Secret Beauty Blog -

ARK skincare work in a very clever way, rather then range their products to your skintype the products are designed to work with your skins needs depending on your age. There are 3 groups, age repair (teens to early 30s), age maintain (mid 30s to 50s) and age repair (50+). The products are all laid out well on the website, making it easy to what your skin needs and there is also an online skin assessment feature where you will receive a £10 discount towards ARK products! I think that is a fantastic idea, not only do you get the discount but you get a real feel for the right products for your skin and what you should be using in your regime. As I fit into the ‘age repair’ catagory I have the Skin Refining exfoliator and as an extra treatment for my mild acne-prone skin I have the Ckearing Skin Response Serum.

Age Repair Skin Refining Exfoliator £27.70

”This exfoliator refines texture and clears pores, leaving skin smooth and soft to touch.

• Gently removes dead skin cells, debris and grime from the skin’s surface.
• Contains anti-bacterial Margosa Leaf, natural sloughing particles of Loofah and active Bentonite clay beads that gradually dissolve signifying that the treatment is complete.
• Includes White Tea and Vitamin E that have antioxidant properties. Helps to protect skin from damage caused by the sun, UV, environmental factors and free radical activity.”

The first thing that hit me with this exfoliator was the smell, it is very herby and natural not synthetic ‘clean’ smelling like alot of exfoliators I’ve tried. The anti-bacterial Margosa Leaf is really apparent when your first apply this as you get a lovely refreshing blast that really makes you feel clean.  I love to use this is the bath, I smooth a generous amount (about a 50p sized blob) all over my face and neck and relax while it goes to work. This is one of those exfoliators that does all the work for you, and as you can see by my pic it’s not gritty or rough, but contains just enough sloughing particles to get rid of any dead skin. I massage it off before rinsing completely and my skin feels smooth and refreshed, like I have used a full scrub, wash and mask system but in 1 easy step. This doesn’t make my face feel dry or tight, so would be good for all skintypes even dry, for an antibacterial product it didn’t feel harsh at all. I balked at the price tag, but if a product works it works, and I’m prepared to pay the money for it. My skin is softer, smoother and this product really is a delight to use.

Clearing Skin Response Serum £34.40

”This serum draws out impurities and tightens pores with a blend of sebum regulating botanicals and the astringent properties of Margosa Leaf.

• Minimises the appearance of breakouts and skin congestion.
• Maintains normal sebum secretion and diminishes the look of shiny skin.
• Reduces the appearance of redness and itching caused by oil build-up and skin irritation.”

Available in 8 variations these Skin Respose Serums are designed to give your skin an extra boost to a specific problem. With my mild acne-prone skin (sensitive, monthly flare ups… nice) I chose the ‘clearing’ formula to help keep my skin clear. I’ve been using this for almost a month and my break outs haven’t been as bad, and my skin definately looks clearer and more even, so a big thumbs up there. My only problem is I can’t use this in the morning, I’ve tried it on its own and mixed in with my moisturiser but it seems to make my skin get very oily very quickly if I use this under makeup so that could be something to consider. It makes my skin feel moisturised and fresh, even on its own it’s lightweight and sinks right in but unfortunately this doesn’t do well for holding up the oilies. If like me you strive to keep your skin matte, this will do you no favours! My other problem is the dropper which dispenses the product is a bit hit and miss, sometimes it didn’t work and sometimes it can squirt out a large amount!

The scent is very similar to the exfoliator, a herbal anti-bacterial mixture which feels refreshing on contact. I do enjoy using the product and it has wangled its way into my night time routine but I do think the packaging needs a bit of a re-think, I can see myself wasting a hell of alot of the product with the badly designed dropper and glass bottle. How would I get the rest of it out when I’m running low?! A sanitary plastic squeeze tube would be perfect!

So on the whole it does what it claims in terms of skin clearing, but for me it didn’t help my oilies nor did I notice a difference in my pores.

Check out ARK Skincare here