REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask – Get yo’ glow on..

As an oily skinned gal, I am naturally glowing shiny at all times. The struggle is real. It’s like the whole curly hair debacle, isn’t it – you always want what you can’t have, and in this case, the “glow” of my super-active sebaceous glands isn’t really what I have in mind. In my head, I’m gunning for that ethereal thing – more of a “matte-radiance” if such a state is possible. On my eternal quest for not looking sweaty, I got my paws on a sample of this little number from REN, and so far the combination of this and my other mask of the moment is doing the trick.

REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask is a “bio-active peel mask” according to the blurb, containing fruit acids as exfoliants. The main power-players in the ingredients list are glycolic and lactic acids (AHA's and BHA's). Both are renowned exfoliating agents; aimed at improving skin texture, evening out skin tone from sun damage, and leaving skin generally more radiant. Winner.

The texture is a thick gel – it does feel pretty greasy, but don’t be too put off! The mask smells like the result of apricot yoghurts and Capri-Sun having a baby, and is a golden yellow colour. You will look like you’ve got some sort of dreadful skin ailment with this on – it’s not one to answer the door to the postman/anyone in! I don’t experience any tingling or tightening when using this product – but do bear in mind, everyone is different. I leave this on for about ten minutes as recommended, then use a clean flannel to remove with warm water.

I find this gives an instant glow-without-sheen, even without moisturiser, and leaves my skin feeling soft and clean. I have noticed an improvement in some old acne scarring as well, which is a bonus. No skincare product is going to work miracles, but this definitely imparts a bit more radiance.

 You know those days when you just feel like your skin is a bit lacklustre? That’s when I pull this baby out of the drawer.

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