Kiehl's Skin Rescuer: Review and Ingredients Analysis

The Kiehl's Skin Rescuer was launched a few months ago during summer, as a daily moisturizer for stressed, sensitive skin. Stressed, sensitive skin, you say? Awesome! If you read my skincare posts with any regularity, you'll know that while acne is a major problem of mine, a secondary, related problem is that of skin sensitivity and redness. Although my skin isn't that sensitive, it does sometimes experience redness and irritation. So I was keen to try this to see if it would work for me. And although I was all, "Pfft, another moisturizer, how boring," now that I've been using this for a few months, I have to say, I am actually impressed!

Stressed, sensitive skin? The Kiehl's Skin Rescuer might help!

You guys know that in addition to my own experience with the product, I also like to start off my reviews with a little ingredient analysis. So let's begin!

First off, I do think that the ingredients generally offer good hydration for everyday, while alleviating sensitive skin. The ingredient list starts off with a host of moisturizing ingredients, including glycerin, squalane, caprylic/capric triglyceride, and shea butter. All of these are a good mix of familiar, solid moisturizers that are backed by the scientific literature and are staples in the skincare industry, and will definitely keep skin hydrated. None of these are comedogenic, so that's another plus. This is in line with my experience using the product. When I first started using the Skin Rescuer, I was a little worried about the shea butter being too heavy for my skin at first, but I've been using this product for a few months now, and my skin is fine with it.


A good range of ingredients that moisturize the skin as well as help it improve its barrier function.
Naturally, the entire mixture can end up being rather thick in texture, so there is also the addition of solvents, such as propanediol, to keep the product cosmetically elegant and un-gooey. The result is a cream that when used, has just the right texture for a moisturizing cream - it's creamy and substantial, but not too thick or oily-feeling. It does sink into the skin, and works well under makeup too, from a cosmetic elegance perspective, this is pretty good as a moisturizer that offers a great level of hydration while being easily assimilated into your daily routine.


Don't be fooled by the comparatively lightweight texture, because the Skin Rescuer does do some serious hydration.
There are also of course the plant-based ingredients which Kiehl's advertises as helping to calm skin redness and irritation (mannose, rosa gallica flower extract, and chamomile flower extract). While I'm sure most people will like the plant extracts, what really excited me about this product was the inclusion of ceramides and sphingosines. If you read my previous review of another ceramide-containing product, the Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Capsules, you'll know that ceramides (in conjunction with other synergistic ingredients such as sphingosines and cholesterol) can be helpful in helping to replenish the skin's barrier function and decrease skin sensitivity and dryness, especially if the loss of barrier function is due to a drop in ceramide level due to skin conditions (such as atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, or contact dermatitis), or just plain ol' aging or sensitive skin. So although it's not a major ingredient in the product, it's definitely nice to have, and it will be a nice bonus for those who have sensitive or easily irritated skin, since the ceramides help to repair the skin barrier too. I did find that when I used the Skin Rescuer, the general condition of my skin improved as a whole, probably as a result of the improved skin barrier.


All in all, a lightweight cream that offers strong hydration, and repairs sensitive skin.
So, after all this ingredient analyzing and personal reviewing, would I recommend this product? Yes, I sure would. Not only is it in a sanitary packaging (pump dispenser, woo!), and fairly value for money at 75ml, it is also, in terms of formulation, a solid moisturizer with nice extra ingredients that will help to calm skin and improve the skin's barrier function. While I do think most skin types would be able to use this without issue, I also think that if you have sensitive or easily irritated skin, this is worth checking out.

(Product was sent for review. Review is my complete and honest opinion. I am not affiliated with/compensated by the company.)