Review: Ren Resurfacing AHA Concentrate

Hi everyone, it's the end of January, and as promised, I'm here and I'm ready to get posting again. 

If you weren't already aware, I've been spending the past two or three months with my head in some books in a bid to better myself and the skills I have to offer, not to mention getting on with my NCTJ studies. While all this has been going on, it hasn't left me a huge amount of time to blog, and while I will be continuing along the journey of self-improvement, I'm now keen to dedicate a bit more time to this little space again. I miss the days of daily postings.

Today I want to share one of my favourite secret skincare weapons with you, namely the glorious Ren Resurfacing AHA Concentrate. Now, I'm sure most of you remember the huge buzz surrounding Alpha Hydroxy Acids last year, and I was right there at the forefront, cheering them on. At the time, my product of choice was the wonderfully gentle Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner, but I have to admit that after a few weeks of use, I began to feel a bit disheartened, as the beneficial effects became less and less.

A bit of background, for anyone who was living under a rock last year and has been left scratching their head.

Alpha Hydroxy Acids are a class of either naturally occurring or synthetic (we all know which I prefer!) chemical compounds,  often used in the cosmetics industry in products claiming to reduce lines and wrinkles,. Essentially, they are chemical exfoliants - much less abrasive than scrubbing away at delicate skin with coarse grains - and gently remove dead skin cells to reveal a new, smoother, softer layer of skin underneath - amongst other things.

The Ren Resurfacing AHA Concentrate is comprised of glycolic, lactic, tartaric and citric acids - all naturally occurring in pineapple, passion fruit, lemon and grapes - and aims to promote skin cell turnover, gently resurfacing and decongesting the skin so that pores and fine lines appear reduced,  leaving the complexion bright, smooth and radiant.

At night, apply one pipette onto clean skin, avoiding the delicate eye area. You can follow up with serum if you like, but personally I like to leave this magic potion to do its thing, uninterrupted, so I generally leave it at that. "What, no moisturiser!?" I hear you ask. Well worry not, as this little beauty aids moisture retention too, and as you only use it for a week or so at a time, it certainly doesn't have any detrimental effects on the skin in that department.

Generally speaking, I tend to use this product in two week cycles to get a really dramatic effect without overdoing it, but you can also try using it every other day over a longer period, which works just as well.

This smells divine - reminiscent of all the tropical fruity goodness it contains - and for me, is an absolute pleasure to use.

But does it work? Oh yes. After use, my skin feels baby-soft, plump and smooth, and is left glowing with radiance after a two-week stint. It definitely helps keep skin decongested and free of any unsightly blocked pores too, which is always an added bonus. 

I would recommend this for people of absolutely all skin-types - it may sound scary, but in reality it is extremely gentle and I have never experienced any adverse effects while using it. That said, if you are extremely sensitive then you may want to do a patch test first, and probably only use it a couple of times a week to start with in order to gauge how your skin responds.

TheRen Resurfacing AHA Concentrate may be pricey, coming in at £30 for 30ml, but it lasts an age and is well worth the splurge. And now that it's available from M & S as well as directly from the Ren website, it's even easier to get hold of.

Go forth and buy!! You won't regret this one.

Are you new to AHAs, or are you an old hand? What are your favourite resurfacing products?

xx

Origins Modern Friction

I have never been one to spend a lot of money on exfoliants, as I have always been of the belief that one was more or less the same as another. Truth be told, I have never felt that they made that much of a difference to my skin, although I have, on occasion, noticed a momentary brightening after use, having obviously got my circulation going as I was massaging the product over my face. I bought the Origins Modern Friction on a whim , intrigued by its natural ingredients, but not expecting much (at the the time I had never tried anything from Origins before). 

Modern Friction is touted by Origins as 'nature's gentle dermabrasion'. It is so-called because it uses rice starch, as opposed to coarse chemical crystals, to slough away dead skin cells, thus making it that much gentler, and pores and lines are supposed to appear greatly diminished after use. Modern Friction contains lemon oil for illumination, and vitamin C to mop up any nasty free radicals. Oh - and it also helps to remove any uneven patches, signs of skin damage and discolouration.  All this, sans irritation and redness? Sounds good to me.

So, how did it fare?

The first time I used this, I wasn't all that impressed. In consistency, it seemed like any other exfoliator, although it was thicker than most I've tried, and it also had a pleasant lemony scent.

To use, you massage this onto clean, dry skin (you can leave your skin damp if you've got particularly sensitive skin) in circular motions, before adding a dash of water and working it into a lather. Rinse, pat dry and you're all done.

When I had finished using this for the first time, I didn't notice a huge difference. That was, until the next day. When I was applying my makeup in the morning, I was pleasantly surprised by how radiant and glowing my skin looked, and upon closer inspection I could see that my skin and pores looked really clean.

But it was the second time I used it that it really succeeded in impressing me.

I had some dry, flaky patches on my nose where I had been trying to clear some forever-blocked pores there, and nothing would shift it. Eventually, I decided to give it a quick exfoliate with Modern Friction, but I didn't expect it to make a huge difference, as when I have tried to exfoliate really dry/flakey patches in the past it has only improved the situation by about 20%.

Well, I was wrong. Very wrong. 

I used the product in the same way as I had done before, this time concentrating on my nose, and when I washed the product away I was amazed to see that I  had a perfectly smooth,silky soft nose, without a flake in sight. Ah-mazing.

Since then, I've been using Modern Friction Twice a week, and it has fast become an absolute must-have for me. It's rare for me to suffer from dry skin, but this is not just for people who have this problem. It leaves my skin looking absolutely glowing with health, and I haven't had a single spot since I started using this! Granted, I have been using it in conjunction with the Origins Clear Improvement mask (review coming up), but between the two of them they have done an incredible job.

Have you tried anything from the Origins skincare range? What did you think?

xx