Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate - Review

It claims: The potent 99.8% naturally-derived and paraben-free botanical elixir works all night to regenerate, repair and replenish the skin barrier for younger-looking skin by morning. The rich blend of naturally replenishing botanical oils including Squalane, Evening Primrose, and a blend of essential oils known for their therapeutic, balancing, and antioxidant effects, works with the skin's natural nocturnal activity to dramatically restore skin by morning.

- Paraben Free
- Fragrance Free
- Mineral Oil Free

Price: Rs. 2750/- for 30 ml bottle

Ingredients: Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Squalane, Rosa Camina Fruit Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil/Evening Primrose Oil , Simmondsia Chinensis Oil/Jojoba Seed Oil , Coriandrum Sativum Oil/Coriander Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil/Lavender Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Linalool, Rosmarinus Offininalis Leaf Oil/Rosemary Leaf Oil, Citronellol, Geraniol, Lavendula Hubrida Oil, Cucumis Sativus Extract/Cucumber Fruit Extract, Curcuma Longa Extract/Turmeric Root Extract, Limonene, Citral, Sclareolide, Rosa Spp/Rose Flower Oil, Jasminum Officinale Extract/Jasmine Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil/Sunflower Seed Oil.

How to use:  The site says: Apply 2-3 drops on cleansed skin. Gently press fingertips to cheeks, forehead, and chin to evenly distribute the application before gently massaging it into the skin. Can be worn alone or under moisturizer, but the SA in the store said that this had to applied last at night, on top of of everything else. She said one should take a few drops in your palm, and just dab them all over the face, without rubbing it in.

What I liked:

      1. This is a blend of essential oils & based on aromatherapy. I started to use this during a period when I was suffering from insomnia. The frangrance of lavender in this oil is so soothing that it cured my insomnia almost instantly. The day I would use it, I’d sleep like a baby. The day I skipped it I would go back to tossing & turning. However it is not addictive, my insomnia was caused by stress and once I was stress – free, I could go to sleep without this.

     

     2.  It did make my skin look all glowy in the morning, it appeared smoother and fresher.       

     3. It also helped reduce oiliness in my skin, but at the same time my skin never felt dry. Skin felt soft and supple. 

     

     4. The texture is very light and totally non – oily. It absorbs instantly and quickly.  It is also colorless and doesn't stain the skin or clothes. 

     

     5. You need just 2-3 drops for the entire face. So the bottle itself would last a good 6 to 8 months. The dropper provided does make it easy to take only the required amount and no more. 

What could be better:

     

    1. I felt the regenerative effects on the skin were temporary. If I didn’t use this for 2 or more nights, my skin went back to looking how it did earlier.

   

    2. It is quite expensive when compared to other drugstore anti aging products. 

   

    3. I find it quite cumbersome that this has to be layered on top of your night cream or serum – in a dab, dab fashion. I wish this could be just blended into the cream itself right before application.

  

    4. The packaging is unsuitable for travel – it is a glass bottle. 

Would I repurchase: No, I don’t think I will. It doesn’t seem to benefit the skin in the long term and the effects seem very temporary (lasting only a day or two at maximum). For something like that it is just priced too high. To be honest it does deliver on all the claims that it makes, but the improvement is very transient. Stop using this for a week, and skin quickly reverses to its original state.