Retinoids are often hailed as the holy grail of anti-ageing skincare. As vitamin A derivatives, they work by speeding up cell turnover to help boost collagen production and improve tone and texture. You can buy retinol and retinal over the counter, in everything from serum to moisturiser. Meanwhile, tretinoin is a stronger retinoid (up to 20 times more potent than retinol) that’s available by prescription only.
Skincare brands like Renew+Me and Skin+Me provide access to dermatologist-prescribed tretinoin for less than £30 a month. The high-strength retinoid is aimed specifically at those aged 35 and over, so as a 42-year-old beauty journalist I was keen to try its main product: the nightly active treatment.
A daily doser tube lasts 28 days and the formula is updated monthly to adapt to skin changes. Users are put on a plan to help address issues like hyperpigmentation, fine lines, rosacea and sun damage. As someone with dry, sensitive skin, I’ve always been wary of retinoids and have tried and stopped using a few products due to irritation, so I was intrigued to see if this’d be any different.
With hyaluronic acid, ceramides and niacinamide also included, Renew+Me’s nightly active treatment is said to smooth lines, improve hydration and help with breakouts in 12 weeks. The question is, can this nightly treatment help give my skin a radiance boost and be a beneficial long-term treatment to add into my daily routine? I spent a month testing it, to bring you my honest verdict.
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Renew+Me nightly active treatment
To get started with Renew+Me, I filled out an online questionnaire covering my skin type, any concerns and what I’d like to address with the treatment. This includes everything from melanin level, pigmentation, sensitivity, texture, and blemishes to whether your focus is rosacea, dark spots, fine lines, hydration or other options. The treatment’s ingredients are tailored to suit these answers, and you are then prescribed a tailored dose of tretinoin.
I shared that I was looking for help with dullness, fine lines and hydration, and my skin can be sensitive. After also answering some simple health questions about medication I take, I was asked to submit photos of my skin and this was all sent to a dermatologist for review. The process was very quick and easy, which I was impressed by as a busy mum with little time or patience for lengthy admin tasks.
Within 24 hours my answers had been evaluated and I was prescribed the nightly active treatment containing tretinoin 0.01 per cent, and usefully told the plan would be to build this strength up to 0.025 per cent. A couple of days later, a daily doser tube arrived complete with my name etched across it. It’s worth noting at this point that Renew+Me is £6.99 for the first month’s treatment and then increases to £29.99 monthly after that. This lower initial price does mean you can give the product a try to see if you like it without much initial outlay, which feels like a good deal.
The twist-up aluminium daily doser is brilliant, because it charts how far into the 28 days of each tube you are (and I also like the satisfying click it makes when releasing the exact amount of product for that evening’s application). As the product contains a prescription-strength retinoid, it’s important to ensure you apply SPF during the day. This is because its main purpose is to increase cell turnover, which also makes skin more sensitive to UV damage.
Applying it before bed, I noted the treatment is a rich, fragrance-free cream that glides over skin. Due to my skin being prone to irritation, I started with application every other night to measure tolerance. I also sandwiched it between layers of moisturiser to start with, which is worth doing if you have sensitive skin like me. Happily, I haven’t had any irritation whatsoever in the 28 days I’ve used Renew+Me so far. I think this is because of the inclusion of soothing ceramides and hydration-promoting hyaluronic acid, while balancing niacinamde is also in the formula too.
Using retinoids is a long game, with results often taking around 3-6 months to appear. As such, I saw no difference in the first few weeks. However, I’ve now started to notice my skin has a bit more of a glow to it. The tired, dullness I often see has improved a little, with a subtle radiance and hydrated smoothness showing. Due to the irritation I’ve seen with strong retinoids before, I tend to avoid them or not commit long-term. But with this experience, I think Renew+Me could be a game-changer for my sensitive skin. I’m definitely going to keep using it and chart how these results continue within the coming weeks and months.
Is Renew+Me’s nightly active treatment worth it?
Adding Renew+Me’s nightly active treatment into my skincare routine has been seamless, with the daily doser meaning I get a dermatologist-approved amount of tretinoin for my skin each evening. It’s an easy step to add in, I’ve seen no irritation and I’m starting to notice a glowy, radiance.
With the first month costing just £6.99, this is an affordable way to try the treatment – and I think its regular £29.99 price is still reasonable for prescription-strength retinoid that’s personalised to your skincare needs. If you’re looking to add a straightforward product into your skincare routine tailored to specific concerns like fine lines, pigmentation and dullness, I’d recommend trying Renew+Me.
How I tested the Renew+Me nightly active treatment
As a 42-year-old beauty journalist with dry, sensitive skin, I look for products that slot seamlessly into my routine, offer smoothing benefits and don’t cause irritation. I spent four weeks testing Renew+Me’s nightly active treatment, applying it at night after cleanser and sometimes sandwiched between layers of moisturiser.
During the testing time, I looked at key ingredients, skincare benefits, consistency and how the treatment felt when applied to my skin. I also noted any immediate results, and the difference see after a few weeks, assessing the product on the following:
- Formula: I considered its key ingredients and the skincare benefits these have, as well as its texture and consistency.
- Application: I applied the nightly cream before bedtime, starting at just three times a week before building this usage up. I noted how it felt on skin and kept an eye out for any irritation that meant I’d need to build a tolerance up the formula.
- Results: I noted how my skin looked and felt, both after first use and with continued application. I considered whether there were any improvements to the texture, tone and firmness of my skin, and whether I’d keep using the product in the long run.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Helen Wilson-Beevers is a beauty journalist who has been testing skincare products for more than a decade. Within this time, she has tested a wide range of brands including CeraVe, The Inkey List, L’Oréal and more. Helen is in her forties and has dry skin that’s prone to irritation, so she knows exactly what to look for when it comes to choosing the best products with anti-ageing benefits, to promote skin health and suit sensitive types.
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