Review: Kiehl’s Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash

By Beautifulbuns

Now that I’m homebound for a week cos of the wisdom tooth surgery , it’s time to catch up on the blogging and the skincare – especially since I’m so not venturing out of the house with the swollen chipmunky face. Hah. I’m basically resigned to just cleansing and the moisturising and what-nots. Since I perpetually have an ice pack strapped to my face, it’s really essential to keep it clean. I don’t want it to get even more swollen than it is now – damn you gross mountain of a pimple!

Kiehl’s Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash – $45

A relatively thick gel that works up into a light frothy foam

I say… 

Now to be honest, there wasn’t much ooh-ing and aah-ing when I first received this product – the packaging is pretty basic with just a bottle and a label. What can I say? Most women are like magpies – we love sparkly shiny pretty thangs. But hey, this just goes to show that you really shouldn’t judge a book by its exterior, or a kiwi by its hairy skin. Hah. Plus, the last cleanser I tried (SK-II Gentle Cleanser) was prettily packaged, but it still paled in comparison with my other cleansers.

  • The gel, when first dispensed, is rather thick and gooey ad somewhat light yellow (but the color isn’t all that visible when placed in your palm).
  • However, it foams up into a light and frothy foam – it feels really lightweight and doesn’t weigh down on the skin (you know that there are some products that feel so thick).
  • There’s a scent that’s really reminiscent of my childhood favorite chrysanthemum tea from Yeo’s – yes I loved that. It smells more like the unsweetened version though.
  • I love that it leaves my skin feeling very refreshed and cleansed without the overly-stripped feeling.
  • My skin felt hydrated, softer and definitely smoother.
  • After using this for a couple of weeks, I can safely say that I haven’t had any breakouts, but instead, got a brightened complexion.
  • I wouldn’t say it’s fairer, but more of an improved radiance.
  • It also works well with my Clarisonic cos the initial thick gooey consistency helps it stay on the brush head, while the lightweight foam is great for that luxurious-lather feeling.
  • The only slight peeve I have with this product is its pump delivery system – yes it’s hygienic, which is good, but the pump is slightly stiff. Combine that with the straight bottle that doesn’t come with any curves or texture for a firmer grip, it tends to slip whenever I hold it and try to pump it (note: my old house consists of an old bathroom that doesn’t have those tabletop sinks, so I can’t just use it as a leverage ; I need to pick it up). Otherwise, for those who have marble top sinks, it’ll be fine : )
  • Thankfully, it only requires 1 pump for my face (using hand cleansing), and 2 pumps if I’m using the Clarisonic, so it lasts pretty long.

Overall, I am really loving this product – it’s good for my skin, doesn’t contain parabens, is said to be suitable for sensitive skin, and improved my skin radiance. Methinks that there’s not much to dislike about this cleanser.