REN Skincare's Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA Tonic was a cult favourite for good reason. It brightened, it smoothed, it became part of thousands of people's daily routines. When Unilever closed REN in July 2025 after 25 years, a lot of people lost a toner they genuinely loved.
Marks & Spencer came to us and asked if we could create a new product to fill the gap. Not a copy or dupe. Something that delivered the same brightening and resurfacing results, but with an updated approach that took advantage of newer biotech ingredients and solved the sensitivity issues that come with AHA formulas.
That product is Bright Now™ PHA & Rosehip Exfoliating Toner. Here's how it compares.
At a Glance
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 |
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|---|---|---|
| Exfoliating acid | Lactic acid (AHA) | Gluconolactone (PHA) |
| How it exfoliates | Penetrates deep into the epidermis | Works at the skin's surface (larger molecule) |
| Brightening active | Azelaic acid derivative | Niacinamide 5% |
| Fragrance | Parfum + 4 citrus essential oils | None |
| Stinging or tingling | Common with AHAs | 81% agreed no tingle |
| Increases sun sensitivity | Yes | No |
| When to use | PM only | AM (or PM) |
| Added skincare | Minimal | Rosehip, hyaluronic acid, aloe vera, deep sea minerals |
| Certification | Vegan, cruelty-free | COSMOS Organic, vegan, cruelty-free, 96-hour patch tested |
| Made in | UK | UK (Pai's own London lab) |
The Key Differences
The acid. Ready Steady Glow used lactic acid, an AHA with small molecules that penetrate deep into the skin. That's what makes AHAs effective exfoliants, but it's also what causes the sting.
Bright Now uses gluconolactone (PHA), which achieves the same resurfacing result but works at the skin's surface because of its larger molecular size. Published research confirms PHA delivers comparable smoothing and brightening effects to AHA, with significantly less irritation.**
The trade-off is time: PHA gets there a bit slower. But it gets there without the pain, and without making your skin more sensitive to the sun.
The brightening. Ready Steady Glow used potassium azeloyl diglycinate, a water-soluble azelaic acid derivative that inhibits the enzyme your skin uses to produce melanin. It's a good ingredient and the evidence shows it works at 20% concentration.
Bright Now uses 5% niacinamide, which tackles pigmentation from a different angle: instead of blocking melanin production, it reduces the transfer of melanin to the skin cells where you'd actually see it.***
Niacinamide has one of the deepest evidence bases of any brightening ingredient in skincare, and at 5% it also strengthens the skin barrier, fights free radicals, and plays nicely with everything else in the formula. In Ready Steady Glow, the azelaic acid derivative supported the lactic acid. In Bright Now, the niacinamide is a co-lead alongside the PHA.
Morning vs night. Ready Steady Glow was a PM product because lactic acid increases your skin's sensitivity to UV. Bright Now is designed for the morning. PHA doesn't cause photosensitivity, so there's no reason to hide it in your evening routine. As John, our Head of R&D, puts it: why would you want to glow at night when you're asleep?
The fragrance. Ready Steady Glow smelled lovely. It contained parfum (undisclosed fragrance ingredients) plus four citrus essential oils: mandarin, orange flower, grapefruit, and tangerine. But all of those contain limonene, a contact sensitiser, and layering fragrance on top of acid exfoliation increases the chance of irritation.
If you occasionally found your skin reactive after using it, the fragrance was a likely contributor. Bright Now is completely fragrance-free, essential oil-free, and alcohol-free. Not because fragrance is bad, but because an exfoliating toner doesn't need it.
Everything else. Ready Steady Glow was a focused formula: acid, brightener, willow bark for soothing, and that was it. Your skin needed the rest of your routine to compensate.
Bright Now adds CO2-extracted organic rosehip (carotenoids, polyphenols, flavonoids), hyaluronic acid, aloe vera, and deep sea mineral extract. It nourishes, soothes, and hydrates while it exfoliates.
If You Still Want an AHA Toner
Some people know AHAs work for their skin and just want a direct replacement. If that's you, two independent British brands worth looking at: Evolve Organic Beauty (Hertfordshire, COSMOS Natural, B Corp) make a Liquid Radiance Glycolic Toner with fruit-derived AHAs, and The INKEY List (Manchester, B Corp, Leaping Bunny) do a 10% Glycolic Acid Toner. Both are great companies making good products, but we know Laura, the founder of Evolve, and she's totally dedicated and lovely!
Just remember AHAs increase sun sensitivity, so wear SPF and stick to evening use.
But if you ever found acid toners a bit much for your skin, or you just want the brightening without the compromise, Bright Now was made for exactly that.
Try It
Bright Now™ PHA & Rosehip Exfoliating Toner is available now. Use it every morning after cleansing, before your serums, moisturiser, and SPF. COSMOS Organic certified, 100% natural origin, fragrance-free, clinically proven for sensitive skin.
