Now the seasons are changing, many of us are looking to change up our skincare routines. When the temperatures begin to drop, my dry skin becomes even drier, and I reach for more hydrating and replenishing formulas. I was recently introduced to IRÉN Skin skincare, and I’ve been trialling four of their skincare products over the last month or so.
IRÉN Skin are a 100% vegan, clean, non-toxic skincare brand from Japan. Their products are made for smart women who want to know what skincare ingredients they are putting onto their face, and IRÉN is one of the first clean beauty brands in Japan that uses time-tested Japanese ingredients enhanced with our patented cosmetic technology.
The brand has a powerful ethos, in that they want to ensure 100% transparency, and they’ve made it their mission to empower women with the skills to understand ingredient lists, even if they have no chemistry background, and decide for themselves if the product is what they need. Skincare products and ingredients can be so overwhelming, so IRÉN takes the confusion away with simple, understandable ingredients lists, so you know exactly what you are and aren’t applying to your skin.
IRÉN Skin Start Afresh Daily Enzyme Powder Wash
The IRÉN Skin Start Afresh Daily Enzyme Powder Wash is a gentle daily powder wash with triple cleansing action to remove dirt, sebum and old keratin whilst leaving skin soft and supple. Its formula contained Sorbitol and Hyaluronic Acid to help retain moisture whilst skin is thoroughly cleansed.
Key Ingredients
- Japanese Rice Bran: A natural ingredient that contains essential fatty acids, it gently resurfaces and exfoliates the skin to reveal a healthy glow without drying the skin.
- Hyaluronic Acid & Sorbitol: Excellent water-binding ingredients that help retain moisture while skin is thoroughly cleansed.
- Actinidia Chinensis (Kiwifruit) Extract: Protease, a protein-dissolving enzyme derived from kiwi fruit, it effectively exfoliates pore-clogging dead skin cells and old keratin plugs for a smooth and renewed complexion.
- Lipase: A sebum-dissolving enzyme derived from microfungus that minimizes excess oil to keep skin fresh, radiant and refined.
This powder wash has been designed to have a non-drying formula that contains Japanese rice bran, which is a natural ingredient with soothing enzymes and antioxidant properties, which effectively resurface and gently exfoliate the skin to reveal a healthy glow.
The directions are simple, you flip the lid open and pour the powder from the bottle into your wet palm, mix in a little water and rub your hands together to form a foaming paste before massaging onto the skin in circular motions. I’ve used powder washes before, and I love the whole rub to activate format, and you can dispense as much or as a little product as you want.
Whilst it is a foaming cleanser, and I’d usually steer well clear due to how stripping foaming formulas can be. I don’t find the IRÉN Skin Super Gentle Daily Powder Wash to be stripping, but it does a nice job at cleansing the skin, and gently exfoliates the skin to leave it feeling super soft, smooth and radiant.
The next products are three of their serums from the IRÉN Skin Superfruit Boosters Serums which come in seven different types, each of which are designed to target different skincare concerns. They are said to work synergistically together, allowing you to use multiple serums for your different skincare concerns.
These highly concentrated serums use the patented Ziplock Encapsulation Technology created to strategically release actives into cells, allowing high permeability, easy application and efficacy. They’re all said to be infused with natural superfruits which are free from paraben, alcohol and silicone.
Each of the serums comes in different coloured glass bottles, with white screw on lids. As you unscrew the lid, the top of the lid lifts to work as a button for the glass pipette. This packaging is so cool, and I really like how compact they are, and the idea that you can mix the boosters together, or use them for different areas of the face.
The first booster I chose was the IRÉN Skin Clearer Days Anti-Blemish Serum, which is infused with Mangosteen, White Willow, Oat Kernel, Witch Hazel and Aloe Vera. IRÉN describe this particular booster as being an advanced 3-phase skin perfecting treatment to combat sebum, imperfections and acne in three phases: 1) target overactive sebum, 2) calm and heal irritated skin and 3) protect against future breakouts.
This booster works to improve acne, blemishes and also inflamed skin. So it helps when you have a spot beginning under the skin’s surface to help treat the cause of the blemish, but also to help with any inflammation, which is often worse than the blemish itself.
Next is the IRÉN Skin Glow Getter Renewal Serum, which is infused with Pumpkin extract, Oat Kernel and Provitamin B5. The Glow Getter activates the skin resurfacing and repairing process to reveal healthy-looking skin with a natural glow.
It combines a gentle yet powerful blend of exfoliants, enzymes and probiotics, which work together to kick-start the skin renewal mechanism in order to smooth away roughness, refine pores and restore dull skin to a vibrant and glowing state.
If you have skin texture issues, you’ll really enjoy this serum as it does a great job at sloughing away dead skin cells which really does leave the skin looking brighter, and with a radiant glow. It also works well alongside the blemish serum to keep the skin clean, clear and clarified.
Then the final booster serum is the IRÉN Skin Quench Up Hydrating Serum, which was the serum I was most looking forward to using. Stick quench in the name, and I’m sold. This serum is infused with Blueberry superfruit, 4% NMF Solution and Hyaluronic Acid, and contains 12 moisturizing ingredients and provides up to 12 times the moisture for dehydrated skin.
This serum utilises multiple moisturising agents to intensely hydrate the skin, and help you regain a plump and dewy complexion. I like using this serum all over the face, but it’s also the most versatile as you can blend a couple of drops with any of the other boosters for an extra hydration boost. You can even add a couple of drops into your moisturiser or masks, for extra hydration which is such a genius idea.
I really hope you’ve found this IRÉN Skin brand introduction helpful, and it’s inspired you to give their products a try.
You can find the IRÉN Skin products on their website right here.
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