I don’t have a lot of experience with REN skincare, but that is going to change. I’ve started using their Keep Young & Beautiful SH²C Serum as part of my morning skincare routine and I LOVE it. I became obsessed with learning more about the line after discovering it at Space NK in Florida. They had the best sales associate ever and she was so happy to share product knowledge with me. I am the perfect audience for a well informed SA – give me all the information! REN says it very well on their website:

REN Clean Skincare gives you healthier, more beautiful skin that looks younger for longer.

REN’s philosophy of Clean Skincare can be summed up in three words: Performance, Purity, Pleasure

Performance: REN gives you groundbreaking product formulation, the latest hi-tech actives, rigorous product testing and clinically proven results.

Purity: REN uses only 100% plant and mineral derived actives and is free from skin-unfriendly synthetic ingredients *.

Pleasure: We believe that the texture, fragrance and experience of using REN can make the world a slightly nicer place to be and make us feel slightly nicer being here.

I took a few samples home with me, and obviously I had to try Keep Young & Beautiful SH²C Serum. If you read Daly Beauty regularly, you know I am a serum fanatic. I love the light texture, as it works perfectly on my oily acne prone skin, while delivering the goods right to the dermis without any heavy ingredients. REN Keep Young & Beautiful SH²C Serum  is chock full of  goodness which is as effective as it is natural. It utilizes bio-extracts which include hexapeptides from yeast, to stimulate skin renewal, native peptides to smooth expression lines, glycosaminoglycans to provide lasting hydration and hyaluronic acid to increase moisture levels and plump the skin. It also contains sirtuin, which increases the life of skin cells and helps with natural repair, and vitamin C to correct skin tone and provide the protection you get from antioxidents.

I notice an immediate hydration and glow upon application. I am skeptical and get super up close and personal with my mirror on a regular basis. You know what I mean ladies. The magnifying mirror, the one that shows us our pores and lines  in all their splendour. REN KYB serum has an instant tightening feeling, and my skin is definitely smoother. I’d like to think my lines are less noticeable, as after a week of regular use I like myself in photos better. By lines I’m referring to the super fine lines around my eyes, and some of those around my lips. I use it once a day, mostly because I have, erm, a lot of beauty stuff. But I want to spend a week or two using it morning and night and see if I notice a more dramatic effect.

I had read reviews of this that mention a bad smell. I notice a scent for sure, sort of yeasty perhaps. It reminds of the scent found in most products containing glycolic acid and it disappears within a minute or two. In other words, it doesn’t bother me.

Verdict? Love. At $65 for a 30ml bottle, it is at the higher end of skincare, but still less than most comparable department store serums. I will continue to use this because I love it!  You can buy it online from REN, Sephora and Space NK Apothecary.