I’d like to start off by stating this post is not sponsored by Kiehls or any other brand in any way. I just love the brand and I hope to share with you what, in my opinion, are the best Kiehls skincare products.
HI girls, how are you today?
Have you ever heard of Kiehls?
This brand is the reason I started my skincare obsession.
Honestly, I am SUCH a fool for Kiehls skincare products. 9 out of 10 things I buy from them is an esteemed asset in my skincare bag.
Today I will try to demonstrate to you why I love Kiehl’s so much and what are my favorite Kiehl’s products (you know, the ones that I go back to over and over again to restock as soon as they finish).
Table of Contents
What is Kiehl’s Known For?
Have you ever had a chance to walk into a Kiehl’s store?
If yes, you probably felt like you were walking right into a vintage apothecary experience.
Indeed, the brand was founded by the pharmacist John Kiehl back in 1851 and soon started expanding from an old-world apothecary to a full-service pharmacy, stocking teas, herbs, tinctures, honeys, and more.
Kiehl’s apprentice, Irving Morse, then created the brand’s unofficial motto ‘‘Try Before You Buy”, and this principle of personalized customer service, combined with their famous generous sampling, has remained a Kiehl’s tradition for over 95 years.
Adding on, Kiehl’s was a pioneer company to list ingredients on its product labels — even before this was mandated. This ensured customers would make more informed and confident purchasing decisions (as we know, it is super important to know what products you’re adding to your skin).
Finally, in the early 2000’s, Kiehl’s introduced a collection of advanced skincare formulated by Kiehl’s chemists, developed in collaboration with a leading panel of dermatologists, to address specific skin concerns.
A Little Bit My Obsession With Kiehl’s
It all started when I was living in Switzerland and noticed that my friends, who were younger than me, starting to have crows feet around their eyes.
It dawned to me that if I wanted to survive my student years and remain looking young spite the dry Swiss weather, I desperately needed a good solution. And I needed it FAST!
Kiehl’s is a brand that had always sparked my curiosity because of the way they design their products (truth be told their packaging looks more like you are buying droplets for a sore throat rather than a premium serum for your face).
Indeed, Kiehls doesn’t focus on investing their budget into marketing for cute packaging. Instead, they choose to wisely invest their money into research and delivering quality products to their ever-growing raving clients. And that is a decision I like to support.
Many times we are paying premium euros for a package that looks like an apple, with cute colors and lots of glitter, rather than the content within in it itself.
So I allowed myself to buy their prestigious avocado eye cream to hydrate my eye area and, ever since that day, I was hooked for life.
There is never a doubt in my mind that every year for Black Friday, Kiehl’s is the first place I go to restock.
RELATED: What is the Korean Skincare (and Why I Am Obsessed About it)
*PIN THIS*
The Correct Order to Apply Skincare Products
It’s the chicken and the egg questions for beauty.
”What goes first? the essence or the serum?”
I wrote a great post with the correct order to apply your skincare products and what each items means. For the sake of ease, I will write this post in the recommended order for each product’s application.
Let’s dive right into it! 🙂
RELATED: What is the 10-step Korean Skincare (each step, explained)
My Favorite Kiehl’s Products for Skincare
#1 Midnight Recovery Botanical Cleansing Oil
A cleansing oil should be step one for anyone who wears makeup (yes, even for us oily skin gals).
Hear me out: Most of us believe that scrubbing oil on your face will clog your pores and exacerbate oily skin, but cleansing oils actually do the opposite – they’re excellent at dissolving hard to remove make up and dirt.
PLUS it also washes away excess sebum and blackheads that are stuck inside pores!
What I love about the Midnight Recovery Botanical Cleansing Oil is that it is super lightweight. Plus, its lavender smell makes the whole process a real treat, every night (my partner loves lavender smell just as much as I do, so he always comes sniffing my face whenever I am removing my makeup. It’s hilarious!).
I only use the cleansing oil at nighttime, though, as I don’t see the need of it in the morning times.
#2 Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash
an important step after a cleansing oil should be (ta-da) another cleansing – this time with a foam soap.
It is important to cleanse again after the oil with a foam soap because these help wash away impurities and dirt.
This is a very gentle cleanser with Calendula and Glycerin, and its creamy gel formula activates with water to create a dense foam.
I am all about a foaming face wash, and this one leaves my skin feeling extra clean! I also love the calendula smell.
Honestly, the entire Kiehls line is perfect for a stay-at-home SPA treatment. Its fragrances smells and textures are a treat, from the cleansing process to the last product you apply.
