Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate, my review

I know, I took my time to do this Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate’s review…

I wanted to wait until I finished my bottle to give you my opinion…
But after more than 5 months of daily use and a bottle that is still very full despite of my generosity during its application (I used half the bottle), I think that that my opinion on the product is now probably legit after all this time! wink

Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate is one of those ‘cult‘ skincare products all the beauty bloggers of the planet rave about. And I also remember while working at Le Bon Marché, where the brand had a stall, it was already among the best-sellers of Kielh’s brand.
Kielh’s was just starting in France (when I worked at le Bon Marché in 2003) and nobody knew how to pronounce the name. wink

Kielh’s is an American brand created in 1851 by a New York pharmacist, John Kielh. The company changed owners several times before becoming part of the L’Oréal group in 2000. Of course, L’Oréal helped the brand improve its global development and Kielh’s now has many more points of sale worldwide, including more than 300 stores under its own name.

The Kiehl’s brand concept is “to offer its customers effective formulas developed with the most advanced technologies and highly concentrated natural ingredients .”
It’s something you often hear at the moment with skincare brands: technology (guarantee of efficiency and modernity) based on nature (for the authentic touch).

Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate, presentation:

To be honest, I hadn’t understood what was this product was for a very long time…

I first thought it was a regular serum but actually, it can be applied alone so it’s more a concentrate. (I explained the difference in my article The truth about serums.)

Then, the product name is complicated. It’s all in English, no French translation, which is utterly disturbing for me, I’m not gonna lie. Even with the super lousy translation, it reassures me to read some French words on a beauty product. wink
And even if I now understand the name of the product, when I was younger, I got confused a little bit. I thought it was for very sensitive, damaged skin, which needed to be repaired. And I didn’t think that the repair could simply be for older skin.
Yes, I was a young fool who didn’t understand much about anti-aging products (and especially who didn’t feel very concerned about them).

And an anti-aging product, it’s exactly what Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate is.

What Kielh’s says about it:

A replenishing nighttime facial oil with distilled botanicals that visibly restores the appearance of skin by morning.

• Regenerates, repairs, and replenishes skin for smoother, healthier skin
• Works with the skin’s natural nocturnal activity – when skin is most receptive to repairing itself from daily aggressors – to dramatically restore skin
• 99.8% naturally-derived and paraben-free oil for face
• A customer favorite

How to Apply:
-Apply 2-3 drops of treatment on cleansed skin
-Gently press fingertips to cheeks, forehead, and chin to evenly distribute the application before gently massaging it into the skin
-Can wear alone or under moisturizer

Ingredients:

Evening Primrose Oil is an effective on skin barrier repair and boosting radiance.

Lavender Essential Oil helps soothe inflamed or irritated skin while helping reduce skin blotchiness for a more even look. Creates a brighter and more radiant look to skin.

A signature Kiehl’s ingredient, Squalane is a botanical lipid that is similar in molecular structure to natural skin lipids. It has an exceptional affinity to skin, and because it’s easily absorbed, Squalane helps restore skin’s natural moisture balance to keep it extra soft and supple.

So it’s an anti-aging product, or to be more precise, a product that preserves the youth of the skin and it has to be applied at night.

Indeed, the bad news is that after about 25, the skin regeneration process slows down,  it’s the beginning of the end and the skin appears more marked and less resistant to fatigue.
Moreover, it’s usually during the night that the skin repairs itself most effectively. So using ​​a night care product that aims to boost the cell regeneration is a great idea.

Specifically, when you’re using a product that acts on cell regeneration, the results to be expected are the following:
– the skin is smoother and plumper when you wake up
– the skin moisture is preserved (but if the skin is very dehydrated, it may not be enough, here, the objective is more about maintaining hydration)
– the formation of lines and wrinkles is slowed down
– the healing is accelerated (perfect if you get hormonal acne, like me).

In my opinion, it’s a product which is better to use between 25 and 40. After 35-40, the skin needs more stimulating ingredients to act on the visible signs of aging.

