Kiehl's Clearly Corrective skin care review: bright, not white

Kiehl's Clearly Corrective skin care review, price, demo

PRICE: to be revealed within the post

FROM: Free

OTHER LOCATIONS: Available in Kiehl's boutiques locally

THE VERDICT:

I know that some brands use the term 'brightening' as a newer, less imposing replacement for 'whitening', but as someone who's used both kinds of products, I'd like to believe that there is really a difference between the two.

Whitening is oftentimes associated with bleaching wherein the skin will turn a shade lighter by thinning of the epidermal layer to give it a whiter look whereas brightening is more of evening of the skin tone by clearing up spots that are visible and invisible to the naked eye, resulting to clearer skin that gives off a "lightened" effect, which for me is really one's true skin tone without all the spots.

When it comes to dealing with post- acne marks, I go for brightening products; whitening may give me faster results, but I like the slow, steady effect of brightening products plus the fact that I want to maintain my tan. 

One of my favorite brightening skin care lines is Kiehl's Clearly Corrective, a brightening system formulated with dermatologists that help combat almost all sorts of spots to reveal clearer, more even skin tone.

KIEHL'S CLEARLY CORRECTIVE BRIGHTENING EXFOLIATING DAILY CLEANSER (P1,575) is a face polish/cleanser that helps remove dirt effectively and exfoliate skin to help reveal a more even skin tone. Aside from exfoliation, formula also helps boost moisture level and is Paraben- free, colorant- free, fragrance- free, and dermatologist- tested.

The wash contains micro bits of Pearlstone, which is a natural exfoliant. This is one of the reasons why I would highly recommend this product- it only uses natural exfoliators and helps reduce the amount of microplastics that go into the ocean.

Consistency is a gritty, goopy gel; it has a lavender scent that is naturally- occurring and produces moderate foam. It rinses off quite easily and leaves my skin feeling nice and soft, but I'd have to moisturize right away since it always exfoliates and exfoliation may leave skin dry after rinsing.

Kiehl's said that this product is ideal for daily usage, but I think this depends on the skin type of the user; the Pearlstone exfoliators that it has are very fine and can cause irritation if used aggressively or more than twice a day. If you have oily skin, you may use it once everyday (like me); if you have dry or sensitive skin, stick to twice or three times a week.

KIEHL'S CLEARLY CORRECTIVE BRIGHTENING AND SOOTHING TREATMENT TONER (P2,400.00) is a toner/essence in one. It has Salicylic Acid that gives it toning properties and the hydrating feel and serum- like ingredients makes it an essence, albeit a light one. It contains illuminating minerals that give skin a subtle glow.

Surprisingly, for a toner with alcohol, it doesn't sting nor feel dry on the skin AT ALL. The toner is clear with a lavender- scent and glowing bluish pigments at the bottom; these are the illuminating minerals; you have to shake the bottle before use to infuse the formula with the pigments and don't you worry, you won't look blue after using the product; what I got from it was my skin looked immediately more awake and brighter.

KIEHL'S CLEARLY CORRECTIVE DARK SPOT SOLUTION (P3,200 for 30ml) is a high performance serum that combats hyper pigmentation and promises to do so in 28 days.

This is one of my most favorite, go- to post- acne mark brightening serums because it works, although it takes longer than the brand's promise; what matters is it works!

Click HERE for the review.

I started my Clearly Corrective regimen about 2 months ago because my acne has subsided significantly by then so I began with the phase of lightening post- acne marks. Here are my results:

Here's my skin around late July. Post- acne marks galore and some pesky zits that remained.

My skin 2 months after. I think another month of usage will finally clear these pesky marks for good! Whew! It has been a journey!

If you are looking for an effective way to clear up your skin without necessarily turning your skin tone a shade lighter, I highly recommend Kiehl's Dermatologist Solutions Clearly Corrective skin care line!

Have you tried this range already? What are your thoughts?

KIEHL'S CLEARLY CORRECTIVE SKIN CARE RATING

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