87% agreed skin looked brighter after one week. 88% agreed it caused no irritation. 80% agreed skin looked clearer.*
*Based on a one week independent consumer trial of 105 subjects
**Green BA, Yu RJ, Van Scott EJ. Clinical and cosmeceutical uses of hydroxyacids. Cutis. 2004;73(2 Suppl):11-13. PMID: 15002656
***Hakozaki T, Minwalla L, Zhuang J, et al. The effect of niacinamide on reducing cutaneous pigmentation and suppression of melanosome transfer. British Journal of Dermatology. 2002;147(1):20-31. PMID: 12100180
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to REN Ready Steady Glow?
Unilever closed REN Clean Skincare in July 2025 after 25 years in business. All REN products, including the Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA Tonic, have been discontinued and any available from stores will now be close to expiry.
What is a good replacement for REN Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA Tonic?
Pai Bright Now PHA & Rosehip Exfoliating Toner was developed specifically as a replacement for Ready Steady Glow. Marks & Spencer approached Pai to create it after REN closed.
It's a daily brightening toner that delivers comparable exfoliating and brightening results through PHA and niacinamide instead of AHA, without the irritation, fragrance, or sun sensitivity associated with Ready Steady Glow's formula.
Both products are British-made daily acid toners designed to brighten and even skin tone.
Why did Pai create Bright Now?
When Unilever closed REN in 2025, Marks & Spencer lost one of their bestselling skincare products in Ready Steady Glow. M&S approached Pai to develop a replacement. Rather than copying the original, Pai's chemists reformulated from scratch, replacing the ingredients that caused problems for sensitive skin (lactic acid, parfum, four citrus essential oils) with gentler, more effective alternatives (PHA, the first natural COSMOS-certified niacinamide, CO2-extracted rosehip).
What is the difference between PHA and AHA?
Both are exfoliating acids that accelerate cell turnover and brighten the skin. The difference is molecular size. AHAs like lactic acid and glycolic acid have small molecules that penetrate deep into the epidermis, which makes them effective but also causes stinging, redness, and increased sun sensitivity.
PHAs like gluconolactone have larger molecules that work at the skin's surface, delivering the same resurfacing result without the irritation or photosensitivity. PHA takes longer to achieve the same effect, but it's gentle enough for daily use on sensitive skin.
Is Bright Now as effective as Ready Steady Glow?
In an independent consumer trial of 105 subjects, 87% agreed Bright Now made skin look brighter and 88% agreed it caused no irritation after one week. It achieves comparable brightening and resurfacing through a different, gentler mechanism.
It also adds niacinamide (a clinically proven brightening active, plus CO2-extracted rosehip, hyaluronic acid, and aloe vera for hydration and nourishment that Ready Steady Glow's formula did not provide.
Can I use Bright Now in the morning?
Yes. Bright Now is designed for morning use. Unlike AHA toners (including Ready Steady Glow), which increase sun sensitivity and need to be used in the evening, Bright Now uses PHA which does not increase photosensitivity. You can use it every morning after cleansing, before your serums, moisturiser, and SPF.
Does Bright Now sting or tingle?
In the consumer trial, 81% of subjects agreed Bright Now did not cause skin to tingle on first use. PHA exfoliates at the skin's surface rather than penetrating deep, so it does not produce the stinging sensation associated with AHA and BHA toners.
The formula is also completely fragrance-free, essential oil-free, and alcohol-free, removing the additional irritant triggers found in many acid toners.
Is Bright Now suitable for sensitive skin?
Yes. Bright Now is clinically proven for sensitive skin with a 96-hour independent patch test (four times the industry standard 24 hours). It is COSMOS Organic certified, 100% natural origin, fragrance-free, and formulated without alcohol, essential oils, parabens, silicones, or sulfates. 88% of consumer trial subjects agreed it did not irritate their skin after seven days of daily use.
I liked Ready Steady Glow and never had problems with it. Why should I switch to Bright Now?
Bright Now delivers the same type of results (brighter, smoother, clearer skin through daily acid exfoliation) with several upgrades. The niacinamide adds a second brightening pathway that tackles pigmentation at the cellular level.
The rosehip, hyaluronic acid, and aloe vera mean the toner actively hydrates and nourishes rather than just exfoliating. And because PHA doesn't increase sun sensitivity, you can use it in the morning instead of being restricted to your PM routine. It's a genuine upgrade, not just a substitute.
What if I prefer AHA toners? Are there other alternatives to Ready Steady Glow?
If you know AHAs work for your skin, two independent British brands make good AHA toners: Evolve Organic Beauty (Hertfordshire, COSMOS Natural certified, B Corp) make a Liquid Radiance Glycolic Toner with fruit-derived AHAs, and The INKEY List (Manchester, B Corp, Leaping Bunny approved) make a 10% Glycolic Acid Toner. Remember that AHAs increase sun sensitivity, so use them in the evening and wear SPF daily.
