Kiehl’s – The BB Magic

BB Creams are not a new concept. But Kiehl’s gives it a new identity with its innovative formula. Result? Perfectly glowing natural skin…

Kiehl's BB CreamThis is the season of BB creams. If you haven’t already noticed, all beauty brands – luxury or budget – are coming out with their own version of BB creams.

To explain the background briefly, BB creams – short for beauty balms or blemish balms – is considered a hybrid skincare and makeup product, which aims to do multi task by working as a moisturizer, primer, sunscreen, skin treatment, concealer and foundation.

So among all the clutter, we decided to try our hand at Kiehl’s Actively Correcting & Beautifying BB Cream SPA 50/PA +++. Not the first in the industry, Kiehl’s makes it clear that quality matters more than timing to them. They took time to work a formula which will perform the usual functions of a BB cream and more than that!

Kiehl’s has always delivered on its promises more or less. Naturally, our expectations from this product were high. Apart from fulfilling the above mentioned duties, Kiehl’s also wanted its BB cream to effectively give skin tone correction using high potency Vitamin C. Additional benefits include reducing the appearance of pores and fine lines while providing all-day hydration and broad-spectrum SPF 50/ PA+++ protection. The BB cream is Paraben free and mineral oil free. It is also dermatologist and allergy tested for sensitive skin. Taking their excellence a notch further, the Kiehl’s BB cream is non-comedogenic, that is, it won’t clog pores.

But this is easier said than done. To address skin tone correction, Kiehl’s knew Vitamin C was an efficient ingredient, but it’s challenging to mix pigments (to get the desired shade) with Vitamin C and even more challenging when adding a high SPF sunscreen. Pigments and sunscreens tend to formulate well with oils only. Vitamin C is a water-soluble molecule – which would tend to separate when combined with these ingredients. “We’ve used Vitamin C in many of our formulations and we know that it is highly efficient in treating hyper-pigmentation. Our chemists were determined to make our BB Cream unique and therefore it took two years and 4000 applications on 75 women to test the product until we were completely satisfied. The result of course is a BB Cream that is quite a benchmark in the category,” says Anjali Pai, Retail and Education Manager, Kiehl’s India. To be sure, the SPF 50 is a delight, when most BB cream usually don’t go that high.

Kiehl's skincare brand testingUsing the Kiehl’s BB cream is quite easy. Cleanse, tone, use the Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution (Kiehl’s claims it will help in getting best results from the BB cream), and then apply the BB cream itself. It comes out like a blob and is thick enough to remain so on your hand. Having a creamy, smooth texture, it is easy to rub and spread. It doesn’t have any overpowering fragrance, definitely not the artificial perfumed one, so you know they are serious about their quality and ingredients.

To be used once a day, preferably in the morning, a drop of it provides enough coverage. The cream is hydrating enough to be used as a moisturizer. While applying, it spreads easily and blends easily with the skin, not leaving any patches. They have two shades – Light and Natural. Make sure to test the cream to check which one suits your skin tone more.

It gives a subtle, light coverage on the skin, making it ideal as a foundation or a make-up primer. Being thinner than a usual foundation, it won’t be uncomfortable, specially in this summer. In fact, it is the most ideal for this season so that it doesn’t melt off your face. It doesn’t alter your skin tone or colour in a discernable way. The skin simply looks smoother, and well, blemish free. The face skin feels hydrated and silkier as well. The colour stays true for long, without giving any smudges.

After using it for two weeks, I can see some slight correction in the acne scars I have on my face. They have become lighter, though according to the KCR (Kiehl’s Customer Representative) a better result can only be got after four weeks of regular usage. In addition, Ms Pai recommends, “When it comes to BB creams, the desired results apart from a skincare treatment benefit include instant coverage and UV protection. Continuous use would therefore be recommended. Also as with all skincare products, with Kiehl’s formulations too, the benefits are best seen when they’re used consistently.”

The Kiehl’s Actively Correcting & Beautifying BB Cream with SPF 50 is an all-round winner. To say the cliché, more than just delivering exterior goods, it makes sure your skin glows from inside too. Full marks to them…

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