REN Bio Retinoid Anti-Ageing Concentrate

REN sent me their latest product, Bio Retinoid Anti-Ageing Concentrate to try.  I don't like to review skincare products without using them for a reasonable amount of time, so this review has been in the works for a while.  I have used this for a month now.

Retinoid is a derivative from Vitamin A.  The first retinoid, tretinoin (better know as Retin-A), is pretty much the only ingredient that has been proven to reduce fine lines & wrinkles.  It works by speeding up your skin's renewal process (ie gets rid of dead skin cells faster) and impeding the breakdown of collagen in your skin.

This all sounds fantastic but having used Retin-A and Differin (another type of topical retinol) for acne in my teens, I know there is a major drawback - red, irritated flaky skin (and worse breakouts if your skin is spotty).

So this is where REN comes in.  Their Bio Retinoid Anti-Ageing Concentrate is all naturally derived and claims to deliver all the results without the irritation.

All previous topical retinols I have used before are either in cream or gel form, so it's a nice surprise to find the retinoid being delivered via oil form.

Now to the actual product. The texture is as with most face oils - it is very fluid and easy to apply.  The oil is bright orange and smells slightly nutty.  I applied it at night to my face and neck, and massaged it into my skin.  It takes a while for the product to absorb, so don't expect it to sink into your skin immediately.

Claims from REN:

A synergistic complex of pure, potent, 100% nature derived Vitamin A, Pro Vitamin A and Retinoid Analogue that combats the appearance of wrinkles, imperfections and age spots leaving the complexion visibly younger, smoother and brighter without the irritating effects of synthetic Retinol.

Results:

• Skin appears smoother and younger
• Complexion appears brighter and more even toned
• Reduces the appearance of wrinkles, age spots and imperfections
• Skin looks firmer, plumper, healthier

I don't have any wrinkles or fine lines yet so cannot comment on whether the Bio Retinoid Anti-Ageing Concentrate is concentrated enough to deliver wrinkle eradicating results (to see results on wrinkles, dermatologists recommend use of retinol for at least 6 months).  I can say my skin did not get any irritation from this product at all, and I found it very moisturising - I can do without my usual moisturiser when using this (I have combination/oily skin).  In the mornings my skin looks bright & clear and feels very soft.  I did not get any flakiness or breakouts.  I have a bit of hyperpigmentation on my cheek from acne scarring and sadly this did not get rid of that (but to be fair it has been there for 10+ years so probably only laser will get rid of it).

At £42, I think this is a good buy.  I genuinely like this product and will continue using it.  I would recommend this to those who are in their late 20s/early 30s and above.

It launches in the UK on 1st March but is available at Space NK and renskincare.com now.

Ingredients:

Rosa Rubiginosa Seed Oil, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Gossypium Harbaceum (Cotton) Seed Oil, Bidens Pilosa Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Parfum (Fragrance), Linum Usitatissimum (Linseed) Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Linalool.
*100% Natural Fragrance

* PR sample from REN.  They sent it for me to try and did not ask me to write a review for the product.