goodies for the skin

IMG_6866

Some of my skincare products ran out recently, so I thought it timely to try out a few new things.

First up was the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate which Fleurette and a good number of my friends have raved about. I admit I bought this at a vulnerable moment (don't buy beauty products when you're feeling bad about your skin!) because I felt like my skin looked dull - it's definitely a sign of ageing! I love the smell - so soothing as you press the oil onto your face. I use it every alternate night. I'm impressed that I can use it on its own without a moisturiser (this being humid Singapore), and it might be imaginary, but the texture of my skin looks better too.

It's made from a mix of natural essential oils (evening primrose, lavender, squalane), and upon buying it, I did wonder if I just spent money on the same essential oils you can get from any store. Hmmmm.

The only way to find out if a beauty product has been effective is to finish using the whole lot, and stop for a week or two and see what your skin looks like without it. If it noticeably degenerates, then you know you have a winner. I guess I've got six months to go to see if I have a winner.

The second product is my body moisturiser - I love the Boots Body Cream I bought in Thailand, inexpensive and the texture and scent was amazing, but I've finished mine, and there isn't a Boots here.

In any case, I've been wanting to gradually switch to organic products, so I checked out Aesop and Jurlique. Aesop has killer packaging, but I didn't like the way any of their body creams (called Body Balms) smelt.

So off to Jurlique I went, and I plunked for their Jasmine Body Care Lotion, because it smelt heavenly and the texture was perfect for our weather. It makes me feel like I'm in a spa.

Both products have a great scent, but it isn't chokingly overpowering (some Body Shop and L'Occitane products have that problem). Some people prefer unscented products, owing to sensitive skin perhaps. But it's never made a difference with me, and I like the ritual of massaging something that smells soothing into your skin (good for circulation too, all that massaging).

I had never used Jurlique products before so I opted for this as a starter product - if I like it I may try more of their stuff as I go along - I'm running out of sunscreen next.

Apart from growing their ingredients on their own biodynamic farm, they also have minimal packaging made from recycled materials - not sure if the plastic is though. If you think about your carbon footprint and all the chemicals we wash off our bodies every day, I think it's worth looking at where you can minimise there, and taking small steps in the right direction.

Comments

0000 said…
I've heard so much about Kiehl's from my blog feed, but I have never checked it out! I hear that their products are great, but my cousins say the brand is better suited for dry-normal skin than oily skin (which is what I have) so I've been hesitant to try it. I'm generally a minimalist when it comes to skincare, because I think it's best not to tamper with your skin's natural healing abilities too much (plus, no one really knows what those chemicals will do to you in the long run)--so I'm also pretty reluctant to try out new skincare products. All the same, there's a certain joy in buying 'girly stuff' (as my boyfriend describes it)! I guess it's just a certain type of luxury: you don't really need it, but it's still a little pick-me-up every night!
Amanda said…
Hah, I was in Shanghai just a few days ago and had two giant acne on my forehead and was squabbling around looking for acne cream. Tried the Jurlique Blemish Cream and I swear it works like magic. Almost makes me want to splurge for a whole set of skincare!
Anonymous said…
I agree with Boots - they are my must visit each Thailand trip. Especially their bodywash too. *smells great*

Euphemia
Alex said…
I wish I could like kiehl's cause it seems get good reviews, but when I tried it recently my annoying sensitive skin reacted really badly. That product test is such good idea = ) If you are looking at trying new products Dermalogica is great
Kate said…
I've never tried anything by Kiehls but I'm very curious! I've heard they're generous with samples, I must go in and try my luck. It's be great if you could update us in a few weeks on how you think the Midnight Recovery is working out!
Unknown said…
oh i have sensitive skin as well...but have heard a lot about Kiehl's....i guess i shall have to try it out...
yanqin said…
0000: I've tried a few of their things and liked some, and disliked some... I'm not really a brand loyalist when it comes to skincare, haha. I like that they will send you samples in the mail.

I agree about a minimalist approach - I only use cleanser and a moisturiser at night, and in the morning I don't use a cleanser at all - I just moisturise and add sunscreen. I like using a mask from time to time though, and I also occasionally use a scrub - St Ives is cheap and good!

