By World Fashion Blogs February 14, 2012
REN skincare is a beauty/skincare brand that uses the latest hi-tech bio actives and is free from skin-unfriendly ingredients. A Q&A with Rui Branco, Director of Education REN. 'If I was trapped on a desert island, my “secret product” would have to be the Omega 3 Night Repair Serum.’
REN skincare doesn’t use skin unfriendly ingredients. Why is this so important?
‘REN doesn’t talk about any reputed dangers in skincare; instead we offer a clean formula free from potentially skin irritating ingredients so that our consumers have the option of using an effective, luxurious brand without ingredients that can be reactive to the skin. Many modern cosmetic products contain harsh ingredients or pore blocking mineral oil. Unfortunately some people do have reactivity to synthetic ingredients, but this does not indicate that synthetic ingredients are dangerous. Simply by starting with a mineral oil free cleanser means that there is no need for a harsh toner afterwards or a moisturiser that is probably too rich for your skin type. This way you are already avoiding mineral oil, the drying effects of alcohol, or over stimulating the skin with an incorrect moisturiser. 100% natural skincare may be 100% natural, but it doesn’t take into account efficiency. Proven ingredient benefits are down to the efficacy and understanding of bio actives and bio science which REN utilises in all of it products. REN’s ultimate goal is to combine the performance and results with a clean natural ethos to form a new identity in the dermo-comestic industry. Skincare as it should be.’
What range of products are there?
‘REN offers something for everyone, men or women of any age. At REN, we talk more about the various skin types and concerns and how to solve or correct these in a Clean Hi-Tech manner without compromising performance and texture of the products. We offer a variety of products that will restore balance and comfort to the skin, leaving it radiantly beautiful and healthy.’
What are the latest releases of REN?
‘Bio Retinoid Anti-Ageing Concentrate (March 2012), Clarying Toning Lotion (April 2012), Photoactive Sun Veil SPF15 (May 2012).’
What is your favorite REN skincare product?
‘This was really hard for me, as all the products I use in my regime I thoroughly like. I suppose if I was trapped on a desert island, my “secret product” would have to be the Omega 3 Night Repair Serum. But I’m so tempted to write the Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask. Both are truly amazing products.
The reason why I love these two products so much, it’s simple. Omega 3 instantly restores my skin back to normal after exposure to environmental and urban stresses. It’s healing and repairing properties make sure that my skin is ready to take on the next day. Considering my skin really doesn’t like heavy products (creams) at night, this is a perfect night remedy for my skin. Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask is a beautician in a bottle. Every time I use this little gem, people comment on my skin. How soft, radiant and healthy it looks. Since I travel a fair bit for my work, I need my skin to look its best, and this product certainly promises just that. I always say that skincare is like your membership to the gym, but Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask is your weekly session with the personal gym instructor included.’
You train a lot of people, what is the best testimonial you heard about REN?
‘In the few years that I have been with REN there have been so many life changing stories. The one that touched me was a very similar story to mine.
A young woman (early 30s) had severe acne and she had tried just about everything on the market – doctors, steroid prescription, cosmetics and even mass market products couldn’t solve her problematic skin. She lost her confidence, and as a result started to fall into a mild depression. When I met her, she came to an event where I was talking about REN’s Clear Calm 3 range for blemish prone skin. She approached me afterwards to enquire more about the range and I offered her a personalised consultation. She was relucatant at first as her confidence had hit a real low and wouldn’t allow anyone to touch her skin. As I started to prepare the products, she relaxed and opened up about how much her skin problems were affecting her life – she felt unnatractive and hated being in public. After her facial, her skin dramatically changed – the redness and inflammation had considerably calmed down and the tight feeling had gone away. In 30 minutes, she had gone from a woman who couldn’t even look at herself in the mirror to someone who couldn’t stop looking at her reflection and touching her face. A few months later, she sent me an email explaining how in just one afternoon her skin had changed for the better. REN had improved the condition of her skin, and her confidence had returned. She was no longer the one commenting on other peoples skin, instead, she was the one getting the compliments about how beautiful and healthy her skin looked. She said that she had never thought her skin would become normal – it still has a few hiccups, but she can always rely on her trusted Clear Calm 3 range to restore the balance. It was such a moving email that it still makes my eyes water a little, ok…Alot.’
Do you have a skincare tip you would like to share?
‘I have so many tips…
My most important message is: regardless of what you pay for a serum or a moisturiser, cleansing is the most important phase in any skincare routine. If you don’t successfully remove dirt, pollution, make-up or any bits that shouldn’t be there, nothing that you put on afterwards will work effectively or efficiently as there is a barrier still left on the skin and will hinder the performance of your products.
In the evening always do a double cleanse. I always say start with the eyes first, apply cleanser onto a cotton pad, rest on the eye gently for 1 minute, and in soft circular motions start to massage the eye area for another minute. Then wipe away – don’t forget the lashes. Repeat until clean. Once the eyes are done, cleanse the face as you would normally. I really enjoy working with our milk cleansers as they have a double benefit, firstly they tone the skin as they cleanse, saving you money on buying a seperate toner. The second benefit is that if you are looking for extra comfort and hydration, you don’t need to remove with water – just wipe away the excess with a cotton pad making sure that your skin is nice and clean for the next phase. A tip that goes quite nicely with the cleansing phase – do a facial muscular massage as you cleanse. Using your fingers, massage the muscles in an upward motion, slow and deep. This will help relax your facial muscles and will allow for the release of bad toxins. This movement allows for healthy blood flow which is packed with nutrients and oxygen and is very beneficial for our skin metabolism.’
Can you tell me something about the REN philosophy?
‘REN is skincare as it should be. Skincare that uses the latest hi-tech bio actives, is free from skin-unfriendly ingredients and is gorgeously pleasurable to use.
To me, REN means a little more than just that statement. I believe that people can control 2 things. What they consume and what they use on their skin. Are you really satisfied after eating junk food? Or do you find mother’s cooking more hearty and filling. Translate that into cosmetics… Is your skin satisfied with its traditional regime? Or is left needing something a little more. Skin is natural. And clean skincare respects natural skin. REN offers you piece of mind that what you are applying on your skin is the best and finest ingredients used in bio dermo-cosmetics. REN provides performance and pleasurability without compromising textures and formulas. Its the bridge between science and natural skincare. So every night when I go to bed, I know that my skin is being well looked after. My skin is my lifetime investment plan. If you look after it, it will look after you.’
What is the best selling product of REN?
‘In the UK, it is Hydra-Calm Global Protection Day Cream and Frankinsence Revitalising Night Cream. No surprise, Globally it is the same.’
Does this differ per country?
‘Yes, our products do vary from country to country. This is due to the fact that different countries suffer from different skin types and concerns. This could be culture or enviromental influences. In the UK, there seems to be more of a trend towards the concerns with having sensitive and reactive skin rather than in Asia for example, where their main concern is over production of sebum and how to control excess shine. In the US its more about radiance and having that healthy glow and our Radiance line has a strong positioning here.’
Bio Rui Branco
Rui Branco moved from Cape Town, South Africa to London in 2002 after graduating in advertising and communications at UCT. His first job role in the UK was working at the Aveda Concept store, where his drive and dedication fast saw him move into a management position. His interest in skincare and natural ingredients were first sparked through his work at the Concept store and with his experience in marketing and advertising he soon found the transition into the training and marketing department and easy one to make – leading him to the position of
trainer for the company.
Rui then went on to a position of Head of Training for the Ales Groupe, a distribution company in the UK that handles both Lierac and Phyto. These two brands would allow him to develop his knowledge within the pharmacy and medi-spa market.
Rui held his position at Ales Groupe until his new appointment at REN as Director of Education. Rui notes this new role as the highlight of his career. Working with REN Skincare and their ethos of Clean Hi-Tech products very much suited his understanding of how skincare should be created and how it should perform.
His passion for natural ingredients and their use in the skincare market, along with his extensive experience accumulated through 10 years in the industry makes him the perfect ambassador for the brand, where he now plays a critical role in the development and expansion of the company in over 50 countries internationally.
Written by Suzanna Timmer http://www.worldfashionblogs.com/ren-skincare-your-skin-is-a-lifetime-investment-plan/