August 17, 2010

Review: Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate

Before I start this review I'd like to point out that I haven't really used this product as thoroughly as I usually would before a review. I've had it for over a month, courtesy of Kiehl's, but for several reasons have been using it very sparingly, only about once a week and in minute amounts.

I'm still on the fence about this serum. As someone with oily, acne prone skin its benefits on me aren't as dramatic as that of drier skinned ladies like ParisB and Connie. Also it contains Jojoba oil which causes me to breakout a little. However, when I switched to Benzac my skin did grow flaky and dry in parts, so I thought I'd risk it and use this product very lightly.
I used the product two different ways:
First I followed instructions and patted two drops of the oil gently into my skin. It sank in quickly and my skin felt smooth, like it had just had primer applied, and not greasy at all. I skipped moisturiser and went to bed. The next morning I didn't notice the glow the girls talk about, instead my skin seemed a little oilier in the morning and actually looked a little dull. The dry patches though were much better, the dead skin flaked off quickly to review happy clear skin.

So then I went online and found other ladies, particularly those with oily skins, adding a drop to their moisturisers to give it an extra kick. Now to save on my beloved ~H2O+ Face Oasis, I alternate it with Clinique's DDMG. However, there is a visible difference in my skin the next morning, it just isn't as glowy and happy with DDMG as it is with Oasis. So I added a drop of Kiehl's concentrate to my DDMG one night and the next morning woke up looking like I'd used Oasis. Bingo!

The problem is very likely my skin's sensitivity to Jojoba oil. I can only use very little of this, and not every night. Also I need to exfoliate the day after using this or risk little whiteheads forming.

Formula
"borrowed" from Skin Deco
This light oil in a truly apothecary-ish bottle is clear and smells deliciously of lavender, jasmine and a blend of other florals. It's not overwhelming, it won't give you a headache, and I find the scent soothing and spa-like. Never underestimate the power of soothing rituals as part of your beauty routine!

As said before it sinks in quickly but you really shouldn't try using more than 2 drops. I use only one and it makes my DDMG moisturiser go a long long way.

Conclusion
I feel like I should be liking this product more, there's just so much going for it. I really feel that it does speed up skin renewal (I find dried skin and pimple scabs fall off faster revealing healed skin) and that it moisturises. I'll keep tweaking to find the best way to use it, or pass it to someone who can really appreciate it.

This tiny bottle of 30ml is RM200... ouch! I know! But when you use only a few drops here and there, and if you get the results Connie and Paris have, then it's more than worth it compared to a jar of skin cream that will last you only a year. Plus this can be used to beef up lighter moisturisers when your skin needs a little extra TLC. Just be careful and read the ingredients list. This complex a list of oils, while natural, is not necessarily gentle as it has some powerful stuff which may trigger allergies.

5 comments:

AskMeWhats said...

it took a while for my skin to get used to this and I'm loving this :) It did give my skin the brightening effect I want :) I'm done for a month already :D

rinnah said...

Nice to hear an honest opinion about this serum... but at RM200, I think I don't 'need' it in my skincare arsenal for now. :)

Paris B said...

Aww sorry to hear it didn't work for you. I thought it might coz there's no dimethicone in there :) But then not having oily or acne prone skin (and actually, having rather elephantine skin :P ) I don't face a lot of problems many people do. Still, its good to know you got it to work, one way or another and thanks for the tip for mixing it with a moisturizer. I can forsee doing this if I were travelling somewhere dry and cold :)

Kahani said...

Nikki: I've reduced it to the tiniiiest drop I can manage and so far am reaping the benefits of happy skin with no breakouts. Will update the post if this works for a few more weeks. I just thought I owed Kiehl's some sort of report!

Rinnah: Not unless you feel your skin needs a little somethin somethin. Bunk over at one of our places then you boleh cuba! =P

Paris: Ahh... no dimethicone, but it has Jojoba. My skin is annoying.

renee said...

Nice post.