Amanda: Wow, that sounds like something handy to keep around. I've never been much for blemish cream though, I've resigned myself to letting them go away in their own time.

Boots: They make such lovely housebrand products, I also love their handcream - beats everything I've ever tried.

Alex: Kiehl's is a hit amd miss for me, their eye creams are stubbornly rejected by my skin - they dont seem to absorb! Their suncreen makes me breakout. And their Acai range really annoyed my skin as well. I always try out samples before I buy them, haha.

Kate: Definitely a good idea to get samples first - I dont swear by any particular brand because I've never found one where all the products suited me...except maybe Estee Lauder but that's rather expensive.

If Jane: Make use of their generous sample policy! Dermatologica is also good for sensitive skin, like Alex said.
Milly said…
Defo need to try Midnight Recovery. My current day time moisturiser is Estee Lauder Daywear SPF15..I use the cream not the lotion which is a bit lighter. I'm thrilled with it. Also Olay Total Effects night creme is a good budget buy.x

http://millyfellintothewardrobe.blogspot.com/
miss sophie said…
you know, i had a sample tube of jurlique's hand cream in the rose scent and it was the most luxurious thing to just dab a bit on in the winter. i ran out and have been too cheap to buy a new tube since! :P kiehl's is hit or miss for me. i do have a bottle of the infamous kiehl's original musk though...need to be daring and spritz some of that on with another fragrance one of these days. probably when the weather's cold again.
yanqin said…
miss sophie: I figure I have to start asking my friends who live in Australia to buy Jurlique for me - less expensive there!
Ginta said…
I'm a Jurlique rookie too! I just started to use their face oil and so far I love it! I'm trying to go organic too. Will see how it goes. :) At the moment I'm also loving products by Nuxe and Dr Hauschka.
Lindsay K said…
Such a beautiful image of your products. I love that the Kiehls Midnight Recovery Concentrate is Paraben free. I'm not completely paraben free, but I do consider all of the chemicals when choosing products. I admire your notion of taking steps in the right direction.

Jurlique's creams are extremely luxurious!
yanqin said…
Milly: I love a good budget buy when it comes to beauty products, although I find that while cheaper brands are effective, sometimes they don't have as nice a texture, making it less pleasant to use...

Ginta: Organic products are rather expensive though!

Lindsay K: Thanks! I read a very good article last year about organic beauty products and it got me quite interested, hopefully I make a little more progress this year.
L.L. said…
Oh gosh I'm a skincare nut. I love reading about reviews on blogs because for the actual experience and how well it matches it's claims on the labels. My bit of advice is to switch exfoliators because apricot granules actually create tiny scratches in the skin. I used to use St. Ives too and while it's effective and cheap, I don't really want my skin to be torn microscopically.

Dr. Hauschka is another brand that is known for biodynamic farming but it's fairly expensive for little product and some people are allergic to some of the essential oils they use so it's a hit and a miss. Some swear by he Cleansing Cream and how it's completely changed their skin. There's even a specific method to use it! I'm planning on trying it out so I'll let you know if it's any good.

Sorry for the mountain of information. I have lots of say on skincare haha!
yanqin said…
L.L: I know I shouldn't use St Ives but I've never managed to swithc, maybe because I'm too used to the feeling of the "microscopic tearing", haha - other brands don't feel as clean I suppose, being gentler. But it's probably better to start looking at options to switch to...

Look forward to hearing more abt Dr Haushka on your blog! And don't apologise for long comments - I never saw anything wrong with that.
Kate said…
To update: I got a sample of the Midnight Recovery Oil and I love it, but I've never moisturized before bed before so it could just be that. I'm going to buy a cheaper night cream and see whether that has a similar effect.
yanqin said…
A cheaper alternative would be welcome :) I was wondering if other essential oils mixed could do the same for me, since evening primrose oil for instance is a fairly common beauty remedy. But I think it's the squalene that absorbs so well, so it doesn't feel oily.
Sarge in Charge said…
The Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado is great- it is really gentle and I think that it has the perfect amount of richness vs. slip (if that makes sense). The fine lines around my eyes truly look "plumped" up after using this.

Popular Posts