Review: REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask

I started using this mask back in March and it has had a definite impact to my face. I'll start off with my skin condition and problems then I'll mention how this has made a difference to my skin.

I suffer from regular mild acne, I get the one massive zit on my face on a place where it just screams "Hi!" to everyone and I also get clusters of blocked pores that stay under the skin that don't go away or come out. Especially when I have foundation on, they seem to get highlighted even more than normal, giving me a really uneven rough texture and finish to my skin. These specific "bumps" that I have are something that I've had to deal with for a very long time and have become a slight obsession for me. That is my dream, to have a smooth polished bump free finish to my skin, where when the light hits it, it just bounces back off again. That is my ultimate skincare goal! Another dream that goes hand in hand with this polished finish is to have an even skintone and no acne marks. My acne leaves dark marks on my skin even if I don't pick them or touch them. They just scar and stay for months on end. I also get dry patches on my nose and just general rough texture so I need to make sure I exfoliate regularly because my skin is too lazy to do it on its own. My skin looks dull very easily if I don't keep ontop of it. Being South Asian, I suffer from uneven skin tone and hyperpigmentation. 

My hyperpigmentation is hormonal so there isn't much that I can do about it apart from regular exfoliation and spf to make sure it doesn't get worse. My skin is a multitude of shades, my cheeks are around NC35. My forhead is NC40 and the area around my mouth is an NC42 to NC43. So you can understand why having an even skintone is so important to me. The different tones on my face sort of blend in with each other so it's not instantly noticeable but if you look carefully it is definitely noticeable and especially after putting foundation on it stands out even more and those areas turn hideously grey.

This mask covers all these areas of my concerns since it contains AHA's. Aha's are my life! They've helped improve my skin tons! Here's what REN says about this mask: 

A potent bio active peel mask designed to renew the complexion, reduce the appearance of fine lines and dramatically improve skin tone. 

Results:

• Removes dead skin cells to renew the complexion.
• Skin looks brighter, healthier, more radiant.
• Helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
• Combats congestion, blackheads and blemishes.

How to use: 

Apply a generous amount onto clean skin over the face and neck, avoiding the eye area. Leave for 10 minutes. Dampen enclosed cloth and gently wipe off mask. Rinse skin with warm water. Slight tingling may be experienced during application. Use weekly. Not recommended for sensitive skin or for use just after shaving. 

The texture of this mask is like jam, it looks like marmalade and smells rather fruity and citrusy. I apply it with a flat foundation brush and use no more than a pump, sometimes half. The first time I used it I left it on for the recommended 10 mins, it didn't do much for my skin whatsoever. The second time I left it on for 40 mins, this time the results were much better, my skin felt sooo much smoother! I read somewhere that some people left it on overnight, so I decided to do that as well since I realised my skin seemed to tolerate it too well. I woke up the next morning and my face felt like butter, it was uber smooth and soft. It was awkward sleeping with it because it's rather sticky but I kept my hair up and put a sheet on my pillow. I remove the mask with the muslin cloth that comes with it.

My skin doesn't react negatively leaving it on overnight, and my skin isn't relatively sensitive, but everyone's skin is different so if you have doubts or have sensitive skin do a patch test!!!!

After using it a good few times I noticed my acne marks were lightening dramatically, and my skin was getting smoother in texture, I was also hardly breaking out. I was using it 2-3 times a week and my skin seemed to handle this fine. I think this is because my skin is used to AHA's. At 6.5% glycolic acid this is quite mild. So I wouldn't say it's a miracle product but it definitely works and has improved my skin a ton. At £30 it is quite pricey, so I recommend you check on Ebay or TK Maxx where I've seen it considerably cheaper. A little goes a long way, now that I keep it on overnight i use less than a pump and spread it out evenly, concentrating on my trouble spots. Adding this to my routine has changed my life and now I feel much more confident to keep my skin bare and makeup free, I also opt for lighter coverage and tinted moisturisers! I will be doing an updated skincare routine, since it's changed dramatically, so keep an eye out!

I do recommend this product if you are new to Aha's. Do remember to use a high SPF to protect the newer layer of skin and to make sure you don't reverse the good effects.