Moisturizer Review: REN Clean Screen SPF 30

Today's review will be for the REN Clean Screen SPF 30

Availability: This retails at $40 for 50 ml (1.7 fl. oz.) and is available at sephora.com, jcpenny.com, bluemercury.com, nordstrom.com and macys.com along with their respective physical  store locations as well as renskincare.com and dermstore.com.

Would I buy this?: No.

What is this product designed to address?

According to sephora.com:

What it is: A mattifying, all-clean, mineral sunscreen that helps reflect the sun's rays.

Skin Type: Normal, Dry, Combination, and Oily

Skincare Concerns: Pores, Dryness, and Redness

Formulation: Cream

Ingredient Callouts: Free of sulfates SLS and SLES, parabens, formaldehydes, formaldehyde-releasing agents, phthalates, mineral oil, retinyl palmitate, oxybenzone, coal tar, hydroquinone, triclosan, and triclocarban, and contains less than one percent of synthetic fragrances. This product is also vegan, cruelty-free, and uses recycled packaging.

What Else You Need to Know: Get your essential daily sun protection to prevent premature aging cause by UVA/UVB exposure. Non-nano naturally derived zinc oxide offers broad spectrum protection, while passion fruit extract, known for its antioxidant properties, supports the skin's natural defense against free radicals. Rice starch leaves the skin mattified, making sure your sunscreen stays put on oily skin.

Vegan, Oxybezone free and silicone free, all packaged in a 50% PCR tube and 100% PCR cap. It's one of the cleanest sunscreens available - inside and out.

REN Clean Skincare never tests on animals. REN only uses natural inks and natural fragrances.

REN does not use skin unfriendly ingredients, all products are free from synthetic fragrance, pore-blocking petrochemicals, sulfate detergents, silicones, synthetic colors, animal ingredients and parabens. In addition, REN products do not contain potential irritants including: glycols and diglycols (such as propylene glycol), PEG's, PPGs, urea, D.E.A, T.E.A, PABA, and other synthetic sunscreens, aliphatic alcohols/hydrocarbons, phthalates, fumarates, amines, alkanolamines, synthetic AHAs/BHAs, polyacrylamide, metacrylate, elastomer, poloxamer, styrene, vinyl, polyquaternium, synthetic chelating agents, nylon, nitriles, nitrates, nitrosamine releasers, bromates, fluor, aluminum, and alumina.

Clean at Sephora

Clean at Sephora is formulated without a list of over 50 ingredients, including sulfates (SLS and SLES), parabens, phthalates, and more. 

Does it contain any special/beneficial ingredients?

Again, according to sephora.com:
-Non-Nano Zinc Oxide: A physical shield that effectively blocks and reflects UVA, UVB and Blue Light Rays, preventing aging and sun pigmentation.
-Yellow Passion Fruit Seed Extract: Antioxidant action boosts the skin's internal defense system to help protect from pollution and free radical damage.
-Rice Starch: Absorbs oil, controls shine and minimizes pore appearance while soothing irritation.

What is the texture like?

I'd say that this has a lightweight cream texture that dries a bit matte and tacky.

Is it scented?

This has a clean, slightly lemony scent.

My overall experience/comments on the product:

Alright so despite this having a matte finish to it, I find that it provides me with enough hydration, and doesn't dry out my skin, without needing to layer it with a moisturizer. I will warn you all that this creates quite a strong white casting that will take at least 5 minutes to disappear from the skin. In person, it isn't noticeable under makeup although I haven't tried it in flash photography conditions and thus cannot tell you if it's photo-friendly. Many SPFs, especially of the physical variety like this one is, are not.

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Disclaimer: This was provided for testing purposes. I am under no obligation, nor am I getting compensated, to post it on this blog.