Pollution is what we encounter in our daily lives just by commuting to work, going through the commotion out there and do you know how much damage pollution does to your skin? And what are you doing to counter the harmful effects of pollution on your skin?

Well, with these concerns, the hardworking chemists at Kiehl’s have developed two brand new masques to help combat pollution and restore radiance on your skin – Cilantro & Orange Extract Pollutant Defending Masque and Turmeric & Cranberry Seed Extract Energizing Radiance Masque.

As you know, facial mask have been the best-kept beauty secret of all time as some of the most iconic women in history have relied on the benefits of natural ingredients found in them. Think Cleopatra, Yang Gui Fei and Marie Antoinette. They’ve all used natural ingredients as masks to beautify their skin.

Fortunately or unfortunately for us, the so-called au naturale ingredients are limited in their effectiveness and now we rely on brands and a ton of chemicals to help maintain our skin, right? But hey, I’m going to introduce you to 2 NEW masques from Kiehl’s that’ve helped improve my skin condition, whether all-natural or not.

The first is my favourite of the two, the Cilantro & Orange Extract Pollutant Defending Masque. Formulated with orange extract obtained from the dried young fruit of the bitter orange, the masque possesses strong antioxidant properties and offers pollution-fighting benefits. The cilantro seed oil extract also complements the protective nature of the product by strengthen the skin by replenishing the skin a vital nutrient.

Developed primarily for nighttime use, the masque helps defend against environmental impurities while your skin tries to repair itself during sleep time. Yes, you got it, it’s a sleeping mask.

It has this mild herbal scent and a sticky texture which is very unusual for a mask. I didn’t like the sticky texture at first because who wants to go to sleep with a tacky face right? It’s advised then to wipe off the excess masque with a tissue after about 10 minutes, before you head to bed. It took a while before the skin absorbed all the product and left no sticky feeling.

For me, I usually apply a thin layer on the skin, much like how you would apply your skincare product because I’m lazy to remove the excess product with a tissue. For the purpose of photographs, I applied a thicker layer than usual so that you can see it on my face.

Notice how my skin looked brighter and healthier on the right? I took this shot the next morning so that I can show you how nice my skin feels and look 🙂 I really like this masque a lot because it makes my skin appear healthy and nourished! It’s pretty rare I can take such a confident bare-faced selfie like this and feel happy about it! Loveeee!~

On to the other masque! The Turmeric & Cranberry Seed Extract Energizing Radiance Masque is one I feel will receive positive and negative feedback because of a controversial ingredient used in it. While it is agreed that Turmeric can provide strong anti-bacterial properties (to fight acne) and brighten dull skin, it can also be a source of allergen for some. Before you head to the stores and purchase this masque, please try it out first.

Anyway, this is a formula that contains not just turmeric but also crushed cranberry seeds, which are rich sources of antioxidants while helping in exfoliation of the skin. Part of why this masque helps to bring out the radiance in your skin is the exfoliation of dead skin cells.

It has a clay-like texture like the Rare Earth Deep Cleansing Masque (if you haven’t already love it), and smells a little exotic. I find that this masque dries up pretty quickly and it can be a little drying on the skin after that so be sure not to leave it on for too long.

I do enjoy using this masque because it gives me a youthful, glowy appearance after 20 minutes of washing it off but I was surprised at the patches of mild redness on my skin after washing it off. It didn’t cause any form of itch and it did fade away as well after a couple of minutes (thank god) though. You can see from the photo that there are some redness on my skin.

Thankfully, my skin felt cleaner and brighter after that but I wouldn’t use it so often as I would for the cilantro one. I would really suggest to sample this out before you commit since Kiehl’s is always very generous and big on their sampling activity anyway! 🙂

So, which masque are you most excited for? I’m all for the Cilantro & Orange Extract Pollution Defending Masque (man, the name is such a mouthful)!

Both masques retail for S$49 for 75ml and they are sold in all Kiehl’s stores from February 2016 onwards!

Create yourself and be gorgeous! ♡