How to cleanse with a foam wash
Apply a bit to your hands and gently rub it for around 1 minute to cleanse. Rinse it off with warm water and dry. You’ll see how smooth your skin will feel.
I personally enjoy using my Foreo Luna 2 during this process, for a more thorough wash. Read my Foreo Luna 2 review here.
#3 TONER – Calendula Herbal Extract Alcohol-Free Toner
Toners are kinda like a ”dry cleanse’, as this step can be done from bed with a cotton. According to Dr. Hadley King, a New York City-based, board-certified dermatologist, the secret weapon to healthy skin is face toner. Toners can help close pores and tighten cell gaps after cleansing, reducing the penetration of impurities and environmental contaminants into the skin
This toner is also formulated with Calendula extracts -just like the foam cleanser. What I personally love about it is that it doesn’t contain alcohol (avoid toners with alcohol).
According to Paula’s Choice website expert advice, “alcohol harms your skin’s protective surface, depletes vital substances needed for healthy skin, and makes oily skin worse“.
(careful girls, many toners contain alcohol and if you have oily skin, applying products that contain alcohol to your skin can have counter-productive effects).
That is why I love the Kiehl’s calendula toner. This toner has a very gentle touch to my skin – plus it has real calendula flower petals inside, which makes the entire process feels so luxurious.
#4 ESSENCE: Iris Extract Activating Treatment Essence
They say essence is the, well, the”essence” of the Korean skin care (pun impossible to resist).
Seriously though, it seems Essence is where the magic happens.
In short, Essences are an important “first step” for the anti-aging treatment as it helps smooth skin texture, reduce fine lines and boost the skin’s overall radiance.
It is very light-weight, kinda like water even.
I apply it to the palm of my hands and gently tap them onto my face until it is absorbed.
It is hard to describe the feeling of applying essence. It simply feels super nice and I always immediately restock once mine is over (the only essence I ever use is the one from Kiehl’s).
#5 SPOT CORRECTOR – Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution
This is a recent acquisition to my collection because I have been suffering with blemishes from past acne breakouts.
The Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution was the answer to these problems.
It is formulated with Activated C, White Birch and Peony Extracts, which is said to help brighten skin and diminish the intensity of dark spots and skin discolorations over time.
It has been working really well for me so far and I can clearly see a difference every time I wake up.
#6 SERUM: Hydro-Plumping Re-Texturizing Serum Concentrate
This serum, which has 15% Glycerin and Shiso Leaf Extract is my best friend and I use this one EVERY DAY.
My skin is reacting great to this serum. It deeply hydrates, while helps with fine lines. Everything a gal like me would want during drier winter months (it is important for people with oily skin to keep their skin hydrated too, y’know).
RELATED: A perfect self-care routine for cold winter days
#7 SERUM (2): Powerful-Strength Vitamin C Serum
Yes, I have more than one serum (I have more than 3 serums even, each for a different purpose).
Cris gave me this vitamin C serum as a Christmas gift and I’ve noticed that serums help my skin a lot.
Vitamin C is important to women who are 25+ as it helps firming the skin and helps with diminishing fine lines, wrinkles and pores.
I alternate this one with the previous one. It is lightweight, and feels so good on my skin (it warms up a little bit once you start spreading, but that is normal) I’m all about a good serum right after cleansing, and before moisturizing.
#8 FACE OIL – Midnight Recovery Face Oil
Just as with the lavender oil cleanser, my boyfriend usually waits with anticipation for this step. He really loves the gentle lavender smell it leaves.
This is a top-rated night facial oil, which is formulated with distilled botanical. This facial oil helps replenish skin for visibly smoother, more radiant skin by morning.
If I remember correctly, this is the product that made me realize Kiehls was a freakin’ good brand. The results were fantastic and you can 100% see results the next day after applying it.
#9 EYE CREME – Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado
Last, but oh certainly not least, the magical avocado eye creme.
I took so long to buy this one because the name Avocado sounded very trendy and commercial, and I opted to stay out of marketing strategies.
However, this winter my under-eyes were dry as ever before. I bought two other eye cremes, but I was not satisfied. Seeing my under-eyes drying up started to make me panic.
Enters, the Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado.
The first thing I noticed about it is how creamy and thick its texture is, yet very easy to spread.
And I am in love!! I can not say enough about this eye cream. It literally saved my dry under-eyes. It is so hydrating it’s honestly unbelievable.
I really, really recommend it if you are suffering from dry eye under-eyes.
That’s it ladies. I thought this post was going to be short, but i have so much stuff to say about Kiehls skin care products. I honestly love this brand so much and hope you give it a go one day.
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