ARK Skincare Age Defend Night Treatment

(Gifted Item) I'm yet to try an ARK skincare product that I don't get on with, so I was naturally excited to try their latest launch. The latest additions to the skincare brand are two creams - the Age Defy Repairing Night Treatment and Age Defend Regenerating Night Treatment.
The Age Defend range is specifically for people in their 30s and 40s while Age Defy is for 50 + so I've been trying out the Age Defend treatment.

Our skin is best at healing and repairing itself while we sleep, so the active ingredients in the formula were specially selected to help this natural process along. 

The cream features a cocktail of soothing, hydrating and collagen boosting ingredients including Rovisome Q10, Kiwi Seed Oil, Passion Seed Oil, Cordarom Blue Lotus, Vitamin E, Vitamin A Palmitate and Shea Butter. 

These ingredients also work to relieve dryness, increase elasticity and protect the skin - perfect if your face is a little sensitized or stressed. In addition, the treatment includes radiance promoting and anti-fatigue ingredients to reduce the appearance of dark circles, under eye bags and general dullness.

Nighttime skin care products are, and always have been, my favourite to apply. I just think there's something incredibly therapeutic about massaging lovely potions into my face before hitting the hay. I personally love rich creams, serums and oils and enjoy the 'heaviness' often associated with PM skin care. 

I was therefore fully prepared for the Age Defend Night Treatment to be quite rich and heavy...but it's actually not. Rich, yes. But heavy? No. At first pump, because the cream is quite thick, I did briefly wonder how on earth this stuff was going to absorb.
But after massaging it onto my face for a bit, it just sort of suddenly sunk in, leaving a velvety, sort of plumped up feeling (lovely) and glowing look. In other words, it absorbs into the skin unexpectedly well, so if you prefer your skin care to feel light, yet present, you should get on with this. Hopefully that makes some kind of sense! The night treatment also smells really good. It's got a natural, sort of herbal scent that I find to be quite soothing- perfect for an overnight product.

I've used the Age Defend Regenerating Night Treatment most nights for nearly three weeks and I would confidently recommend it to virtually anyone who has skin. It feels a little bit indulgent to use, absorbs nicely and, so far, has made my face feel more hydrated and comfortable than it has in a long time.

Packaged in a hygienic pump bottle, the ARK Age Defend Regenerating Night Treatment retails at £42. You can find it online at ARK.

ARK Skincare Triple Action Exfoliator & Hydration Injection Masque

(Samples) I'll start by saying these two products are the perfect partners; one exfoliates and preps the skin before the other comes in and delivers a whole lot of hydration.
Together they are an ideal addition to your Sunday night skincare ritual or equally, they're so quick and simple to use, they're ideal for those of us that are short on time but want a little something extra to get skin glowing.

These products are my second venture into ARK Skincare (you can read my previous review here) and I have another product to try out next, but for now, onto the goods!

Ark Triple Action Exfoliator Review

The Triple Action Exfoliator has the word triple in the name for a very good reason, that is, it exfoliates using three actions- physical, fruit acid and enzymatic.
The physical action comes from bamboo micro particles that literally slough dead skin from the surface of the face for a polished, smooth look and feel.
Fruit acids (AHAs) include Bilberry, Orange, Lemon, Sugar Cane and Sugar Maple support skin renewal and help to reduce the appearance of lines, wrinkles and acne scarring.
Capping things off nicely, a Skin Regenerating Enzyme works to dissolve the bonds that 'glue' cells together on the surface of the skin and therefore aid in fading pigmentation and improve absorbtion of the skincare you apply afterwards (in this case, the Hydration Injection Masque).

Designed for use once or twice per week, the exfoliator is applied to a damp face and neck and then massaged gently using circular movements. The amount of time you leave it on your skin depends on your age; Teens and Twenties are advised to wash it off after massaging, Thirties and Forties leave it on for two minutes and Fifties and beyond are advised to leave the Exfoliator to work for up to five minutes. To remove, you need to use a damp, warm cloth and by need, I mean you need to use a cloth to take this off - trying to rinse it off is just not going to work given the texture of the formula.

Ark Hydration Injection Masque Review

Like a big old drink of water for your face, the Hydration Injection Masque was created for tired, stressed out skin that lacks radiance. Featurimg a 'Hyaluronic Acid Booster' to drench the skin, this is a multivitamin mask that plumps and restores vibrancy. The masque contains an encapsulated blend of vitamins inlcuding Vitamin A, Vitamin B5, Vitamin C and Vitamin E. Vitamin A is in the blend to boost Collagen production while Vitamin B5 smoothes the skin, Vitamin C fades pigmentation and Vitamin E is included to act as an anti-inflammatory and provide some protection against UV damage. Rounding off the formula, Sugar Beet and Abyssinian Oil offer intense nourishment for a soft, smooth look feel.

