
This Kiehl’s Retinol Fast Release Wrinkle Reducing Night Serum was sent to me by BzzAgent for the purpose of review. However as always, my opinions are my own.
The older I get, the more I enjoy retinols. Some work well, others not so well. I think it depends more on the concentration than anything else to be honest. The ones that work the best seem to have the highest concentration. However with a higher concentration comes the increased possibility of sun sensitivity. This is one of the reasons Bakuchiol has become increasingly popular. It tends to have similar results as retinol but has less sun sensitivity. For me, even though I tend to switch to bakuchiol based products in the summer time, I tend to find they don’t have as dramatic an effect on my skin.

I think a lot of which you like and which you use is going to depend on your sensitivity levels, how much time you spend in the sun and what concentration level of serum you choose.
Now I only use retinols at night (regardless of the time of year – and yes I know the sun is just as strong in the winter, but I spend less time outside in the winter so it’s effects are lessened by duration not intensity). I had a few friends who tried retinol based products when they first started gaining popularity and ended up with some sun issues because on some of them night time use was not stressed. I think all of them mention it somewhere now, but personally I love that this serum from Keihl’s is labeled a Night Serum. There is no fuzziness about the term.

I know it is now widely known that retinol can cause sun sensitivity, but I know a few people who just want to minimize their routine and just use one serum. They also want to reduce wrinkles. I know, it is a long winded way of saying I am glad it is clearly labeled night serum.
This is a first use post of a skincare product so clearly there aren’t going to be any over night changes. There are a few before pictures in this post. I generally find if I put them in a post at the beginning, there is less chance of me losing them later on when the trial ends and then guessing about it’s visible effectiveness. So the pics are all before. What I found the most interesting part is that the retinol with this product comes separately. It is in a little pod and you have to mix it together.

Normally this is where I would include a blurb from the product page, but I couldn’t find it. I found several of Keihl’s other serums, but not this exact one. The reason given in the directions is that keeping the retinol separate and then mixing it in later keeps it fresher. As skincare can loose efficacy, even if it is just sitting on a shelf, I like the thought of keeping the active ingredients sealed away from each other until it is time to use them so that it has maximum potency.

I have no idea if it works or not, but I did feel like a mad scientist as I sat down to mix things. It proved clean and simple actually. The main tube was turned upside down and the bottom part of the bottle unscrewed. The retinol pod was screwed into place and the I pressed down on the bottom to release the retinol into the serum. I took the now empty pod out, replaced the bottom, shook really well and everything was good to go. The serum was white, the retinol a yellowish, the resulting serum is a pale yellow.

The dispenser has a pointed end that allows a small drop to come out and to get it out you press the bottom of the tube. I like this because it means if I accidentally knock it over in the sink without the lid on it isn’t going to run out because the button wasn’t pushed. And yes I accidentally knock things over all of the time. I have a small powder room with a skincare shelf which I use for skincare. It is small and I am sometimes clumsy.

There is no real scent to the Kiehl’s Retinol Fast Release Wrinkle Reducing Night Serum. It is quite liquidly and absorbs well into the skin. A pea sized amount is all I needed for both face and neck and while this is a first use, I started my first us on Thursday night and it is now Monday morning. Thus far I have not noticed any increased sun sensitivity. As you might have guessed from my opener, that was one of my biggest concerns with retinol as I am spending a lot of time in the sun these days. Thus far it hasn’t been an issue. The serum absorbs well, has no scent and isn’t causing me damage with the sun. Which means so far so good. Now all we need to do is see if the wrinkles reduce. If hey do that then I will be a happy camper. And so now, the Kiehl’s Retinol Fast Release Wrinkle Reducing Night Serum.