The Kiehl’ler in me

Today is the day I had to use it.

I felt a sense of elation when I slipped on my socks. The day had been hot and humid. Not necessarily a good day for some, but being a WHOA man, I like a little bit of warmth when I hit the road & trails.

Sometimes a breeze would blow by for a brief moment of respite. I dart across heavy traffic watching the frustrated faces behind the wheel, hopping over potholes, uneven pavements and missing drain lids (this is a prevalent evil on the sidewalks of Malaysia). When I reach the forest entrance, that immediate smell of jungle envelopes me. I like seeing the sun rays cut through the forest canopy, creating spots of light on the mossy laterite trail. In the forest you can only hear yourself huffing, puffing and your plodding steps as you leap over roots and uneven mud patches left behind by the thunderstorm the day before.  You are oblivious to the birds coming out for their evening feeding, the insects crawling about, the amphibians croaking, or the macaques sitting idly looking down on you. Today I  increased the intensity, going for the extra long lunge across uneven ground while descending hills and scaling up the steeper sections where I normally have to halt for breath.

Today is like any other grueling workout day, yet different.

Today, I am trying out a  Kiehl’s ‘dry run’ foot cream. The formula with absorbing volcanic perlite, witch hazel and soothing Aloe Vera supposedly primes your feet for cross terrain adventure by providing a long lasting dry feet to go the extra mile. The cream dries fast on the feet after application and has a cologne scent which I didn’t care much for but then again, it is because I’m a functional guy – as long as a product gives my feet the comfort and sustainable performance over a hard impact work out then it will be of good use to me. Cologne smelling feet might not be for all people but the dry feel and scent does help control feet odour after the run. Ultimately my feet felt a little less worn-out after the run.

It has been a good run.

I felt my heart bursting as I ran up the hills, my lungs screaming for deep gasps of air!  The long run home is a different test altogether – a test of endurance since there aren’t any hills to ‘conquer’. The intensity drops but this last stretch is the hardest because it’s… boring.

I get home. After some additional work out routines to strengthen my muscles and warm down stretches to release the ‘burnt’ muscles (lactic acid build up), I hit the showers with the Cross-Terrain ‘All-in-One Refueling Wash’. I wonder why it is called ‘refueling’ when it isn’t something you drank. It’s a hair and body wash with active ingredients, menthol, aloe vera, wheat amino acids, vitamin E and citrus oil. The menthol, citrus oil and aloe vera gave me the ‘refueling’ (refreshing, revitalising) feeling as I walked out the shower tingling like spiderman and enveloped in a fresh mint scent – a bearable scent for the men and good for the ladies!  According to the bottle,  the wash helps with shaving while in the shower and the light lather provides a faster rinse time. For the eco -minded and health-conscious, the wash is also 99.9% biodegradable, SLS/SLES free, and paraben-free.

The press release mentions Kiehl’s Cross-Terrain bodycare range, has been “adventure tested” in extreme conditions – cliff climbing, ocean diving, arctic trekking and long-distance hiking. This makes me wonder… has it been tested in the tropical outdoors? (other than by me) .. And who showers ever during arctic trekking anyway?

Cross-Terrain product range is Kiehl’s ‘head to toe’ bodycare system for the active male. There’s the body wash, foot cream, SPF 50 sunblock and anti-antiperspirant. Hmm.. where’s the face wash, and the isotonic drink?

To see how well it works, trek to your nearest Kiehl’s apothecary to test it out for yourself. Available September 2010 onwards.

Kiehl’s Cross-Terrain (Product Test)- for The Kiehl’ler in me.

All-in-One Refueling Wash, RM65 for 8.0 fl. Oz. / 240ml
Water & Sweat Resistant UV Skin Protector SPF 50, RM95 for 1.4 fl. Oz./40g
’24-hour Strong’ Dry Stick, RM55 for 2.5 fl. Oz./75ml
‘Dry Run’Foot Cream, RM65 for 3.4 fl. Oz. / 100 ml

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