Over Kiehl’s

What makes New York City such a melting pot is the fact that there are so many transplants seeking whatever it is they came for, contributing to a diverse, multi-cultural city. Combing the streets of Manhattan can nearly replicate a global tour by eavesdropping on conversations in languages from all over and by sampling cuisines from different nationalities. While there are over eight million people who populate the city, not many can attest to being a native New Yorker. Born and bred in what could possibly be the greatest city in the world (aside from Manila, of course), the world was practically at my fingertips. With so many choices to choose from in all categories, New York is truly in a league of its own.

In the heart of the hustle and bustle stands a New York landmark that I’ve chosen as one of my favorites in spite of the selection the city has afforded me: an all-American institution that is old-world apothecary in feel but modern in concept. Kiehl’s was founded in New York’s East Village, on the corner of East 13th Street and Third Avenue, by John Kiehl in 1851 as a neighborhood pharmacy selling remedies, over-the-counter drugs, and of course, beauty products that have become cult faves since 1851. The flagship store is still situated in the same location with many of the original fixtures and fittings intact. A pear tree planted right in front of the boutique is now a city landmark. Revered by beauty aficionados, celebrities and the fashion pack, Kiehl’s is a brand that blends cosmetic, pharmaceutical, herbal and medicinal knowledge in its formulas which have been developed over the generations and is now present on many shores, now including ours.

Upon the founder’s death, his apprentice, Irving Morse, purchased the establishment and expanded it during his tenure before passing the reins over to his son Aaron and eventually to granddaughter Jami Morse Heidigger. Over time, Kiehl’s developed an extensive range of high-quality, effective skin and hair products formulated with natural ingredients. In Kiehl’s early history, most formulations were hand-mixed behind the counter in typical old-school apothecary fashion. In 2000, cosmetics giant L’Oreal bought Kiehl’s and, luckily for us, continues to operate the business under the same premise it was founded on over 150 years ago, which is the commitment to give something back to the community and to provide customers with natural, efficacious products through attentive and honest customer service. Kiehl’s customer representatives undergo a rigorous education program to uphold standards of excellence. Their first priority is serving customers by educating them on the ingredients and benefits of products that are recommended during the consultation. With company roots steeped in pharmacists dispensing prescriptions to clients, modern-day reps prescribe suitable products for each customer’s needs.    

Extensive research and loads of funding go into developing the products and making sure samples are distributed instead of spending on advertising and fancy packaging. They prefer to pump money into sample testing, as it’s the perfect way to see which products work best for you. Even though Kiehl’s products are thoroughly tested in their labs and not on animals, patch testing is suggested to check for allergic reactions. Popping into the boutique, I would always walk away with samples galore from the generous, friendly staff after a long wait on line.

Not only does Kiehl’s showcase a fab line of products (some are even in the Smithsonian Institution’s permanent archive), the brand promotes the passions of its extended family by promoting aviation, ski racing, equestrian expertise, awareness of global warming and the passion of second-generation family owner Aaron Morse, who was a great collector of motorcycles. Before the rise of the metrosexual, most men had no interest in entering a beauty store so the motorcycles acted as a vehicle to lure men in. Nowadays, in tribute to Aaron Morse, each Kiehl’s boutique has a vintage bike in honor of Aaron Morse. Kiehl’s, as an apothecary with awareness, goes beyond its owners’ passions by helping and improving the community and supports many charitable organizations. One area Kiehl’s focuses heavily on is AIDS awareness and prevention — it created a relaxing bath with profits exclusively donated to the Magic Johnson Foundation, a hand cream for AmFAR (American Foundation for AIDS Research), and a bath and body cleanser to benefit YouthAIDS. My aunt lives a couple of blocks away from Kiehl’s so when I was growing up, I’d drop by and check out the latest products. It definitely had the feel of a community store as the walls were plastered with photos of customers’ babies (they have an awesome baby line, and one for dogs, horses and athletes, too). I’ve seen the product line grow over the years and my purchases have drastically changed over time, from the drawing paste for pimples in my younger days to the anti-aging Abyssine and Yerba Mate lines I currently use. My selection of products has changed, not just because of age, but from change of climate, since moving from New York to Manila. I used to use the Crème de Corps and now I use the lightweight version in our tropical weather, along with the hair products to combat the frizz the humidity here gives me.  

Aside from family, friends, school, pizza, bagels, pastrami (okay, the list goes on), Kiehl’s is one of the brands that resonates when I think of home. I’d even drop by for the wonderful coffee for sale in store.  I’m thrilled I don’t have to trek it all the way to New York anymore to purchase the products I absolutely love. Kiehl’s is now available at Greenbelt 5, Makati.

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Comments? E-mail me at jcantonio@gmail.com.