Ren, meaning clean in Swedish, is another one of those brands thats made a big splash on the beauty scene. The brand has been around for nearly 15 years, but it seems in just the last few, with items like the Radiance Renewl mask, the brand has garnered itself a cult status. Founded in London by Robert Calcraft and Antony Buck, the products are said to only be made of 100% plant and mineral derived actives and are free of skin unfriendly synthetic materials.

I’ve wanted to see what all the buzz was about and picked up The Glow and Go!* set from Sephora to test it out for myself. The set includes .67 Oz of the Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial, and .67 Oz of the Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask. I’ve used both products several times now and feel like I can finally give a full review!

The Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask* is a mix of four different fruit derived acids (Lactic, Glycolic, Citric, & Tartaric) that Ren claims will gently exfoliate the skin, lift dead skin cells, even texture, brighten, firm, and lessen hyper pigmentation and old scarring. Yeah, I wish I could do so much at once too.

Lactic Acid (from passion fruit), Glycolic Acid (from pineapples), Tartaric Acid (from grapes) and Citric Acid (from lemons) are all Alpha Hydroxy Acids, a weaker acid known for exfoliating properties. AHA’s shred dead skin cells, creating a more even textured skin thus creating a “radiance” effect, because the newer, more even the skin is, the more glowing it will appear. These acids also have anti aging benefits, with decreasing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by stimulating collagen production therefore creating the feeling of firmer skin.

AHA’s are also great for lightening sun spots and hyper pigmentation. You can use AHA’s for acne, but the Radiance Renewal mask I would only recommend for more mature or dehydrated skin types with anti aging as a concern. The times I used this when I had more broken out and sensitive skin I found this mask to be way to harsh and it stung something fierce. I think its best to stay away if you have younger, blemish prone skin.

I’ve completely gone through the Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask now, and if I hadn’t already anticipated its end coming with ordering the full size of this guy I would be tempted to take scissors to the tube and fish out what was left. So obviously, from the previous sentence, you can tell I liked this guy. a lot. I got at least 10 applications out of this little tube, which is a surprisingly large amount considering the small size. The texture is like a marmalade, and it has a fruity almost jelly bean scent. You apply it to dry, clean skin and leave on for about 10 minutes (I would usually leave it on much longer) and then rinse with warm water. Using this pretty regularly over the last few months made a pretty noticeable difference to my skin texture; make up went on smoother, hyper pigmentation went down faster, and I would say it gave a sense of firmness. Thumbs up all around for this guy!

Ren’s Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial* claims to give smoother more toned, brighter and firmer skin while also reducing signs of fatigue and photo aging. I would say it did most of those things but not to the extent some reviews would have had me believe. The Vitamin C in this guy comes from Ascorbic Acid, which is supposedly an unstable form known to degenerate that Ren claims to have stabilized by adding silica, creating fresh vitamin c with each use. Vitamin C, for those that don’t know, is great at boosting collagen production (firming skin), is loaded with anti oxidants and is great at fading hyper pigmentation. It’s one of those amazing ingredients anyone interested in anti aging, or just protecting their skin should invest in.

Flash Rinse also include Boswellic Acid, and acid derived from the resin of Boswellia trees, the same tree family we get Frankincense from. Boswellic Acid is known for its anti inflammatory benefits, taming redness, as well as constricting the pores which gives a smoother appearance to the skin. It is known to help with UV damaged skin, which makes it in great company with Vitamin C, which is also known for its help in reversing sun damage as well as boosting your skins own defense against UV exposure.

I really like the ingredients in this product but find them a little wasted in this quick-usage-application. It seems almost a little gimmicky to me to use in such a short time frame; and it’s also rather labor intensive to use. You apply it to clean, dry skin, then dampen your finger tips, massaging in the water to activate. You then let it sit for 1 minute and then rinse.

It did give a quick glow to my skin, but I think I have had the same results or better from using a good Vitamin C serum with fewer steps involved. I’d also not recommend this for the sensitive skin types, it can be irritating when used on broken, blemished skin. I’d say the best usage for this guy is when you’ve had a long ass day and still need to look fresh when you’re going out later. It can provide a fun quick pick me up, but nothing lasting. At least it didn’t with me. I won’t be investing in the full size any time soon.

Glow and Go!* was a fun little kit to use, and also super travel friendly! They were great for throwing in my bag to add that little something extra to my skin care when I was on the road. I can thank the Radiance Renewal for helping me through the holidays in Michigan. These two have definitely peaked my interest in trying out more of what Ren has to offer! I’d love to know if you have any favorites from the line that I must check out!

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