OK - that's a really big picture, ain't it!? But its size is in direct proportion to my enjoyment of the product. :)
Here's the scoop:
- Inspiration - Sbiten, a hot, immune-system-boosting drink enjoyed by Siberians as far back as the 12th century.
- Goal - "a luxurious experience" that helps "repair dull, lackluster skin.
- Great for - extra dry, dull skin.
- Ingredients - Sea Buckthorn Berry Oil (skin regeneration); nut butters (deeply hydrating); Honey and Fruit Glycolic Acids (accelerate skin cell turnover for improved smoothness and radiance).
- About Sea Buckthorn ("SB") and Sea Buckthorn Berry Oil ("SBBO") - The plant survives in harsh climates thanks to the way it can efficiently pull nutrients out of the soil. The berries are found on the female plants and are yellow-orange and rich in oil. SBBO has been used as an alternative treatment for radiation burns and by Russian Cosmonauts as a skin protectant in space.
- Appearance - A thick, opaque yellow cream.
- Smells: like a light cocoa or shea butter.
- Editor's Note - Ha! The funny thing is I wrote that line above before I looked at the full ingredient break-down. Also in this balm: shea butter and cocoa butter. I'm a genius.
- More ingredients: Squalane, a moisturizing oil extracted from the olive. One of Kiehl's "signature ingredients". (PS: It's in a lot of cosmetics, not just at Kiehl's).
My thoughts:
Honestly? I think this should be called a cream, not a balm, but that's probably nitpicky. "Balm" makes me think of something translucent, possibly sticky... mabye gloppy. This is a rich, thick cream. Of course, "balm" makes me think of something incredibly healing and moisturizing, so I guess that's where Kiehl's is going with that. The appearance? It immediately put me off. I'm not sure why, but the color is unappealing. In fact, I was reluctant to try it. How does it smell? The scent doesn't do the product any favors, since some people don't like the scent of shea and/or cocoa butter. Then again, it doesn't have any extra ingredients put in just for scent, so I give props for that.
Does it work? In a word: yes. It's super rich, super luscious. It is incredibly hydrating and fairly long-lasting, but sinks in quickly enough that there aren't slimy fingerprints all over the place.
The sample I got is small, so I'm sort of doling it out slowly and using it mostly for my amazingly dry hands, but I'm definitely getting a bigger tub of this and can't wait to use it to soothe my winter hands, feet and dry-dry legs! I don't usually dive into the Kiehl's pool, but my opinion is that this is well-worth the pricetag.
A+