Review: REN Clarifying Toning Lotion

I had never heard of chemical exfoliation until it was mentioned by Caroline Hirons on her skincare bible of a blog. As a person who usually omits toner from her skincare routine, I was sceptical about whether adding that extra step would be worth it. I was using the REN Clarifying Toning Lotion daily when I bought it, but briefly forgot about it and stopped using it. Since starting using it again and slowly nearing the end of the bottle, I thought it was about time to share my thoughts.

The first thing you notice when using the REN Clarifying Toning Lotion is the smell. It has a very natural and fresh, herbal-esque smell, which I really liked. As the product is by REN, you're pretty much guaranteed that the scent of this product is due to the ingredients rather than artificially added perfumes, as they do not add synthetic fragrance to their products. Some people may not like the scent, but do not fear, it disappears shortly after application.

The toner is easy to use, as you just pour a little onto a cotton pad and swipe it all over your skin. I find this toner feels lovely and refreshing on the skin. It was perfect on those hot days we had during the summer and feels amazing on the skin after a hot shower, as it almost has a light cooling effect.

I love using this when my skin is breaking out, as its active ingredients include lactic, citric, tartaric acid and glycolic acid, which help to get rid of dead skin cells quicker and mayblossom extract which helps with oil control.

As an Alpha H liquid gold afficionado and as someone who uses AHAs fairly regularly in my skincare routine, this felt quite mild on my skin, but I liked that I was giving my skin an extra exfoliation kick by using this daily. Unlike many toners, this does not contain alcohol and does not leave my skin feeling tight or dry. Overall, my skin feels like it has less dry patches and I have noticed that my pores look minimised. I also feel my chin and forehead areas have less congestion, which is a miracle as they are my worst bits.

The Clarifying Toning Lotion is part of REN's combination to oily range, but I believe that people with sensitive, dry or normal skin would be able to use this due to how gentle the product is. But don't be fooled, as although the product is gentle but gives great results. It costs £18 for 150ml, which I think is reasonable and would definitely repurchase this again.

What toner do you use?

Joy xx

REN Summer Skincare Masterclass

I went to a REN Skincare Masterclass at Liberty on Thursday and I've never been to anything like this before, so I thought I'd share my experience with you. It was held in the gorgeous Heritage Suite on Floor 3 in Liberty. Liberty is seriously the prettiest shop ever. Sigh. The room had pretty displays focussing on the Radiance range and had oranges dotted around in bell jars, which I thought was a nice touch. In conjunction with this, there was juice, probiotic chocolate and alkaline orange cupcakes laid out for everyone. The class began with skin expert David Delport informing us about the background of the brand (Did you know REN is a British brand? I didn't!), before telling us about the Radiance line and the Anti Aging products that REN have. I really liked that we had the chance to learn more about the products in depth and feel the texture of each product as they were discussed.

Afterwards, we gave ourselves mini facials... That meant taking off my makeup in front of strangers - Something I definitely wasn't expecting to do! We got to try the products that an evening skincare routine would consist of and also the new BB Cream. Along the way, David gave us little tips about the best ways to use the products and how to give yourself a shiatsu facial massage. I'm glad I was able to try the new BB Cream. Apparently it sold out within two weeks! When I first pumped some out, it looked scarily orange but it somehow blended into my skin seamlessly and left my skin looking more even and dewy, without looking cakey.

Before we left, we were given a cute black canvas tote and a pack of mini samples, which I thought was a nice touch and I was excited to see a mini sample of the BB Cream, which I am looking forward to trying over an extended period of time!

After the class, we were taken back downstairs to the Beauty Hall to pick some products. The class cost £35, which was redeemable against any products bought on the day, so I decided to get the Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Face Mask (£30), which I have been dying to try for ages and the Clarifying Toning Lotion (£18).

I had a lovely time at the masterclass. I would definitely recommend it to anyone that wants to know more about REN or skincare. Keep an eye out on the beauty events on the Liberty website, as that's how I came across this masterclass and I assume they might do more in the future.

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

Review: REN ClearCalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser

I bought this REN ClearCalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser (Longest alliteration cleanser name ever?) a few weeks ago, as my skin was feeling a little temperamental and was breaking out left, right and centre. This cleanser is marketed by REN as a "purifying, antibacterial cleanser formulated to combat and help prevent breakouts and blemishes" (From RENSkincare.com) - which sounded like something my skin needed. I have been using this cleanser for the past few weeks and I thought I would share my thoughts on it.

The ClearCalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser is clay based, as the name suggests, but it is surprisingly creamy. I usually use one pump and massage it all over my face after I have cleansed with the Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm. It spreads around the face nicely and is easy to massage. The product has no fragrances, which I like as I don't like using perfumed products on my face. I've found this super gentle to use and I've put it around the eye area without any irritation. After washing it off, my skin doesn't feel dried out or tight. It leaves my skin feeling refreshed and clean. With daily use, this has definitely helped clear up my breakout and helped to balance out my skin, which I am so happy about. This cleanser costs £18 for 150ml, which I think is reasonable as you get a large amount of product. I bought mine from Salon Skincare, as they were selling it for 10% off (making it £16.20).

I really like REN, as their skincare is 'clean' and does not contain things like parabens, sulphates, mineral oil, synthetic fragrance and colours, etc. I don't know that much about deciphering ingredients, but you often hear that you should avoid products with parabens, mineral oil, etc, and my theory is the less, the better. I am definitely going to look into more of their products and I even came across a REN Skincare Masterclass, which is at Liberty tomorrow and managed to get booked onto a session, which I am super excited about.

Have you tried any products from REN?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy