Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream [Part 3] Review

WHAT IT IS: Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream

THE PRODUCT(S):

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream: Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream is a non-oily, quickly absorbed hydrator that visibly reduces the appearance of oil and leaves skin looking and feeling more balanced. The oil-free gel cream works synergistically with skin’s natural lipids to visibly reduce excess oil on skin’s surface. It is non-greasy, and retains essential moisture in skin for a healthier, re-balanced skin barrier and a smoother, fresher appearance. With Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract, Antarcticine, and Cucumber Fruit Extract, this unique preparation helps skin retain moisture and protect it from arid conditions. The unique gel cream texture is instantly absorbed leaving a dry feel. Oil-free, paraben-free, fragrance-free, colorant-free.

It looks milky-white and feels just a little wee bit sticky when applied on your skin.

VERDICT: First of all, the scent once more. Just like the Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Cleanser, there seems to be a scent and yet there isn't. Another one of those fleeting scents, despite the product claiming to be fragrance-free. On a side note, the sticky feeling went away rather fast and skin feels hydrated. And honestly, people with oily skin like me welcome products that are supposedly oil-free. However, this Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil-Free Gel Cream isn't exactly oil-free at all.

On the very first night I used this on my face, there is this slightly sticky feeling I felt after applying a thin layer all over my face. And within minutes, the feeling of stickiness dissipates and my skin instantly looked hydrated without the oily/greasy shiny look. But less than a couple of hours, my face started getting really greasy and oily. And my usual preferred experiment of "swipe my face with my bare and clean fingers" actually proved what I saw in the mirror. Instead of keeping my face hydrated for the alleged 24 hours it promises, I see and feel my skin becoming more oily than before.

Thinking that it may have been a hot and stuffy night accounting for the excessive sebum flow, I applied this product again on subsequent nights after this. And I am worried to announce that usage of this product may well be affected by weather temperatures. Some nights, my face looks alright while on some nights, my face looks so oily I can probably lay a slice of bread on my face and make an Asian version of the popular french toast.

To quote what the product has mentioned:

This oil-free gel-cream deeply hydrates and conditions skin, while providig long-lasting moisture. Our non-greasy hydrator, specifically formulated for normal to oily skin needs, traps moisture to visibly reduce the appearance of oil - leaving skin looking more balanced. With Imperata Cylindrica Root Extrac, Antarcticine and Cucumber Fruit Extract, this unique preparation helps skin retain moisture and protect it from arid conditions. The formula's high level of hydrating ingredients helps to restore skin's moisture barrier for a smoother fresher and healthier experience.

Personally, I am just simply glad of the fact that I'm someone who prefers slathering facial moisturizer at night than in the morning. As our skin absorbs stuffs like these easier at night, as compared to in the morning. But what I am not glad is that despite having ingredients such as Imperata Cylindrica Root Extrac and Antarcticine that help boost skin's ability to absorb moisture and helps skin retains water, preventing cutaneous dryness, I feel that it did more "harm" than help to my skin. And on top of that, I had a new pimple on my chin area and instead of helping to soothe it, this gel-cream actually made my new pimple feel really irritated and painful.

And once again, this formula is touted to be suitable for people with normal to oily skin types, I personally think it's more suitable for someone with dry skin instead. Although this is a gel-cream facial moisturizer with a watery consistency, which is suited for people with oily skin to prevent skin clogging. The "after-effects" I had on the first night using this seems more for the dry skin variety. Sure, it's of a watery consistency that actually gets absorbed into my skin rather fast. However, I don't like the fact that this gel-cream doesn't seem to know what it's job is to do: Which is to moisturize my skin. Not make it look extra greasy as and when it pleases.

It kinda sucked that this gel-cream moisturizer didn't quite do the job I was hoping it would, despite the SA who assured me that it's definitely suitable for oily skin like mine.

VERDICT: ✓✓

WHAT I THINK: Oily one night, and non-oily the next? Uh.. No thanks, I'll just stick to finishing the cleanser and trash the toner and gel-cream. No need for late night scares from facial products.

WHERE TO REDEEM SAMPLE: Previously on 13 June, Kiehl's had a Facebook promotion whereby if you flashed their page at any of their outlets, you are entitled to receive a 1 week's supply of Kiehl's Ultra Facial Oil 1.2.3 sample kit. Personally, I think there are some real gems from Kiehl's, but it seems that they are more interested in picking an overall winner for their occasional Facebook contests, than to actually let fans redeem sample kits via their Facebook page, unlike other Skin Care lines such as Mentholatum for example.

And so far, this is the only sample kit(s) Kiehl's Singapore has willingly let their fans redeem. If they do bother to let fans try sample version of their latest products every now and then, I might have been a total Kiehl's fan. If you are really interested in giving this a try as it may seem to suit you, just pop by any Kiehl's outlet throughout Singapore and ask if there's any sample sachets they are willing to give out. Pretty sure they have sample sachets for their product range, but not sure if they are willing to give them out though as I've only requested for this sample and it's my first and probably last time since they haven't been releasing new products and new samples for a while now.

Ultimately, I think this supposedly Oil-Free Toner is much more suitable for dry skin than normal to oily skin as it suggested.

Why not like my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/PuNiaosProductReviews to be informed of latest samples I found, which is duly updated? It will definitely save you the trouble of having to hunt down samples :)