at first but I'm not sure how I thought that this was okay, because the image below shows how much product comes out with just one pump! There's plenty to go around with that amount, silly me for being wasteful with it at first :( The consistency is very sticky and gooey and it has the similar texture to honey, or jam.. something you'd spread on your toast! It's quite thick but it isn't hard to work with or spread around the skin, and it's good that it's sticky as it helps it to adhere to your face better and doesn't go sliding down your neck and onto your clothes (do watch out for stray hairs getting glued to your face though!). The mask isn't clay based so it won't set or go hard on the skin; it stays like goo for the whole time it's on your face.

The process is very simple: apply the mask all over clean, dry skin and leave it for 10 minutes. When the 10 minutes is up run the enclosed muslin cloth underneath warm water and use it to clear the mask from your skin and voila! Fresh skin. A little word of warning: even though it is very gentle, this mask isn't suitable for those who have very sensitive skin. Mine can be just a little bit sensitive and I've found that if I exceed the recommended time to have it on my skin then there is quite a strong tingling sensation and my face is a little bit red after use although this quickly dies down and I look radiant, not flushed!

It's not a lie that I was very, very impressed with this product (and the brand REN in general), and the proof is in the further purchases! About two weeks after using this mask I knew that I loved it and wanted to branch out and try more from the brand. I've since bought the 'Invisible Pores Detox Mask' that I will be reviewing in a couple of days, and also the 'Clearcalm Clarifying Clay Cleanser' that is in the post on it's way to me as I write!

REN, I love you.

If you're interested in this mask then you can find it here.

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* (c/o Cult Beauty Ltd.)