Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Overnight Rehydrating Face Mask

Just as we’re about to leave Winter behind us, Kiehls surprised me with a fantastic face mask perfect for parched, dry skin. Dry, cold weather does a number on my complexion -I thought my skincare was under control but we did have some random cold weather that threw my skin for a loop. I’ve been living the chapped lip life for the past week now and have been babying them with a new lip product that I’m still testing. But back to the mask from Kiehl’s. 

The Ultra Facial Overnight Rehydrating Face Mask was well….not what I expected at all. I was gifted both their Ultra Facial Cream and this Face Mask which I thought would BOTH be creams. I was wrong, but not disappointed. 

What is it?

To my surprise, the Ultra Facial Overnight Rehydrating Face Mask is more of a balm texture. It’s solid in the jar but softens under the warmth of your fingertips. Developed with sensitive skin in mind, this mask is fragrance-free, uses no colorants, and is designed to strengthen the skin barrier to help it retain moisture better. 

The Skin Barrier

When your skin barrier is compromised it can produce a variety of symptoms, like dry, itchy skin. Red, irritated skin, and even breakouts can occur. It can even leave your skin sensitive and even “hurting” at times so it’s really something to be aware of if you 1) like to dabble in exfoliants and don’t know your skin’s limit, or 2) you live in an environment that dries or stresses out your skin. When your skin barrier is compromised, it essentially means that the lipid barrier that normally protects our skin has holes or cracks in it. Moisture is lost through TEWL and bad stuff, like bacteria or fungus can get in there and cause more problems. 

I tend to get the most irritation at the high points of my cheeks. It’s more than likely that when I massage my face with cleansers and exfoliants, that’s where my hands tend to focus and leave me with little red dots that show through even when wearing foundation. It’s also very dry in my home and while I try to counter than with humidifiers I am thinking we need a couple more around the house to help our skin (and noses) deal with it better.

At nighttime, I sleep right next to the humidifier on my nightstand. It’s commonly known that our skin loses more water through the skin at night time because our oil production slows down a bit. That natural protection mechanism needs some help at times and that’s where Ultra Facial Overnight Hydrating Face Mask comes in to save the day.

Featured Ingredients

The balm to oil is formulated with 10.5% squalane and glacial glycoproteins to turn things around. The squalane is botanically-derived and responsibly sourced and serves as a hydrator while strengthening the skin barrier. 

Glacial Glycoproteins (PSEUDOALTEROMONAS FERMENT EXTRACT) sourced from antarctic glaciers help in the regeneration and renewal of the skin. They are also responsibly sourced without further extraction from glaciers. To be honest, aside from knowing this is a protein with a sugar attached, I had to read what this really was. It’s a biotechnologically derived ingredient that’s produced by the fermentation of marine bacteria found in the cold waters of the Antarctic Ocean. Pretty fascinating! 

How to use

Kiehl’s recommends using this at least three times a week, and I agree that you need to be diligent in order to see some repair of the skin. I still use all my other regular products but will skin retinoids or glycolics to help my skin heal, but will layer this over serums and my traditional moisturizer. I tend to focus on the high points of my cheeks, all around my eyes and my forehead. 

It does leave your skin a bit shiny but feels very comfortable (and not heavy) on the skin. I don’t mind looking like a glazed donut at bedtime and haven’t noticed any pillowcases messed up by it so I keep using it.

Because so little is needed with each use, I imagine this jar will last literally a lifetime! In the reviews of this product, I need people somehow scoop out a bunch and (I’m assuming) let it melt in their hands first before applying. I just run my fingers over the top of the solid product like I would a jar of lip balm and apply where needed. You can also apply this and wear it for 15 minutes and wipe it off with a tissue (kind of like Dermalogica melting moisture masque) but I prefer to leave it on all night. 

Final thoughts

Overall, I do like this product. I find it easier to control compared to Dermalogica’s melting moisture mask which I went WAAAY overboard with in the past. Now I’ve got the hang of it, but this may be a better option for some. I think it will last longer too with the amount of product in the jar. It does help heal my skin, and by that I mean the red spots I get that indicate my skin needs some help are gone. I would even feel comfortable allowing my daughter to use this on her cute little cheeks that get dry and slightly wind-chapped at times since it really doesn’t contain actives and has a pretty minimal ingredient list. 

Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Overnight  Rehydrating Face Mask is $40 for a 3.4oz jar and can be purchased at:
Kiehls.com sephora.com  and dillards.com