REN Skincare is one of the most sought-after cult skincare brand in Malaysia and it’s understandable why.
The gentle, eco-friendly skincare brand is all about creating clean skincare that doesn’t pollute the environment and has a suite of products that seem to be tested and proven to work.
The brand’s claims do sound good, but is REN Skincare good and really worth the hype?
If you’re looking for a REN Skincare review, read on to see our analysis, from going through their ingredients, to listing their best-selling products, and curating the most authentic consumer reviews.
What are the key ingredients used in REN Skincare?
REN Skincare claims that their brand is made for all skin types, with non-irritating ingredients and pH-balanced formula.
Is REN Skincare good?
While the brand states that they don’t include irritating ingredients in their roster, that’s only partially true.
That’s because some of their products contain fragrant essential oils or fragrance blends. The way most synthetic or natural fragrance ingredients convey scent through a vaporous reaction. And in most cases, this natural reaction causes a sensitising reaction on the skin.
Despite the fragrance, there are many good ingredients included in REN Skincare products, such as lactic acid and grapeseed oil. Lactic acid is known for its ability to exfoliate the skin and remove dead skin cells, while grapeseed oil helps replenish the skin’s barrier function.
Where can you buy REN Skincare in Malaysia?
- Cult Beauty: One of the largest beauty retailers in the world, Cult Beauty stocks more than 50 products from REN Skincare at the time of writing. Prices are very reasonable and selected products also extend free worldwide shipping so you can certainly get some savings. Shop here.
- Lookfantastic: The largest beauty e-commerce platform in Europe, LookFantastic’s Singapore website (which ships to Malaysia) carries REN Skincare. Offering over 50 items from the brand, the website organises the products based on their ranges to make shopping a total breeze. They also often extend promotions and free shipping on certain products, so it’s worthwhile to check them out from time to time. Shop here.
- Ken’s Apothecary: A well-known local retailer with a drugstore concept, Ken’s Apothecary distributes REN Skincare products in Malaysia. With more than 50 products listed, the website definitely offers you a wide selection so you can find what you want. Shop here.
Is REN Skincare good? See reviews of the most popular products
REN Skincare’s product range has various items, including products for dry, acne-prone, sensitive skin, anti-ageing products, and anti-ageing products. The collection also includes lip care items, masks, toners, retinoids, all-over body cream, and body washes.
Is REN Skincare good? To get the answer to this question, we put their top three bestselling products under the spotlight; we’ve compiled reviews on it and also helped you suss out the retailer with that offers the product at the cheapest price before shipping (at the time of writing).
Note, however, that Lookfantastic often extends attractive promotions, so you should definitely check them out, in case you miss out on a good deal. For instance, Lookfantastic is offering 25% off on products mentioned below at the time of writing.
REN Skincare Glycol Lactic Mask
The REN Skincare Glycol Lactic Mask claims to tighten pores and brighten skin in just ten minutes. This mask contains natural fruit-derived acids to help restore your skin’s healthy glow, lighten and firm the appearance of hyperpigmentation, and smooth skin texture.
Perfect for those with congested, sun-damaged, and mature skin, the product works because it is made with 5-6.5% Glycolic Acid that gently and effectively exfoliates skin, revealing a healthy glow. A bestseller at REN Skincare, most users repurchase it after their first try and never switch to other products after.
Reviews: Reviewers on MakeupAlley warn that the product is quite sticky and that it leaves a tingling feeling on the skin after application. The texture has made many of them unwilling to repurchase the product.
Many reviewers who say that they have sensitive skin also didn’t like it very much, saying that it’s too “strong” for them.
However, the product still received a very decent rating of four out of five stars, with many reviewers saying that they really saw results after application. Many said that it left their skin glowing, with some calling it their “holy grail”.
Retails for RM175 at Ken’s Apothecary.
REN Skincare Glow Daily AHA Tonic
The REN Skincare Glow Daily AHA Tonic is a resurfacing toner as well as a face exfoliator. It diminishes the appearance of your pores, stimulates natural cell turnover to help even your skin tone, and promotes a healthy glow to the skin.
This product is highly sought-after for smoothing skin texture, reducing pore size, as well as delivering a coveted glow.
Reviews: This product received a good rating of 4.2 stars on MakeupAlley, with 77% saying that they would repurchase it. There were many full-marks reviews that say that the product helped get rid of blackheads, reduce congestion, and prevent the appearance of acne. The ones that disliked the product complained about it irritating their skin.
Retails for RM130 at Ken’s Apothecary.
While Ken’s Apothecary offers it at the cheapest price, you may want to check out Cult Beauty, which offers the product at different sizes. For instance, you can consider getting the 100ml bottle at £15 (~RM85.60) so you don’t have to commit to a large bottle.
REN Skincare Clean Jelly Oil Cleanser
The REN Skincare Clean Jelly Oil Cleanser is a gentle, three-phase, oil-based cleanser that effectively removes pollution, SPF, and waterproof makeup. Unlike other cleansers, this one cleans deep into your skin without stripping it of its natural moisture.
One cool thing about this cleanser is that the texture shifts three times while you use it, starting as jelly and shifts to oil and then milk to gently wash away pollution, dirt, and makeup for clean, soft skin.
Reviews: This 3-in-1 cleanser received four out of five stars on Dermstore. Some complained about the thick texture but even those who hated the texture admitted that the product works extremely well and is able to remove even the most stubborn makeup.
Retails for RM129 at Ken’s Apothecary.
Is REN Skincare good? What do users say about their products?
Is REN Skincare good? Well, these genuine users’ reviews may give you an idea about whether the products really work or are overrated.
Popular review site MakeupAlley records an overall rating of 3.9-star for the brand, from 1,458 reviews. Of which, 67% of reviewers said that they will repurchase REN Skincare’s products.
Interestingly, the top rated product on MakeupAlley wasn’t one of the three top-sellers that we mentioned above, but the Vita Mineral Omega 3 Optimum Skin Oil.
Reviewers find that the product helps smooth and hydrate their skin without leaving a greasy sensation even though it’s oil.
On Dermstore, the Evercalm Overnight Recovery Balm stood out from the rest. This night cream received a five-star rating from 69 people (that’s 92% of all reviewers).
Many reviewers raved about how the product reduces dryness effectively, even during winter and that it calms sensitive skin.
