'I Swear By This Cult-Favorite Moisturizer To Make My Dry, Acne-Prone Skin Glow'
There's a fine line between a glowing complexion and an oily one— it's the eternal struggle in the quest for a healthy and natural lit-from-within glow. Throw in the fact that our skin is constantly changing with stress, hormones, age, and our environment, and it can be hard to sift through the massive amount of products on the market.
Throughout my teen years, my goal was to steer clear of any moisturizing products, lest they over-moisturize my super oily, acne-prone skin. Now that my skin has taken a total 180 in my twenties, I'm constantly on the hunt for nourishing, glow-inducing products to make my dry, acne-prone skin look bright and healthy. One of the product recommendations I kept getting was Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturizing Cream ($32, Sephora).
As a beauty product junkie, I had heard influencers, beauty gurus, and editors raving about the product for years, but I ignored them. (Being South Asian, I have a lot of trust issues with over-hyped skincare products.) I tried every serum, oil, mask, and toner on the market with little to no results—till I finally gave in and tried Kiehl's moisturizer. I'm grateful to say that I was totally wrong about it.
Here's why I've sworn by the cult-favorite facial cream for the past four years:
It provides non-greasy glow.
I have parched, dry skin that will soak up nearly anything I put on it. But unfortunately, some moisturizing products will leave my skin looking greasy and pores feeling clogged. I was a bit nervous when I first dipped my finger in to the rich, creamy formula of this moisturizer, but it blends in my skin flawlessly without any greasy residue—I even love massaging the leftover product in to my neck and hands.
I have a lot of acne scarring and pigmentation (which I'm prone to as a woman of color), and this moisturizer gives my skin the most gorgeous glow—I've gifted it to tons of my family members over the years, and they've been extremely grateful.
It's safe to use 24/7, 365 days a year.
Because of the uniquely lightweight yet nourishing formula, the moisturizer is also safe for use in the day or night time. When I wear it at night, I'll mix some oil in to the moisturizer to wake up with an extra glowy complexion. I was, at first, a bit nervous about wearing it during the day but once again, I was thankfully proved wrong. It provides just enough nourishment to leave my skin with a healthy glow that shows through with or without makeup layered on top.
Because of that, it's become a staple in my skincare routine year-round. I usually switch up the products I use every season, but this one even manages to keep my skin from getting greasy on hot, sweaty, summer days.
It works for acne-prone skin, too.
Hydrating products can oftentimes clog pores, but this won't. I have acne-prone skin, and this actually soothes any breakouts I might be experiencing—especially the hormonal acne I get along my jawline around my period. I attribute this to the high amount of avocado oil in the formula (yup, the beloved fruit is not just good on toast). The vitamin E-rich ingredient is packed with healthy, hydrating fatty acids that makes skin glow, but it won't clog pores or cause breakouts.
At $32, it's not exactly an inexpensive product. But, it's packed with skincare superstar ingredients like squalane, glycerin, and almond oil (just to name a few). If the price tag is still a concern, start out with the travel size option. A little goes a long way with this, so even that should last you at least a couple of months.
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