Product Review: REN Clean Skincare Evercalm Gentle Cleansing Milk

After a recent trip (my first ever) to a spa for a girls' day out, I learned that my face isn't considered truly 'normal' since in addition to having an oily T-zone, I have a tendency to dry out during the winter months. Now, if you're more of a makeup addict than a skincare one like me, your skincare routine is next to nil. Mine consists of 'cleansing' with bar soap in the shower daily with some light exfoliation once a week. At the sound of this, my esthetician gasped in horror and asked what kind of soap I used, hoping it was at least a good one -- it is!, but more on that in a later review. Although I apply sunscreen daily and remove makeup with lotion at night, I do little else and entering old(er) age has its disadvantages: having to amp up your skincare routine. Searching for affordable, effective, and safe skincare is no joke. I spent about a week researching all the products she used on me during my facial and popular lines from luxury brands as well as those I'd be able to run to Target and grab on the cheap. I finally found something I quite like and hope you find my review useful.

Ren labels this a 'gentle cleansing milk' and says it's suitable for 'sensitive' skin. It's made in the UK and has a shelflife after opening of 9 months. It is void of: Parabens, Sulfates, Mineral Oil, Petrolatum, Synethic Fragrance, Colours, T.E.A., D.E.A., Glycols, Silicones, PEGs, et. al. Ren is also against animal testing. It touts the following bio extracts: Omega 3 & 7, Peroxidase Enzymes, Flavanoids, Calendula Extract, and Fennel Seed Extract.

On the box:

A gentle cleansing milk that leaves sensitive, delicate and reactive skin purified, calm and soothed. Its multi-action formula eliminates environmental aggressors, increases skin resistance and minimises the signs of chronic irritation and sensitivity that can lead to premature ageing.
Results: Gently removes dirt, pollution and make up. Skin feels purified, calm and soothed. Minimises the feeling of sensitivity. Combats the signs of premature ageing.
Skin type: Sensitive and/or delicate skin. Skin affected by pollution (city life, smoke).
To use: Gently rub between hands. Massage onto face. Rinse off with warm water.
150 ml/5.1 fl. oz. MSRP: $28.00

My thoughts:

The first night I used it, I pumped out about 2.5 mL in total (about 2.5 pumps) because I started applying it to the lower half of my face first. I needed extra for my mascara, so I had to pump out about 0.5 mL more to concentrate the product onto my eyes. I could visually see my eyeliner and mascara coming off as I carefully massaged the 'cream' around my eye area. Shockingly, it never stung and I could even keep one eye open as I applied product to the other. The texture is more like a light lotion than a milk as milks are generally more liquid and less viscous -- much like a watery gel. This, however, holds its shape once pumped out, doesn't glide down your face, and doesn't foam or feel too slippery. It didn't have a strong smell and I would say it has a very light fragrance (probably due to the Calendula Extract) -- not an odor, for sure, which didn't really persist after rinsing. Calendula smells kind of like a mixture of cucumber with a hint of floral.

After rinsing, it didn't give me the 'squeaky clean' feel, which, I learned, wasn't necessarily a good thing because it means the product might be stripping your skin of its natural oils and moisture. My skin didn't feel the least bit irritated or dry. Rinsing well still left my hands with an oily residue which was quickly remedied by wiping off, so that wasn't a problem. On the second night I used it, I used about 1.5 mL since I learned to concentrate the product on my eyes first since I normally don't apply foundation to the lower half of my face. That worked out much better. You can find out how much eye makeup was left after my first try below (2nd time around, I got all my mascara off!).

I'll let you know how it works out. Seems like a keeper so far and I haven't broken out yet, so that's a good sign! I bought it at Nordstrom.