Kielh’s gives no age limit for the use of this product, but quite honestly, I doubt that a 60-year-old will see a stunning result with the Midnight Recovery Concentrate…

Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate, my test and review:

First, let me talk about my own (face) skin.

I am 36 years old, a rather oily skin with visible pores and relatively persistent hormonal acne (I stopped my birth control pill more than a year ago and my skin has been acting like that of a teenager again, yeaaay).
I don’t really have any wrinkles yet but I tend to have a skin that marks if I don’t get enough sleep. I have no real concern for lack of firmness, and about dark sunspots, if I protect well my skin (and I protect every day with a high SPF since living here in sunny Dubai), they don’t come bothering me.

When I started using the Midnight Recovery Concentrate, I was hoping to see a result on the general appearance of my skin: a radiant, cleared out skin and I also wanted the product to heal my acne scars.
I also had some areas of my face where my skin was slightly dehydrated. Nothing dramatic but I was feeling it, and my makeup was quite patchy in some areas of my face.

Here is my detailed opinion about this concentrate:

– Packaging:

This is a blue glass bottle with a pipette, which is very retro. A real pharmacist vial from last century! On the practical side, the dark blue glass packaging allows to preserve the formula which contains many vegetable oils. Obviously, it isn’t ideal if you’re clumsy (like me). But miraculously, I haven’t let it fall in my sink … I’ve probably been lucky! wink
I’m quite a fan of the pipette system, which I find convenient to distribute the right amount of product.

– Texture:

This is a very fine oil that is quickly absorbed into the skin without leaving it shiny. Even on my oily skin, I don’t feel it is greasy at all.

– Smell:

A very botanical scent with a strong lavender scent. I personally love it but be warned if you prefer more neutral scents…
I personally love smelling lavender before going to sleep, I find it very relaxing! wink

– Formule:

The full list of ingredients:

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

A rather clean composition (99.8% of natural origin ingredients) with no mineral oils, no silicone, no synthetic perfume, no parabens.
– a lot of vegetable oils such as rosehip oil, evening primrose oil, jojoba oil, coriander, lavender, geranium, rosemary, rose, sunflower,
– plant extracts like cucumber extract and Jasmine
– squalane, an ingredient which preserves the skin hydro-lipid film (which protects the skin by regulating its hydration).

– Application:

I put about 3 drops of product in my hand, then I take it using my fingertips with the other hand.
I apply the product by light pressure on the face and the neck. I try not to massage too much the product as this tends to break the ingredients of teh formula.

It can be applied on its own if you want but since I’m totally addicted to my night cream (Phyto 52 by Yon-Ka), I use it above it.

– Result:

The result was very obvious at the beginning.
I definitely see that my skin looks better when I wake up, it’s more radiant.

I don’t really have less acne but I have clearly less black heads and I also find that the product accelerates the healing of my acne scars, which is pretty amazing!

My dehydrated areas look better than before. It feels more comfortable and I’ve noticed an improvement in the aspect of my skin but it was in the long term (after 3 months). So if your skin is ultra dehydrated, I think it would be better to rely on stronger (more potent) treatments such as moisturizing serum and a good intensive moisturizing face mask! wink

After five months, I can’t see as efficient results as I saw at the beginning of my treatment but overall it keeps my skin quite well.

– Value For Money:

The big pro of this product. It never ends!

I have the 50ml bottle (the price: $70) but since it will probably last at least 10 months, I find it quite cheap! wink

– Availability:

The Midnight Recovery Concentrate is available in Kiehl’s stores or in the brand website.

In summary:

[wprs-pros][wprs-cons]

In summary, it’s a good product but I’m not sure I would buy it again, it if I am 100% honest. I want to try products more suited to my age (#oldlady) and frankly, I already have the famous Luna by Sunday Riley in my radar… Have you tried it? Is it worth the crazy amount of money???

And you, have you ever used the Midnight Recovery Concentrate by Kiehl’s? Is it a cult product for you? wink

Photos credits: bonnie-garner.com

Cet article est aussi disponible en français: Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate, my review