So it turns out I'm a pro at postponing posts I've wanted to write months ago... Kiehl's' Midnight Recovery Concentrate has been part of my evening skincare routine for 3 months now, so I thought it was time to give you my thoughts on this miracle worker.
Kiehl's sums up the Midnight Recovery Concentrate as a 'replenishing nighttime facial oil with distilled botanicals that visibly restores the appearance of skin by morning'. Basically the skin cells regenerate at night, which means the active ingredients in this elixir are most effective when applied in the evening. The promise is that your skin will repair itself overnight and you'll wake up with smoother, healthier looking skin.
Ingredients: Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Squalane, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Evening Primrose Oil, Jojoba Seed Oil, Coriander Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Lavender Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Linalool, Rosemary Leaf Oil, Citronellol, Geraniol, Lavandula Hybrida Oil, Cucumber Fruit Extract, Turmeric Root Extract, Limonene, Citral, Sclareolide, Rose Flower Oil, Jasmine Extract, Sunflower Seed Oil
As you can see, the Midnight Recovery Concentrate contains a lot of essential oils that can be considered good for the skin and it also has quite some anti-oxidants. The product has a lovely fragrance and although I personally think it is nice, the perfume can have an irritating effect on sensitive skin.
The lavender oil in the concentrate is supposed to be great for inflamed or irritated skin as it holds soothing qualities, plus it adds radiance. Evening primrose oil is the main ingredient that will help repair the skin barrier faster, and squalane is a natural (botanical!) emollient that will bring back moisture. Squalane is popular in cosmetics because besides its nourishing qualities, it's also age-fighting and rich in anti-oxidants. The Midnight Recovery Concentrate contains rosehip oil, which heals wounds and reduces scars. However, for those with acne-prone skin rosehip oil is something you might want to skip.
Its blue packaging is the first thing I liked about the Midnight Recovery Concentrate. I know, it's no reference for the quality of the product, but the luxurious looking packaging makes it much more fun to use. I picked up my bottle back in January, when Kiehl's was supporting Alicia Keys' Keep A Child Alive Foundation, which I wrote about *here*. For this cause, Kiehl's put a limited edition design on the bottle and for each one sold, the organisation donated to children affected by HIV in Singapore. I was more than glad to contribute to this good cause.
Now, how do you use the Midnight Recovery Concentrate?
The pipette dispenser allows you to easily dispense the preferred amount of oil onto your hand. Kiehl's recommends 2-3 drops; when it was cold in January I even used up to 4 or 5 when I felt like my skin could use some extra moisture. Once applied on cleansed skin, you can press the product into the skin or massage it in. It feels slightly tingly for a few minutes, which I personally don't mind. You could layer the concentrate under a moisturizer, but I actually prefer not to, so the ingredients can really work their magic.
The verdict
After 3 months of having the Midnight Recovery Concentrate, I've learned to understand how it is most effective on my skin and I finally feel like I'm using it the right way. Where I would apply twice - sometimes even 3 times - a week during winter time, I've now limited using it to once or twice a week, only when I feel like my skin needs it. I'm one of those lucky ones who have sensitive skin and if I apply the concentrate too often or too liberally, it will show on my skin. However, if I'm careful and avoid the sensitive/irritated areas i.e. my chin and nosebridge, it's fine! I can't say the Midnight Recovery Concentrate has given me clear skin, but it has made my skin softer and brighter. I'm not sure if it will be too heavy for summer, but for now - and especially in the winter months - it's a product I enjoy using.
What do you think of thorough reviews like this, not too much to read? Is it something you'd like to see on Modest Mix more often? Let me know in the comments!
5 comments
Great review, seriously! And definitely not too lengthy. So as far as I'm concerned you can keep the reviews coming :-) As for the product, a while ago I wanted to try it but after reading mixed reviews I decided to leave it. I'm glad you figured out how to make it work for you though.
ReplyDeleteOoh, thanks so much! Yeah, I've read a few times that it's made people break out. It happened to me a couple times too (no severe breakouts though luckily), but ever since I decided to only use it on my nose, cheeks and forehead, I've had no problems!
DeleteKudos to you for not instantly giving up then! :-)
DeleteWat een leuke review om te lezen! Ik kon het product nog niet! Ik volg je nu via bloglovin, zou het leuk vinden als je ook eens een kijkje komt nemen op mijn blog en mij ook volgt! liefs x
ReplyDeleteLief, dankjewel! En zal ik zeker even doen :)
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