On application, the Hydration Injection Masque feels instantly cooling and calming and instantly relieves irritation and discomfort - perfect for using after active products like the Triple Action Exfoliator really! Though it's worth mentioning that I didn't feel any irritation after using it.
To use (once or twice a week), simply smooth a think layer over the face and neck and leave on for the amount of time recommended for your age. For Teens and Twenties, leave on for five minutes, leave it to work for ten minutes if you're in your Thirties or Forties and for Fifties onward leave it on for up to twenty minutes. Remove with a warm, damp cloth, pat dry and follow with your usual skincare. The Masque can also be left on overnight for an intensive treatment.

I really like both these products individually but when used together they are an absolute treat with instantly visible results that left me looking refreshed and hydrated with a buttery-smooth feeling face.

Both the Triple Action Exfoliator and Hydration Injection Masque retail for £35 each for 75ml. As a side note, I've just discovered that ARK also have a range of scented candles in a range of scents including Vanilla, Sandalwood & Amber and Nutmeg, Cinnamon & Clove (which sounds perfect for Christmas). You can find the candles here and the Exfoliator and Masque here.

ARK Skincare Review: Age Defend Cleanser & Moisturiser

(sample) I had wanted to try ARK Skincare for quite a while so I'm really happy I've had the opportunity to try a couple of products over the past few weeks. Cruelty Free, vegan-friendly and utterly joyful to use, these two have been a welcome addition to my skincare stash but before I get into the details, here's a little bit about ARK.

The award-winning British brand are big on celebrating beauty at every age and use carefully selected bioactive natural ingredients in their formulas to complement and benefit different age groups. To help customers decide on the products most suited to them, ARK came up with a three step system.
Step 1 is age; there are three cleansers and three moisturisers that have been specially developed for three different age categories. Called the Age Intelligent range, these products are designed to treat age-related needs, so there is Age Protect, which is for teens and 20s, Age Defend for 30s and 40s and Age Defy for 50+.

Step 2 is concern; targeted treatment products called Skin Perfectors to treat specific concerns such as hydration, firming and clearing. Products in the Skin Perfectors range include serums, a masque and an exfoliator.

Step 3 is lifestyle; the Skin Essentials range is designed to complement and enhance the rest of your regime and includes a pre-cleanse, hydrating mist, primer with SPF30, eye cream and plumping lip cream.

As I'm in my 30s I've been trying out the Age Defend range which includes a conditioning cleanser and replenishing moisturiser and so far I've really been enjoying both products!

The cleanser and moisturiser both contain Kiwi and Passion Fruit lipids which are rich in Omega 3 and help to retain moisture levels in the skin. Blue Lotus also features in both products. Touted as the 'sacred flower of anti-ageing', Blue Lotus is an effective antioxidant which helps to maintain firmness and elasticity.

The award-winning Conditioning Cleanser (£25) is designed to cleanse, nourish and aid the skin's natural exfoliation process via a soothing gel formula. The cleanser contains Moringa Oil which is naturally rich in Vitamin C and A to help create a radiant, glowing complexion as it cleanses away makeup and dirt. 'Conditioning Cleanser' is a spot-on name for this formula as it's very comfortable to use - skin feels nice and clean but not tight or stripped. The Conditioning Cleanser also rinses away easily (this isn't necessarily a washcloth job) and is just really pleasant to use overall. It's worth mentioning that it also smells incredible - sort of herbal and both invigorating and relaxing at the same time. I realise that makes very little sense but you're just going to have to trust me on this.

The other product in the Age Defend range is the Replenishing Moisturiser (£35). First and foremost, I really, really rate this moisturiser. From the packaging through to the finish of the formula, I'm very impressed! A cream formula with a slight gel consistency, the moisturiser has a Shea Butter and Olive Oil base enriched with Co-enzyme Q10 and skin plumping peptides including Matrixyl. Along with the aforementioned Kiwi and Passion Fruit lipids and Blue Lotus, the Replenishing Moisturiser also contains Retinal Parmitate which is gentle enough for sensitive skin and works to increase collagen production and help to keep skin plump and resilient. Like the Age Defend cleanser, this moisturiser smells pretty amazing, which is always a bonus when it's going on your face.

I'm really impressed with both the cleanser and the moisturiser from the Age Defend range and ARK as a brand has certainly got my attention and I'm keen to have a play with more of their products. You can find out more about ARK and have a browse at arkskincare.com.