Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Energising Face Wash

In the words of rock legends Metallica “Gimme fuel, gimme fire, gimme that which I desire, ooh!”.

No, this isn’t going to be one of those posts where I go off on a tangent, this post is about Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Energising Face Wash. Another of the products that came in my Selfridges&Co male beauty box.

The reason for the musical introduction is because I always find myself singing this Metallica masterpiece in the shower whenever I spot the bottle or use the product.

I received a 75ml bottle in my beauty box which normally sells for £8.50. A 250ml bottle can be bought online from Kiehl’s website here for £17.50.

The Kiehl website doesn’t seem to go in for all the usual marketing fluff, but this is how they say it will do:

‘This effective “refuelling facial cleanser” helps protect skin from the effects of environmental aggressions and gives even dull, tired looking skin a fresher appearance.

Our efficient and energising facial cleanser thoroughly removes dirt, surface oil, and impurities without an over-frying effect. Formulated with Caffeine, Menthol, and Vitamin E - as well as invigorating Orange and Lemon extracts - its unique blend helps to refresh and waken skin.’ 

First of all, I tried this after a day and evening out in the polluted air of London so expected it to have a bit of grim to remove from my face. I was a little overeager when dispensing - you really don’t need a lot of the face wash as it lathers up brilliantly and stays cool and rich in texture.

Before moving on, I have to comment on the fragrance - considering the Menthol and citrus extracts you would expect quite a potent aroma with a power to slap you awake. Alas, this isn’t so, the Menthol is the overriding fragrance and you can detect the citrus but within minutes you forget that it’s there. Personally I like the fact that it is so subtle, particularly given the stripping power it has a grimy face!

After massaging the face wash into every inch of my face it was seconds before it hit me,, a strange, almost weird tingling sensation on my face. The bathroom was warm but my face felt ice cold. Awesome!

I massaged it into my face for around another minute until rinsing - I was frankly appalled with the colour of the water. Living in London with the pollution I am used to blowing my nose and finding soot in the tissue, but to see the murky water that greeted me made me feel dirty, indeed, I showered again.

Like using products similar to the Swisa Dead Sea Facial Peel, Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Energising Face Wash removes dirt and grime from the face, but also seems to go that extra mile and remove a layer of grim that other facial washes miss.

My skin was softer and smoother after washing using Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Energising Face Wash and when it came to shaving, after using for a few weeks my whiskers were much smoother.

Of the products I’ve tried from the Selfridges&Co beauty box to date this is by far and away the best. A little goes a long way and it delivers everything that it promises making this exceptional value for money. Include the weird tingling sensation on the face while washing and the fresh feeling it leaves 

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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Swisa Beauty Dead Sea Facial Peel

I have over time devoted more and more time to a cleansing regime to ensure that the skin on my face despite the constant battering it takes from the London air and my sometimes unhealthy lifestyle remains smooth, soft and generally appealing. Nobody wants to stare at or get up close and person with someone with a layer of grime on their face with dead skin aplenty. 

Having never thought about using a facial peel this fell into my possession while trying to escape the hell of a shopping trip to the mall from hell. I do of course refer to the place where discount goods go to die - Shopping City in Wood Green, London.  Accosted by a rather persistent sales assistant on a stall she gave me a quick demonstration which literally turned my stomach. Within seconds a pure white cotton pad was as black as the ace of spades. Yuck! What was worse was that I was only 30 minutes out of the shower! 

I was shamed into parting with £30 for a 30ml pot of Swisa Beauty Dead Sea Facial Peel

Now in my opinion £30 is a lot to pay for any sort of beauty treatment/product so the proof is in the value for money test, how it performs and ultimately if it can be found elsewhere for cheaper. 

When replacing my first tub of the facial peel some 6 months after my first experiences with it I paid only £25 from the same stall (the prices never stay the same and haggling is always the order of the day) however when looking online I felt rather violated by the fact that it can be bought for as little as $22 (yes, that US Dollars not Pounds) from places like eBay. 

So, I think I have established that this is something of a luxury item, but once you remove it from the outer box you find a mock glass (clear plastic) tub which looks remarkably stylish with a black screw top lid. 

Contained within the outer box are no instructions on how to use the product, how often you should use it or indeed what the potential benefits should be. Going off from the sale patter given by the stallholder I was told that this would remove black and white heads, dead skin whilst at the same time retaining moisture to maintain the pH balance of my skin. 

In layman terms she advised that it was good to clear off the gunk that builds up on the face that just isn’t removed by a normal exfoliator or day to day washing with soap and water. She stated that it was only to be used once or twice a week and that only a pea sized amount was needed. With this in mind, I couldn’t wait to see what came off my face as soon as I got home.

Containing Dead Sea Minerals and various other anti-oxidant ingredients such as Echinacea, Ginseng and Rosemary as soon as the lid is unscrewed the delightful aroma is unleashed. Rather than being overpowering and with a chemical base in terms of fragrance was greeted me was a subtle, fresh smell akin to watermelon, not too strong with hints of Rosemary. If I had to sum up the fragrance I would say a cross between fruity and herbal.

The facial peel has a gel like consistency when in the tub and is easy to remove and apply to the face and neck. I dipped my fingers into the tub and the pale green facial peel literally stuck to my fingertips. As recommended I tried only a pea sized amount but found that after smoothing it across my face it only covered one cheek so 3-4 pea sized amounts were needed to cover my forehead, cheeks, chin and nose. As it is smoothed over the skin it does thin quite a lot making it easy to massage into the face. At this point the minerals that should remove the dead skin and black heads were not noticeable in the slightest however there was a gentle tingling sensation and my face felt very cool.

After massaging the facial peel in for 2-3 minutes most of it was absorbed and the more I massaged it became evident that what can only be described as small clumps of dead skin started to build up from nowhere. The entire massaging process took 5 minutes and once finished I took a cotton pad and started to methodically wipe my face. The results judging from the colour of the dirt and grime that had been removed were exceptional. In the end I used 3 pads as the grime built up on each pad really quickly. A closer inspection of the pads I had used revealed something I had never noticed when looking in the mirror, blackheads, and lots of them stuck to the pad in between the obvious grime. Instead of just removing the head, the entire root was on the pad.

After washing my face down with cold water and patting it dry I took the brave step of touching my own face and found that the skin was so smooth and soft I could help stroking my cheeks in disbelief. The results were simply put - out of this world. 

After using it the first time the amount of dirt, grime and blackheads removed each week decreased slightly but it is still removing that stubborn stuff that insists on sticking to my face.

My first 30ml tub of the facial peel lasted 6 months using it once a week. Based upon the initial purchase price and the results I would have no hesitation in recommending this to any potential consumer. 

Personally I did not suffer any sort of irritation but would provide an air of caution to those with sensitive skin. The tingling if left on the skin for too long can start to burn a little. Try a tester before making such an investment. If I had to pay £30 for another tub I would happily part with it because I am delighted with the results but now that I have found a supplier much cheaper I will continue to cleanse using the Swisa Beauty Dead Sea Facial Peel.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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