Written by Bailey J.

After a long day of working, classes, studying and socializing, my favorite part of my day is my night time routine. Before I started using these products nightly, I barely washed my face before I went to sleep, but now everyday I look forward to using this nighttime routine.

I begin by fully cleansing with the Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash. The wash smells faintly of marigold flowers, the flower that Calendula is extracted from. It is soap free, so it does not dry out my face like other cleansers have in the past. It also makes a great makeup remover. In addition being soap free, it also contains an ingredient called Glycerin that locks essential moisture into the barriers of the skin.

I follow up with the other half of the Kiehl’s Calendula product range: the toner. The toner is filled with marigold petals that are put in by hand in each bottle, and is every bit as soothing as it looks and smells. Calendula has been trusted in apothecaries for over one hundred years for its healing properties, so this is my favorite part about the toner. Like the cleanser, I can always trust that the toner will not overdry my face. It does not contain any alcohol, a major drying agent. Other ingredients in the toner are Allantoin, an herb known to soothe and reduce inflammation, and Great Burdock, which improves dry skin.

The combination of these two products helps to clean the skin, restore a barrier of moisture in the skin, and balance the pH of the skin that is unfortunately upset by tap water and other environmental agents. These help prepare the skin to take full advantage of the benefits of the following steps.

Then I use the Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate, which is my personal favorite. The concentrate helps aid the skin in its naturally recovery functions while you are asleep. I always wake up with a fresh and dewy glow from the concentrate. It is perfect for bedtime because of one of its main ingredients, lavender essential oil. The oil is known for its soothing properties, and you will understand why when you smell a bottle of the Midnight Recovery Concentrate.

Another key ingredient is Squalane. Squalane is naturally derived from olives and is a silky moisturizer that is extremely compatible with the skin’s natural oils. For those of you with oily skin: oil regulates oil production! One reason for oily skin may be that your skin is stripped of the oils it needs so it overcompensates through oil production. This product helps regulate this issue.

Next, I use the Midnight Recovery Eye. As the partner of the Midnight Recovery Concentrate, this product is exceptionally soothing in combination. Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Eye contains lavender essential oil and Squalane just like the Concentrate. It also helps reduce the appearance of fine lines, puffiness, and dark circles! I find this is the perfect way to hide tiredness during the day, too, if a big project kept you up too late the night before.

Finally, I finish off with the Kiehl’s Rosa Artica Moisturizing Cream. This cream follows the others with a main ingredient of Squalane. This also contains Haberlea rhodopensis, a rare resurrection flower that stunts the skin’s collagen productions and improves elasticity. This also has a nice cooling effect on the skin when you put it on. The Rosa Arctica is extremely hydrating, perfect for the winter and dry skin. For more oily skin or summer time, they also have a lightweight version of the product!

As always, thanks for reading, and if you have any questions, feel free to stop by Bivouac any time!