No I’m not paid by Kiehl’s. I just love their products this much ok?

Never mind the mouthful of words there, the Kiehl’s Powerful-Strength Line Reducing Concentrate is an anti-aging miracle. Read on to find out why I’m putting this baby on high pedestal.

Kiehl’s: Best Anti-aging & Anti-wrinkle Serum / Cream Concentrate with Vitamin C

The name of this product is as good as it gets – powerful and reduces the appearance of lines and wrinkles such as around the forehead, nasolabial folds (or laughing lines), marionette lines (below each end of our lips), crowfeet, under eye fine lines, etc.

Packaging

It comes with a pump that releases a dime-sized dollop of product on each press. It doesn’t even come with a cap over the pump, but all you need to do is just to twist the dispenser to lock it in place so that there is no accidental spillage.

Scent

For those who grew up in SE Asia you’d get what I’m trying to say next.

The cream smells exactly like those inflatable soft plastic bubble that you could blow up using a tiny straw, and then you nip shut whatever holes that appear for it to stay in shape, or you could cluck on it with your tongue to make a hole to blow in to make it bigger. I know this is crazy but it really smells exactly like my childhood bubble toy.

Ok if you can’t imagine, it has a sweet, glue-like smell; not exactly very strong, so it is not that off-putting.

Texture & Color

A very pale yellow liquidy cream, or colored serum if you will. When you massage it into your skin, weirdly it produces an anti-slip effect. Unlike most creams they can be lathered with quite well, lathering with this one will meet with some resistance. It is however quick in absorption though it doesn’t end with the feeling that makes you think your skin is thoroughly covered because you can’t really tell due to the absolute lack of lubricant.

Price & Size

It comes in 50ml (1.7 fl. oz) and is retailing at SGD$98.00 in Kiehl’s stores in Singapore.

Key Ingredients:

Vegetable oil derived Glycerine – this one puzzles me a bit. It says this is to improve the spreadability of the product but from what I review of the texture above I do not feel it is that spreadable.

Pure Vitamin C (L-Ascorbic Acid) – needs little introduction to its world of benefits here: powerful anti-oxidative effects; the main fighter against skin aging at play.

How To Apply The Kiehl’s Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate

It is recommended to apply in the day (under moisturizer) and at night but I stick to only using it at night before bed due to my product-layering routine in the morning which is already quite a handful to deal with.

I apply it after my Kiehl’s Iris Extract Activating Treatment Essence and before my Kiehl’s blemish-control cream (which acts as my night moisturizer) as part of my cystic hormonal acne treatment routine, concentrating on those areas where there are and potentially to have fine lines, for my case: between the brows, marionette lines extending all the way to my nasolabial lines and my most obviously severe under-eye fine lines and crow feet.

Verdict

The result the next morning is obviously, visibly reduced fine lines around my eyes. My eyes look less tired and when I smile the skin below them crinkles up less and becomes plumper. (I’ll try to dig some old photos up and snap a current shot of my improved condition for comparison when I have the time).

Next obvious improvement is the pores below my nose area – they too are visibly reduced. The nasolabial lines (‘laughing lines’) that I used to have are less visible now. Laughing lines are not lines that you see when you grin or laugh. They are the lines that you see even when you are expressionless. Yes, I am that pathetic. Take a look at the before and after photos.

I have been using this product for 9 months. Consistency is key if you want the fine lines to improve in the long run.

I know I have made the texture and scent of this cream/ serum to be like the worst thing. But I am one who attest to products by their performance. I can make do with pungent smells and bring my pain threshold up (sometimes) if the product really works. So this product in my opinion, screechy feeling and glue smell aside, is a wonder-worker. 

Read more: the best anti-aging products to keep fine lines at bay