Tried It Out: Kiehl's Face Care Regime

I've been using a Kiehl's face wash, toner and cream for about a month now and I thought it was about time I gave some feedback. The Kiehl's brand launched into South Africa at the end of last year and caused quite a bit of excitement. I know many people who have bought the brand when overseas and they swear by it. So naturally I was keen to try it out for myself.

They sent me the Ultra Facial Cleanser and Moisturizer, which are suitable for all skin types, and the Cucumber Herbal toner for dry, sensitive skin.

The wash is a foaming cleanser, and forms a really thick, condense foam that I liked. It is also fragrance free, which is something I look for in skincare products since synthetic fragrances are more likely to cause breakouts. I normally use cream cleansers so this one did leave my skin slightly tighter - naturally - but not uncomfortable. And most importantly, it cleaned my skin well so I didn't experience clogged pores or blackheads while using it.

I really like this toner. It is alcohol free so less likely to further dry out already dry skin. If you look at the ingredients list you'll see that it contains a lot of herbal extracts like Witch Hazel, Aloe, Camphor, Chamomile and Cucumber (among many others), which are known for soothing the skin.

The cream is rich but it absorbed quickly and it left my skin feeling comfortable and properly hydrated.

Overall I liked the range but I have to be honest, I did experience some breakout while using it. I think this is because of the large amount of plant extracts because I have had similar problems with other ranges that also have many botanicals in their ingredients list. However, just because a range doesn't work for one person doesn't necessarily make it bad. It has happened more than once that some of my friends get breakouts from products that I absolutely adore. Every skin is different.

What I really love about the Kiehl's brand is their dedication to find products that really work for you. You can get free samples of their products in store to test before purchasing anything, and they also have a 28 day return policy so if you do buy products and you aren't happy you can actually take them back. Very few brands actually have this service and I really wish more of them did.

Kiehl's have stores in Edgars at Sandton City and at Eastgate Shopping Center, both in Johannesburg. If you aren't in Joburg you can also order via the Edgars Fashion Hotline (0860 692 274) and have products delivered either to your closest Edgars store free of charge, or to your home anywhere in South Africa, at a charge of R50, within 5-7 days. And if you want advice about the Kiehl's products beforehand you can phone the Sandton store on 011 685 7000, or the Kiehl’s Customer Advisory on 0861 001 085.

For more information on the South African store follow then on facebook.com/KiehlsSouthAfrica or on Twitter @KiehlsSA.