My new love: REN skincare

I've been trying out some REN and Paul & Joe skincare items, and have been loving the results so far!

The REN products, I've tried:

• the no.1 Purity Cleansing Balm
• Omega 3 Overnight Lipid Renewal Serum
• Osmotic Infusion Ultra Moisture Day Cream

REN's philosophy is to use skin-friendly ingredients, and do not contain potential irritants such as parabens, synthetic colours and fragrances (ideal for my senstive skin!)

The no.1 Purity Cleansing Balm

This is the first cleanser in balm form that I've tried, but I've got to say, I've truly fallen in love with it! It truly makes my skin glow, and it's abit sad but I now find cleansing my skin such a pleasant experience as I look forward to using this product everyday.

The texture is a thick, rich balm:

It has a beautiful rose scent, and it's ingredients include exotic sounding things like Pink Violet Leaf extract and Roman Camomile Oil. The balm is used by massaging it into a dry face and neck for 1-2mins. Water is then added to emulsify the product into a milk which is then rinsed off.

After using the cleansing balm, my skin felt perfectly cleansed I noticed that it gave my skin a pretty glow:

post cleansed, pre-toned skin

This glow, however, could be attributed to the 2 minute facial massage when applying the balm.
Pros:

• throroughly cleansed my skin, and removed makeup well
• smells amazing (I love rose scented products!)
• gave my skin a beautiful glow

Cons:

• rather time consuming to use (with the 1-2min massage and all)
• more difficult to wash off than gel and cream cleansers

I love this product and give it a rating of 5/5

Omega 3 Overnight Lipid Renewal Serum

A serum that claims to restore and enhance the skin's lipid structure to stimulate renewal and regeneration. In addition it is said to boost moisture and soothe skin sensitivity.

A blend of natural oils, the texture of this serum is that of an extremely light oil

The scent of the serum has been described disturbingly lickable, though some have described it to smell like fish oils. I found the scent to be somewhere in between these two descriptions. Not amazing smelling, but not unpleasant either.

Pros:

• It melts onto the skin easily, and I found great to use for soothing dry winter skin. After using it, I would wake up the next day with smooth, comforted skin

Cons:

• Might be too rich for oily skin

Rating 4/5

Osmotic Infusion Ultra-Moisture Day Cream

This is a creamy day moisturizer specially suited for dry, dehydrated skin. Contains ceramide, phospholipids and omega 6 which claim to boost skin's repair function to restore softness and elasticity.
Like the cleansing balm, this cream had a nice rose scent. I like to mix it with the omega 3 serum in the mornings for perfectly soothed and smooth skin. I found this a great winter moisturizer, and is gentle enough for sensitive skin.

Pros:

• soothing and moisturising, great for winter
• nice scent

Cons:

• could be too rich for oily/combination skin
• good basic moisturizer, but not spectacular

Rating 3.5/5