Product Review: REN Skincare, Invisible Pores Detox Mask (£18.00, 50ml)

My review of REN’s glycolactic radiance renewal mask was full of positivity. And I can tell you straight off the bat that this isn’t going to be much different.

REN’s invisible pores mask, as the title makes obvious, is designed to reduce pore size and leave the skin purified, smooth and toned. Like other REN masks, I have found that this lives up the blurb and the premium natural content makes this worth the very reasonable price tag of £18.00.

You just smooth just a relatively generous amount over the desired area (likely spots include your t-zone and/or on the cheekbone) after cleansing and leave on for a few minutes. You can then wash the mask off with warm water. Use a pad to remove if you wish but I certainly haven’t found this necessary.

The result is immediately satisfying. The biggest impact is definitely on the smoothness of the skin. My skin feels baby-ish smooth for a (relatively) short time after using the mask. Pores are visibly reduced, and my skin is left feeling toned but not tight. I would still normally follow up with an active serum (perhaps something from Aesop) to keep hydrated, though just see how you go.

As this is a clay-based formula (with fatty acids (from red tea) to get that smoothness) is a good choice for skin that produces excess sebum and is prone to oily shininess. If you have dry skin I’d steer clear and stick to more gentle cleansing.

Use as and when required, but probably not more than once or twice a week – you don’t want to leave the skin devoid of any natural oils (which are frustratingly required).

Enjoy!

Product Review: REN Skincare, Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask (£30.00, 50ml)

The lovely people at REN sent me a sample of this glycolactic radiance renewal mask a while ago. I've now tested it out four or five times, so I finally feel able to say something about it.

I've had limited success with masks in the past. I remember using an awesome matifying mask from Dior Homme Dermo System circa 2008 (it really worked), but other than that I've been underwhelmed on a number of occasions. 

But this award-winning offering from REN has, I must admit, left me feeling pretty good about face masks of late. With a beeswax-like texture, and a scent of grapefruit and papaya, I almost felt like I was in a spa in Bali rather than my Barbican bathroom when I put this on for the first time.

And the tropical fruits are not just to perfume this product. The natural acids from the lemon, grape and pineapple all detoxify and cleanse, while helping reveal a new layer of fresh epidermis to the world. Because this is REN, there's no chemical peel here, which should make this product fairly safe to use for all except those with incredibly delicate skin. I've certainly not found the mask to cause any irritation.

After leaving the mask on for around 10 minutes (I usually go a little longer because I'm too busy inhaling the tropicana), you wipe off the excess gel-like goodness from your face and then rinse. 

Although not particularly cheap, as you only need to use this weekly (or maybe even just before that night out or special occasion), the £30.00 should take you quite a long way. I've used a 15ml sample and I've had around five applications with still some to spare.

Just one warning: there will be no taking of "face mask selfies" using this. The mask is almost translucent, and is not a mud mask or similar where you get to answer your front door to strangers and scare the sh*t out of them.