Earlier this year the lovely folk at REN Clean Skincare sent me some products from their Combination to oily skin range to test out. With Skincare I prefer to take my time using it in order to get as accurate a review as possible since ones skin first needs to adjust and then rebalance according to the new Skincare before true results are seen.

REN is an excellent brand for all my Eco-conscious readers since their products don’t contain any parabens, sulfates, mineral oil, petrolatum, synthetic fragrances, synthetic colors, T.E.A, D.E.A, glycols or silicones! REN are also against animal testing and are dermatologist tested and approved. So they certainly check all the right boxes and you can rest-assured that you are only putting good clean stuff onto your delicate skin.

So for the past month morning and evening I have been washing my face with REN’s Mayblossom T-Zone Control Cleansing Gel (R309 for 150ml). The Cleansing Gel is a balancing and antibacterial facial cleansing gel for skin prone to oiliness and breakouts, particularly the T-Zone and contains Mayblossom extracts, Blue Cypress oil, Flavonoids, Salicilin and Guaiazulene. I have quite an oil prone T-Zone and always keep some mattifying wipes on hand for any possible midday shine but I found myself barely reaching for those since using this trio. The scent of the cleansing gel is primarily lavender and while it isn’t my favorite scent it does have a very soothing effect on ones skin and I did see a reduction in any skin redness after use.

One pump massaged onto the face (note it doesn’t foam) and then rinsed with warm water leaves my skin feeling soft, matte and surprisingly toned. I found when using this I didn’t need to use a toner at all since there wasn’t any excess oil residue.

Together with the cleanser I used REN’s T-Zone Balancing Day Fluid (R419 for 50ml). For a day cream it promises to balance combination skin, reduce shine and mattify the T-zone while hydrating drier areas. It also contains Mayblossom and Salicilin as well as Japanese Konjac Root and a Global Protection Complex. The main fragrance is once again lavender but it is more of a “creamy” lavender rather than an old granny scent. The Fluid is a cream which I found interesting as is was expecting a more gel-like base however the cream was incredibly moisturizing without any oiliness as one would imagine from a cream.

You do need to massage the cream in quite well to fully absorb but once massaged in it stays put. My skin has been feeling much more hydrated and balanced. I am also happy to have no shine even with the heat wave we have had the last couple weeks.

Finally my new obsession…REN’s Invisible Pores Detox Mask (R329 for 50ml). I have almost finished this mask since it is such a miracle-worker. It is French Clay based with Tropical Spirulina and lavender oil and works wonders at reducing the size and life span of pimples. If I feel a possible hormonal pimple appearing I slap this mask on and by the next day the spot is gone! It is also very soothing helps to draw out any blackheads. I like that they say that it reduces the “appearance” of pores instead of falsely stating that it shrinks pores (note to other beauty brands,we all know pores cannot be shrunken). However clearing out any oil residue and buildup can create the look of smaller pores such is the case with REN’s Detox Mask.

REN Skincare now have an online store which you can check out over here RENSkincare.co.za Aside from their Skincare they also have a bodycare range called Moroccan Rose which sounds divine!