The Murad Complete Renewal set was one of two I got for Christmas, and as we’re now well into the Summer I feel as though I’ve had ample time to test it out thoroughly! The Hydro Dynamic Ultimate Moisture and eye cream were only small pots so I got through them quite quickly. I had tried out the moisturiser before and found it to be very nourishing and hydrating without being too heavy or greasy, making it suitable for all year round.
The eye cream was equally pleasant to use, although if you’re looking for an eye cream that has specific anti-ageing properties this probably isn’t the cream for you. Neither of these have an SPF so can be used morning and night, but you would need to apply a separate sunscreen for daytime.
The AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser is designed to be used a couple of times a week rather than daily. It contains glycolic, salicylic and lactic acids to dissolve skin cell buildup, as well as jojoba beads to polish and retexturise skin. My skin did feel clearer after using the cleanser and along with the Intensive-C Radiance Peel, which I apply once a week, (see review here) freshens my skin and helps keep congestion at bay.
Of all the products in the set I was most excited about the Time Release Retinol Concentrate for Deep Wrinkles. I’ve always approached retinol-based products with caution as over use can cause irritation. At first I was using this treatment once or twice a week at night but I wasn’t really seeing any results. I’ve now increased usage to roughly five times per week and I do think I’ve seen a small improvement, but as I’ve also recently changed moisturiser it’s impossible to attribute this solely to the Time Release Retinol Concentrate. You can apply it daily under moisturiser in the morning and at night, but Murad advises restricting it to night time usage if the skin starts to become irritated. It claims to reduce deep wrinkles by 45% in six weeks so I will try using it twice daily to see if it makes a difference, in particular on my forehead.
Overall I do like the products in this set and I’ve enjoyed using them, especially the Hydro Dynamic Ultimate Moisture, but given the fairly hefty price tag I’m not sure I’d rush out to buy them again when there are so many other products to try. In short I liked them, but probably not quite enough to repurchase in the near future. I’m still reserving judgement on the Time Release Retinol Concentrate until I up the usage to twice daily.
Prices stated on Murad website at time of publishing:
Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate Moisture, £64 for 50ml.
Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate Moisture for eyes, £57 for 15ml.
Time Release Retinol Concentrate for Deep Wrinkles, £65 for 15ml.
AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser, £34 for 200ml.