Review: Kiehl's 5 Sample Set or the Forehead Diaries 2

WARNING: PICTURE HEAVY

So as I said before, I passed by Kiehl's at Shangri-la Mall due to a post I saw over at animetrics. I went into the store and told and NR saleslady that I wanted to try their 5 minute consultation + sample set. The lady made me fill out a form, took two patch(?) tests - one for my forehead and one for my cheeks to tell my skin type - and gave me these five samples:

5 samples + form

 The entire thing took 2 minutes. Store experience: meh.

Now to procede with the review proper...

I originally wanted to post it on facebook for the contest but decided to put it here instead. No big products for me then :'(

In order of application:

Kiehl's Blue Herbal Gel Cleanser (Sample Size - Front)

Kiehl's Blue Herbal Gel Cleanser (Sample Size - Back)

The active ingredient of this product is 1.5% salicylic acid. It actually has this minty medicinal scent, due to the camphor and menthol, sort of like Salonpas. It's blue, and maybe since I'm scrimping, but it doesn't lather as well as most cleansers. I wouldn't exactly call it a gel because it runs almost like water. I like the "coolness" I smell with this cleanser, but it doesn't feel cool around anywhere except when i hit the sides of my mouth. I like that it doesn't leave my skin feeling dry afterwards - no stinging sensation even with the salicylic acid concentration. This is one of the products I liked in the set.

Kiehl's Blue Astringent Herbal Lotion (Sample Size - Front)

Kiehl's Blue Astringent Herbal Lotion (Sample Size - Back)

I think the water and alcohol are supposed to be the cleaners here? There is some witch hazel, which could help the skin, but it's written after the camphor and menthol. There is also Sodium PCA, which probably keeps it from being too harsh. This one is also blue and smells like Salonpas. This is a liquid, and tends to spill, so I might have lost most of it prematurely (I got only 5 washes :( ). It's not a fault of the product, it's mine and the packaging. But for some reason (and in addition to that), even with my usual application, I end up popping zits when I use this toner, so I'm not really fond of it.

Kiehl's Blue Herbal Moisturizer (Sample Size - Front)

Kiehl's Blue Herbal Moisturizer (Sample Size - Back)

The moisturizer had a milder same camphor - mint scent, but was actually a white-to-blue-grean-cream-to-gel. It absorbed easily into my skin and mattefied it a little bit. I didn't end up looking like an oil slick at noon, which is a plus (then again, my standards are rather low when it comes to moisturizers). While I think this would work as a great day moisturizer - in conjunction with sunblock (because it has salicylic acid!), for my oily skin, I feel that I need something else at night.

Acne Blemish Control Daily Skin- Clearing Treatment (Sample Size - Front)

Acne Blemish Control Daily Skin- Clearing Treatment (Sample Size - Back)

This was a white cream, and in fact was heaviest on the skin of the 5 samples -it doesn't really sink. Strangely enough, the smell reminds me of playing cards. While it didn't sting me for the first uses, one day, I felt the burn (sting) post-usage once -I used this twice a day before and reduced it to once a day after- and had no problems after that.

Kiehl's Ultra Light Daily UV Defense (Sample Size - Front)

Kiehl's Ultra Light Daily UV Defense (Sample Size - Back)

 I can't really write much about this. Why? The sample contained only 1.5 ml. Even with maximum scrimpage (sunblock is something I don't really scrimp on - even if i'm an intermittent user at best), I ended up having just enough for two doses (day use only). This sunblock wasn't greasy and it's formula is thinner than, say, Armada sunblock (but thicker than Kanebo or Shiseido). Because I do like to touch my face, I found that I could still feel it, but it didn't seem to break me out, but that could be due to the treatment.


The Forehead Diaries 2

In the beginning:

Day 0

There was some expected irritation (redness), but it went away very quickly and was less likely after each wash. No new zits the next day though.

Day 1

By Day 3, I had run out of both the toner and the sunblock. You can see that some of the zits have disappeared, some of the bigger ones bled out though. (A different camera was used here, sorry).

Day 3: without flash

With flash, you can see that the acne treatment does leave a bit of a whitish cast:

Day 3: with flash

Then, it began to sting and got a bit red post application. Acne treatment dialled back to once a day after. While I did see some improvement to the older scars in this area, just a bit farther a way, unseen, a new cluster popped up.

Day 4

And finally... on the last day.

Day 6

By this time I only had enough for one last wash and decided to end this round. Also, my pictures need refinement. I'm not sure if this is doing more harm than good because the pics don't really capture the real deal >.< wah. Might have to abort TFD for a while. Sads.

The Final Verdict

Though it did help heal existing pimple scars, it didn't really help prevent new ones from forming, so I wouldn't recommend using these 4? 3? products exclusively. If you had mild acne, these may be enough for you. Sadly, my face is suck.

The Cleanser: I think this would make a nice summer cleanser: It's a nice scent to smell when it's hot. And the non-irritating salicylic acid content is a plus for acne prone skin.

The Toner: Aside from the fact that I liked the smell of camphor-mint, it really didn't do much for me.

The Moisturizer: It was light, and the fact that it was dual purpose (with the same salicylic acid content) makes me think it's a possible day moisturizer.

The Treatment: This is probably a good bet for sensitive acne-prone skin since it doesn't sting or dry when used once a day. However, that probably means you'll probably see its effects only during the long term (whereas twice a day use will irritate your skin).

The Sunblock: What sunblock??

The biggest detriment to Kiehl's purchasing? The price. I'm pretty sure you could get something with salicylic acid for cheaper - but there is a bonus for buying such as scent, packaging, irritation and comedogenicity. If I had the money, I'd probably go for the cleanser and the moisturizer, but until then... goodbye Kiehl's sample!