Since we are all more than
our blogs, Quinn from Desgettier and I decided to use our collective interests to investigate
the hype around Kiehl's and one of their iconic products.
Being not too unfamiliar
with the odd science journal, I put my research skills to work in analyzing the
ingredients from the Midnight Recovery Concentrate.
Quinn loves marketing psychology, so she chose to
investigate how Kiehl’s creates hype around their brand and their products. Check out her awesome post here.
Kieh’s states that their
lightweight product will restore skin’s smoothness and radiance overnight. The
ingredients they use will instantly absorb and replenish the skin making your
skin look less tired. Your skin will be hydrated, supple and soft. Kiehl’s showcases three key
ingredients in their oil, evening primrose oil, lavender oil and squalene.
The
solution should be analyzed as a whole but for the purpose of making a workload
more manageable, I will be providing a mini analysis on each of the three key
ingredients and what Kiehl’s claim it brings to their product.
Evening Primose Oil
Kiehl’s
claims that the use of Evening Primrose Oil (EPO) will be effective on
skin-barrier repair.
Fact
1. Essential fatty acids make up part of the skin’s lipid barrier.
Fact
2. EPO is a rich source of gamma-linolenic acid, a fatty acid.
Many
studies surrounding EPO have been on eczema or dermatitis patients. It’s been
suggested that defects in fatty acids may have harmed the skin barrier for
eczema patients. A review of more than a handful
of studies surrounding topical EPO treatments suggest that they are no better
than the placebo. Also, using more EPO doesn't seem to produce an equal decrease in eczema. There may be some small benefit to ingestion of EPO but the nine ingestion
studies reviewed show conflicting and inconsistent results.
In
general I would say the jury is still out on EPO. Granted, many of these studies are done on a
case of severe skin barrier damage so take this analysis with a grain of salt. On
a more positive note, a study done in 2005 showed that ingestion of EPO for 12
weeks resulted in significant difference in skin
moisture, elasticity, firmness, fatigue resistance and roughness. But again other studies produce conflicting results. Since Kiehl's oil is applied topically, I'm not sure the same benefits will be seen.
Lavender Oil
Kiehl’s claims that this
helps soothe inflamed or irritated skin while helping reduce skin blotchiness
for a more even look, creating a brighter and more radiant look.
I found three studies
relating to LO and inflammation. 1. Rats paws were placed on hot plates and the number of resulting stomach contractions was used to determine pain and
inflammation. Contractions were lowered when LO was applied. 2. Rats injected with
acetic acid (basically vinegar) and with a component of
LO, were shown to have lowered inflammatory responses. 3. Rats paws were also
injected with a noxious substance and a component of LO which reduced swelling. From a quick pass of the LO lit, I'm not entirely convinced of Kiehl's claim. I'm not an expert on inflammatory response but I'm not sure that the inflammation caused by heat on a rat's paws or application of a noxious substance under a rat's skin will be the same that human facial skin faces from everyday wear and tear. The few reviews I
read on dermatological use of Lavender Oil are really inconclusive and in
general there are a lack of clinical trials to support that Lavender Oil significantly improves human skin functioning. I did not find anything related to
‘brightening’ with Lavender Oil use.
There’s been some
generalizations floating around about LO being an irritant. A study of massage
therapist found that some had allergic reactions to LO, in specific to the
gerianoil compound which is also present in rose, geranium, ylangylan,
lemongrass and neroil. It seems that the frequency of allergic reaction to LO
is relatively low so I would hesitate to make blanket statements that LO is an
irritant to everyone much like how all people are not allergic to peanuts or
kiwis.
Squalene
Kiehl's states that this
is a healing botanical lipid with a high affinity for skin to instantly restore
and replenish. Note they don’t really say what it replenishes.
I would say that the evidence I found surrounding Squalene is more promising than those of EPO or LO. Research supports that squalene is
a promising moisturizer. It makes up a major part of skin lipids and a
component of sebum and is great as a vehicle of other oils. In addition, many studies have shown it plays an anti-oxidant role
for damaged skin.
Interestingly
skin damage and wrinkling in hairless mice were present when oxidized squalene
was administered onto their skin. Solar UV can cause squalene to oxidize so I
would suggest following Kiehl’s instructions and only use this oil during the
night.
General
Conclusion:
Jury still seems to be out about EPO. At best it helps protect the skin a little, and
at worse, it does nothing. Also, applying research surrounding LO to a
human skin care product seems a bit tentative to me. Of the three key ingredients, the star of the show is really Squalene. There’s more solid evidence that it actually does what
Kiehl’s vaguely says it will and in general it seems like a good ingredient to
have in a facial oil. I can’t say that the three key ingredients will do much
for skin brightening or radiance. I haven’t come across a study that would
support this claim but there is some support that the product will offer some
hydration to the skin.
------
Disclaimer:
These posts are a
product of our own casual interest and opinions; conclusions were drawn from
research alone. If you’re interested you may research Kiehl’s on your own / try
the product and find differently! We’re not affiliated with Kiehl’s and this
collaborative post may not be a comprehensive review on Kiehl’s business
strategies or the real efficacy of their product.
Full ingredient list:
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Squalane, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Evening Primrose Oil, Jojoba Seed Oil, Coriander Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Lavender Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Linalool, Rosemary Leaf Oil, Citronellol, Geraniol, Lavandula Hybrida Oil, Cucumber Fruit Extract, Turmeric Root Extract, Limonene, Citral, Sclareolide, Rose Flower Oil, Jasmine Extract, Sunflower Seed Oil
References: (forgive me for using my own citation style)
Bleasel,
N., Tate., B & Radenmaker, M. (2002) Allergic contact dermatitis following
exposure to essential oils. Australasian Journal of Dermatology. 43, 2, 211-213
Cavanagh,
H.M.A. & Wilkinson, J.M (2002) Biological Acitivites of Lavender Essential
Oil. Phytotherapy research. 16, 301-308.
Hoare,
C., Po., A.L.W., & Williams, H. (2000) Systamatic review of treatments for
atopica eczema. Health Technology Assessment 4, 37
Huang,
Z-R, Lin, Y-K, &Fang, J-Y (2009) Biological and pharmacological activities
of squalene and related compounds: potential uses in cosmetic dermatology.
Molecules 14 ,540-554
Matthieu L, Meuleman L, Van Hecke E, Blondeel A,
Dezfoulian 8, Constandt L & Goossens A. (2004) Contact and photocontact allergy
to ketoprofen: the Belgan experience. Contact Dermatitis 50:238- 241.
Mugglie,
R. Systematic evening primrose oil improves the biophysical skin parameters of
healthy adults . 27, 4, 243-249, Aug 2005, international journal of cosmetic
science.
Peana,
A.T., D’Aquila, S., Panin, F., Serra, G., Pippial, P., & Moretti, M.D.L.
(2002) Anti-inflammatory activity of linalook and linalyl acetate constitutes
of essential oils. Phytomedicine, 9, 721-726
Peana,
A.T., D’Aquila, P.S., Chessa, M.L, Moretti, M.D.L., Serra, G., Pippia, P. (2003) (-)-Linalool produces antinocicpetion in two
experimental models of pain. European Journal of Pharmacology, 460, 2,36, 37-41
Prashar A., Locke I.C., & Evans C.S.
(2004) Cytotoxicity of lavender oil and its major components to human skin
cells. Cell Proliferation. 37221-229.
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