Why I swear by Kiehl’s calendula toner for my acne-prone, sensitive skin

What’s in the Kiehl’s Calendula Toner?

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Now comes the question that’s on everyone’s mind: Does it contain real calendula petals? The answer is yes. Kiehl’s calendula petals are said to be "sustainably harvested, hand-picked, hand-sorted and sun-dried" before being infused into their formulations, so you know that the best petals are chosen to ensure maximum efficacy.

This bestselling toner from Kiehl’s, which is chock-full of the benefits of calendula, is known to soothe and refresh troubled skin, and visibly reduce redness and blemishes.

This is further backed by a study in which Kiehl’s chemists found that each of the Calendula petals in the brand’s formulations contain five different compounds that reduce irritation: Oleanolic Acid, Lupeol, Quercetin, α Amyrin and β Amyrin. These, described as phyto-components, are active molecules found in the calendula plant and contribute to the efficacy of the ingredient.

These benefits make the toner great for sensitive and acne-prone skin, and I noticed these benefits first-hand (more on that later).

You do have to give the bottle a little shake to get the petals out, as they tend to sink to the bottom.

How to use

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I use it day and night after cleansing. On some days, I use it on its own before the rest of my skincare routine, while on other days, I use it after an exfoliating toner.

While some people use cotton pads to apply toner, I dispense this directly on my hands so I can massage the calendula petals onto my skin. The petals (mostly) dissolve when massaged on your skin so you don’t have to worry about ending up with petals all over your face or pillowcase. If there are excess petals that can't dissolve, just leave them on your face or wipe them from your hands. From my experience, it doesn't cause discolouration to your pillowcase.

The toner is also lightweight, making it great for people with oily and acne-prone skin. Upon application, your skin will feel hydrated, but you won’t feel as if you have a layer of product on.

What I’ve noticed is that the Calendula Herbal-Extract Toner really helps to hydrate my skin. A couple of weeks ago, I stopped using it because I had clogged pores (ugh, maskne) and I thought it was a brilliant idea to switch all my skincare products to exfoliating ones to get rid of the clogs. So I used my usual cleanser, exfoliating toner, serums with acids and a light moisturiser. It was a bad idea. My skin became dehydrated and sensitive, and I started getting breakouts along my jawline and chin.

I didn’t want to completely overhaul my routine again and risk shocking my skin twice, so I decided that maybe the problem could be solved with hydration. I introduced the toner back into my routine and wow, did it make a difference. In fact, I didn’t notice how much it benefited my skin until then.

Verdict

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After a few days of reintroducing the product into my skincare routine (with everything else remaining the same), I noticed my skin was less dehydrated, the pimples I had on my chin (again, ugh, maskne) healed faster. My overall skin texture also improved, and I find myself having less breakouts, probably because my skin was less dehydrated.

While I didn’t experience redness during these few days, in my past experience, the toner also helped to reduce redness, especially on days when I went a little overboard with exfoliation (true story).

And Kiehl’s recent findings seemed to echo my observation: according to the brand, the product is proven to be non-comedogenic (which means it doesn’t clog up your pores) and non-acnegenic. In a clinical assessment done with 55 panelists over four weeks, the toner was “clinically validated to reduce the appearance and number of blemishes/imperfections”.

It was also found to boost skin hydration by 76 per cent, and kept skin hydrated for up to eight hours**.

I’m just going to leave the rest of the findings here so you can go “whoa” just like I did.

Instantly:^
- 91.5 per cent agree that skin feels soothed/relieved from discomfort
- 100 per cent agree that skin looks less oily
- 96.6 per cent agree that skin feels water and oil balanced

In 1 week:^
- 88 per cent agree blemishes/imperfections appear reduced/minimised
- 98.3 per cent agree skin redness appears reduced/minimised

^Based on a consumer perception test based on 59 panelists over a period of 1 week.
*Clinical results based on a 4-week dermatologist-controlled study on 55 women.
**Corneometer Study, 26 Subjects.

Like its name suggests, it does have a hint of herbal smell, but the smell is not overpowering. In fact, you’d only really notice the smell if you take a whiff while applying the product on your face. If you’re wondering, the smell reminds me of canned chrysanthemum tea – it’s pleasant, subtle and might make you crave for the drink.

Another thing I like about the toner is that it comes in an alcohol-free formula, which my skin loves. Alcohol toners tend to dry my skin out, and I notice my skin ends up producing even more oil to compensate for the loss and hence, becomes oilier.
Shop Kiehl’s Calendula Herbal-Extract Alcohol-Free Toner on Kiehl's official e-store  ($59 for 250ml; $95 for 500ml).
Want to try before you buy? Sign up for your Calendula sample kit here.