Brand Focus: Ark Skincare

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Ark Skincare’s philosophy is that you can have beautiful skin at every age. They’ve devised product ranges that empower users to celebrate the age they are and make it easier to navigate selecting the products you buy by age and by benefit.

They’re an award-winning British brand that isn’t new to me – I’ve been using ARK products since 2014 – but I’ve been trying out some products that are new to me and revisiting others to bring you an overview of the brand.

The ARK Skincare range has three distinct age-related ranges:

• Protect for teens and 20s
• Defend for 30s and 40s
• Defy for those over 50

These ranges are supported by Skin Perfectors, which are targeted treatment products to treat specific skin concerns and Skin Essentials, which are everyday products suitable for all ages. Starting with products designed for your age, you can build a tailored programme of skincare that’s bespoke to you.

Recently, I’d been trialling products which were a mix from the Age Defy and Skin Essential range. Then I had the opportunity to meet with the people from ARK and talk through my personal preferences for product types and how they suit my skin. I selected products from the Defend and Skin Perfectors ranges to make my own “prescription”.

So, that meant that I had first tried the following together:

• Skin Essential Pre-Cleanse & Make-Up Remover
• Age Defy Brightening Cleanser
• Age Defy Nourishing Moisturiser
• Skin Essential Skin Protector SPF30 Primer

Skin Essential Pre-Cleanse & Make Up Remover £30

The first step in a double cleansing routine is a multi-fruit lipid blend with Omegas 3, 6 & 9, and is designed to dissolve daily grime, excess sebum and make-up while nourishing and soothing skin.  Ingredients include:

• Grape seed, Avocado and Kiwi Oil to nourish and protect
• Margosa Leaf Extract destroys bacteria and inhibits their growth on the skin
• Zi Cao to soothe sensitive skin

Apply it to dry skin, massaging in gently before adding water to form an emulsion and then rinse off with warm water.

Age Defy Brightening Cleanser £26

So for the second cleanse, I used what ARK say is the best cleanser for your 50s onwards. This is a rich, creamy cleanser that effectively removes debris and impurities and treats the skin with a combination of vitamins, antioxidants and lipids. This is designed to brighten and soften skin and to plump wrinkles. Ingredients include:

• Linoleic Acid from Apricot Oil boosts moisture
• Red Algae and Vitamin C to brighten  and reduce the appearance of age spots and pigmentation
• Blackcurrant and Starflower lipids contain Omega 3 and 6, to boost hydration and reduce any inflammation

This one’s to use morning and evening. You apply it to the dampened face and neck and massage it in. Remove it with a flannel or muslin soaked in warm water.

Age Defy Nourishing Moisturiser £38

Designed to be used alongside the Age Defy Brightening Cleanser, this is a powerful moisturiser to combat signs of hormone loss such as dullness, dryness, uneven tone and loss of elasticity and promote healthier, firmer and more flexible skin. Ingredients include:

• Red Clover for its high phytohormone content to soothe inflammation

• Hyaluronic Acid to plump skin and reduce the look of lines and wrinkles
• Blackcurrant and Borage Seed Oil to nourish

Again, this is for morning and evening use. This suited me perfectly and I used it to the end – it’ll be appearing on my empties list sometime soon.

Skin Essential Skin Protector SPF30 Primer £36

A firm favourite of mine and a great multitasker, this gives you primer, sunscreen and moisturiser in one. When you need to hit the ground running, making sure your skin is nourished, protected and looking great, this is the one! It has a broad spectrum defence against UVA and UVB rays to prevent sun damage and premature ageing, and an advanced active antioxidant system to protect against the effects of pollutants. Key actives are:

• Vitamin E as an antioxidant and for photoprotection
• Shea Butter to nourish and protect from free radicals
• Sunflower packed with vitamins and minerals

Use it directly on cleansed skin or after moisturiser. Perfect!

Then, with the help of the team at the ARK store in Haslemere, I picked up:

• Age Defend Conditioning Cleanser
• Skin Perfector Destress Serum
• Skin Perfector Hydration Injection Masque

So these three items were things that I was intrigued to try and weren’t specifically aimed at my age range. I’ve been using them now for a few weeks, so I can give you an idea of how they worked for me.

Age Defend Conditioning Cleanser £26

The Age Defend Conditioning Cleanser is specially formulated for skin aged thirty to fifty to effortlessly remove make-up and impurities to leave you with a refreshed, clear complexion.

It has a nourishing formula with:

• blue lotus to increase firmness and protect against ageing
• moringa oil to promote the skin’s natural exfoliation process and eliminate excess sebum
• kiwi and passion fruit deliver omega-3 fatty acids to replenish moisture, soothe redness and prevent inflammation

I prefer to use a balm for my first cleanse to remove makeup and use a gel-type cleanser for my second cleanse. This fits the bill for me as whilst it leaves my skin feeling really clean, it doesn’t strip it back too much to make it feel dry.

Skin Perfector Destress Serum £33.75