Kiehl's Beautiful Acai Damage Correcting Moisturizer

My Kiehl’s love affair continues. I will be buying a 2^nd bottle of their Açai Moisturizer after using it as a day lotion. Unlike many products I have, I use it daily since purchasing it in June, but I still have a few months to go on my bottle. The key ingredient in this is Açaí – a “super berry” sourced from Brazil with exceptionally high levels of nutrients and known to be one of nature’s most powerful antioxidants. According to the Kiehl's website, açai berries along with some other good stuff allegedly “repair the visible effects of oxidative environmental stress while minimizing the appearance of fine lines and loss of elasticity. Skin is visibly renewed, smoother, and more even-toned”. Sounded good to me so I asked for some samples, and as always, the Sales Associate at Kiehl's gave me some. I must say again how amazing Kiehl's is with their sampling program. Sampling works, as I know I would never have tried many products I now own without having sampled them first.

I’ve used many resurfacing products with a variety of ingredients- not too many were natural, some were prescription strength and almost all of them wreaked havoc with my oily  and acne prone yet sensitive skin. As always, I want smaller pores, less oil, even tone and, ahem, less wrinkles. The Kiehl’s ACDCM delivers on all accounts. I wouldn’t say the wrinkle reduction is dramatic, but the other criteria are met perfectly. This lotion has a matte finish while still soaking into the skin and offering lovely moisture. Nothing I have used has had a similar consistency and finish on the skin, and that alone keeps me using this. It has a lovely lavender scent which you might not like if you don’t like lavender, and a small blob of lotion goes a long way on my face. Small dark spots, ie scars from acne spots, fade nicely and using this in conjunction with the brilliant Midnight Recovery Concentrate has done wonders for my pores. I have noticed a reduction in clogged pores as well, and while I still get the odd spot (hormonal, along the chin and jaw mostly) my skin seems very calm  and happy while using this. I have had samples of the Acai serum and plan to get a bottle of this to use in conjunction with the lotion for day. The two products were a bit much together in hot summer months but a little back up in the winter will be nice. My skin does not like central heating and seems to suffer more ups and downs texture wise in the winter. 

Wake Up Beautiful with Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate

From the Kiehl’s website:

“This lightweight, readily absorbed elixir effectively restores skin's healthy appearance overnight, resulting in smoother, more radiant complexion by morning. Enriched with Squalane, a botanical lipid similar in molecular structure to natural skin lipids, Evening Primrose Oil, rich in Omega-6 Fatty Acids and Essential Oils including Lavender, our formula provides a boost of intensive moisture to depleted skin. These natural oils instantly penetrate the skin surface to help replenish it. Our recovery concentrate works at night when skin is most receptive to repairing itself from daily aggressors. With skin hydrated, supple and soft, rest assured you can say goodnight to tired-looking skin.”

This elixir is an oil and is to be applied at bedtime. It contains 99.8% naturally-derived and paraben-free botanical ingredients. I’ve been meaning to review this for awhile because I LOVE IT. I have always been intrigued by the idea of using oils on my skin. Although I have oily skin, in the past I have flirted with facial oils with success. Shu Uemura cleansing oils are amazing- I keep meaning to buy some but perhaps I didn’t love them enough? Not sure why they haven't found a permanent home with me *makes mental note to revisit*. Dr. Haushka Normalizng Day Oil is another product I’ve loved and often use it in the winter with my moisturizer for some extra protection.  The neat thing about a good quality facial oil treatment is that is doesn’t make you skin oilier, and can actually help with oil production. I was very curious about the Midnight Recovery Concentrate and so when I was at Kiehl’s buying some Crème de Corps the sales associate gave me a couple samples. Rant: Attention cosmetic companies- it has been proven that consumers that try samples of products are more likely to purchase them- note the perfume companies have figured this out, as has Sephora. Kiehl’s is unsurpassed for the generous size of their samples and for the sales associate’s willingness to fork them over. End of rant. Back to my inner glow in a bottle...

All it took was a week of using MRC for me to see a visible change in my skin. My pores became less visible, clogged pores were purged and I noticed a dewy glow to my skin in the morning. This became all the more noticeable when I stopped using MRC to try other products I was asked to review. Almost 3 weeks of not using it and my skin broke out, pores became congested and noticeable again- I was not happy. I am back on my routine and happy to be so. My skin is calming down- smooth, slightly plumped and with a glow. I know, sounds gushy and improbable but if there was one skincare product I had to live with Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate would be the one.