Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream Review: Who It Really Helps

A comforting cream for irritated, red or stressed skin, built around guaiazulene and centella. It is great to have on hand for bad skin days, after a strong exfoliant or retinoid, or when the weather turns cold.

The catch: it contains lavender oil. Most people are fine with it, but if your skin is truly reactive, patch test first.

The colour comes from guaiazulene, a compound originally found in chamomile. It is known for its soothing, anti redness reputation and gives the cream its striking blue tint, which fades as you rub it in.

Centella asiatica extract, ceramide NP and licorice root extract back it up. Shea butter, jojoba oil and argan oil give the cream enough richness to calm tight, dry skin.

Skin that is red, flushed or reactive, for example after over exfoliating or starting a retinoid.

Normal to dry skin that wants a calming night cream. Combination skin can use it at night or only on the red areas.

Very oily skin may find it too rich for the whole face in the morning.

Lavender oil appears in the ingredient list. It adds a light scent, but essential oils are a common trigger for sensitive skin.

If you have rosacea, eczema or know that essential oils bother you, test it on a small area for a few days before using it all over.

Use it as your moisturizer, after serum. At night it works on its own. In the morning, let it settle before sunscreen.

On a bad skin day, keep the routine minimal: gentle cleanser, Midnight Blue, done. Skip acids and retinoids until the skin calms down.

Same brand, different jobs. Midnight Blue is for calming redness and irritation. Rich Moist Soothing Cream is the everyday moisturizer for dry, sensitive skin.

Many people use both: Rich Moist daily, Midnight Blue when the skin flares up.

Usually around 25 EUR for 60 ml. Fair for a cream that lasts a while, especially if you use it only when you need it.