What’s the best way to choose a new beauty product? Look for one with an avid, immense following, innovative formulas, plant ingredients backed by scientific research and a proven track record, like these from Kiehl’s.
What’s the best way to choose a new beauty product? Look for one with an avid, immense following, innovative formulas, plant ingredients backed by scientific research and a proven track record, like these from Kiehl’s.
Calendula Herbal-extract Toner, $59-$90.
This multi-purpose product is a grand dame – launched in the early 1960s, it remains a Kiehl’s top seller. Alcohol-free and anti-inflammatory, it balances the skin’s natural oils post-cleansing. It can also be used on sensitive skin to reduce redness or irritation, or as a facial refresher throughout the day. The toner gets its skin-soothing properties from calendula – marigold flowers are picked and placed in each bottle by hand.
Ultra Facial Cream, $49.
Launched in the 1970s, this is a bestseller worldwide, with a following that includes Cameron Diaz, Reese Witherspoon and Kim Kardashian. Despite its light texture, it delivers deep hydration and works to improve the skin’s barrier function – with ingredients such as olive-derived squalane, a protein extract from a microorganism that thrives in the Antarctic, and an extract from a drought-resistant plant – for smoother, more radiant skin.
Dermatologist Solutions Powerful-strength Line-reducing Concentrate, $98.
Before Kiehl’s launched its breakthrough formula in 2005, topical vitamin C was known to be great for the skin (fights free radicals, boosts collagen production, speeds up skin renewal) but notoriously difficult to preserve. The top-selling product for Kiehl’s in Singapore, this serum, with 10.5 percent pure, stabilised vitamin C, tackles the look of fine lines, rough skin and dullness.
Midnight Recovery Concentrate, $80.
Formulated to optimise skin repair at night, the oil blend hydrates skin so you wake up looking radiant and well-rested. It’s almost entirely made of essential and botanical oils, chosen for their regenerative, moisturising and brightening properties. Key among them: lavender essential oil, which soothes inflamed skin and reportedly boosts repair functions, and squalane, said to restore the skin’s moisture balance.
