No Instant Brightening Effect with Kiehl’s Turmeric & Cranberry Seed Energizing Radiance Masque

Kiehl’s Turmeric & Cranberry Seed Energizing Radiance Masque ($32) is one of two new facial masks that were recently introduced to Kiehl’s permanent collection.

The Turmeric & Cranberry Seed Energizing Radiance Masque apparently brightens and invigorates skin in minutes! You know how I constantly, broken recorder you with my endless quest to cure my dull, tired skin right? That translates as me being extra excited to try out Kiehl’s new mask because they sold me on that “instantly brightens dull, fatigued skin and restores skin’s healthy, rosy appearance over time” super easily.

Who doesn’t want a quick fix to their complexion woe?

This little mask is formulated with cranberry extract as well as cranberry seeds to gently exfoliate skin but the start ingredient is Turmeric Extract. Everyone and their mother is shouting from the rooftops about turmeric being not only a taste addition to Tandoori Chicken but also a fabulous addition to your facial care. Apparently it’s a natural antiseptic and anti-inflammatory ingredient with color balance properties. That had me question why Turmeric & Cranberry Seed Energizing Radiance Masque would be a good pick for me since it apparently might be better suited for acne prone skin. But hey, they keep telling me this is all about getting your glow because and it’s loaded with a good deal of antioxidants and vitamins to replenish skin.

Actually, the brightening effect you might get is simply due to the cranberry seeds which will slough away dead skin cells. Outside of that, I’m not really seeing why everyone is so hung up on Turmeric.

So, I’ve used Kiehl’s Turmeric & Cranberry Seed Energizing Radiance Masque about eight times now (and my jar is almost done). I decided to use it once a week for about two months. I typically use a sheet mask nightly but when it comes to cream masks I tend to reserve them to once a week as using them daily seems overkill. I don’t feel the same about sheet masks though, they are my nightly indulgence and I use them most every night to add extra moisture to my skin.

Kiehl’s formula is very thick, creamy, and dotted with tiny little ground up cranberry seeds. Don’t worry, it doesn’t have a strong pungent order. I expected it to smell weird but it smells more like a herbally medicated scent. I didn’t love the fragrance but it isn’t horrible either.

I smear a generous layer on my face and leave it on for 10 minutes before massaging and rinsing off. During the wait, I didn’t feel like the mask was tightening or drying down nor did it feel tingly on my skin. A lot of reviews mentioned a tingle but I didn’t experience it myself. The mask kind of maintains its creaminess through the wear and doesn’t completely dry up and tighten. When it comes time to rinse it off you can gently massage it around with water to exfoliate your skin. This, in my opinion, is where the “instant brightening” happens as you are simply exfoliating away dead skin cells. Unfortunately, the masks contains kaolin and I find this rather drying so after rinsing my skin is a bit tight and moisturizer is highly recommended to restore the oils the mask stripped from my skin during the wear.

Honestly, after using it for nearly two months I can’t say I noticed a big change in my skin. There’s some brightening after exfoliating with it but nothing super visible. Compared to some of my other exfoliating facial scrubs this is a lot gentler and doesn’t completely remove dry, flaky skin!

If you have acne prone skin or skin that’s prone to breakouts or redness you might experience a more visible change but personally I wouldn’t recommend this one for drier skin as it leaves skin feeling quite tight.

Oh well!

I guess I’ll stick to getting my turmeric fix in my Indian food versus my skincare!

Kiehl’s Turmeric & Cranberry Seed Energizing Radiance Masque is available now at nordstrom.com.

Tried it?

Do share!