a link to the story on detik.com<\/a> (It is in Bahasa Indonesia, but you can translate it for the gist)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nIn summary, detik.com was able to get an official statement from Melanie Masriel, the Head of Communications of Kiehl’s Indonesia, who confirmed that the Pure Vitality Cream was withdrawn from global distribution in May 2017 (this is not very long before I posted my review on 5 June 2017). There was no reason given for the withdrawal of the product, but it was done to ensure their consumers have the highest and quality standards, and due to the ingredients in the product. Kiehl’s is investigating it. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nBut what was more important, than this statement, is what follows. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\nAt the end of the article, Kiehl’s Indonesia has offered a solution to its customers, to either EXCHANGE their Pure Vitality Cream with a different cream (Super Multi-Corrective Cream is recommended) OR TO GET A REFUND for their purchases.<\/strong> Please note this, and let your friends in Indonesia know, if they are using this product or if you think they are using this product. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nI believe that this is as close to a formal statement as we can get from the company in Indonesia, and I appreciate the speed at which Kiehl’s Indonesia has responded in this matter, and the manner in which they have stepped up to address the situation. In this instance, I believe that this is the right thing to do, in light of their advice to stop using the product. Consumers who have bought the cream should not be out of pocket, as it is through no fault of their own that they are recommended to stop its use (even if it works for them). <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nIn this regard, I do have the Indonesian beauty influencers Kae (@kaepratiwi), Deszell (@deszell) and Puchh (@puchh) to thank, for raising this issue and for striving to get answers locally. I later found out that both Deszell and Puchh were at the Pure Vitality launch event, and had both earlier endorsed the product. But they still took the initiative to step up, when it mattered, to update their public of the current situation, once they knew about it. It is what, I believe, prompted the company to take the action they did in Indonesia, and as responsible influencers, I firmly believe they did the right thing by their followers. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nI am, as of now, still awaiting news from Kiehl’s Malaysia. Perhaps I’ll get it some time this century. But I will try to contact others and see if I can get a response. Kiehl’s on Twitter has gone silent. This was my last communication, which was seen by them (Twitter allows you to see if a person has seen your DM, shown by the blue tick). I will not communicate with them further due to their reticence. But I will merely leave it here in contrast to the response by their Indonesian counterpart. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nIf I receive any further updates today, I will update further. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nFINAL UPDATE: 9 JUNE 2017<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nFinally, we have a response from Malaysia<\/strong>!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nI was contacted by phone by Jean Loh, Communications Director for L’Oreal Malaysia, just a short white ago. She has confirmed that the Pure Vitality Cream has been withdrawn globally due to quality concerns about the ingredients in the cream, and as a matter of caution, consumers should stop use of the cream. This is in line with with the advice given to me on Twitter by @kiehls. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nFurther, anyone who has purchased the cream in Malaysia may take it back to any Kiehl’s store for a REFUND, whether or not you reacted to it.<\/strong> I’m told that your customer details and purchase history will be in the system, so no receipt is necessary. This is in line with their satisfaction guaranteed commitment, terms of which have been waived for this instance of the Pure Vitality Cream. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nIt is unfortunate that we have had to wait this long for a local response, and I had raised my concerns about the lack of communication which could have avoided a lot of problems; but at this moment, this is as satisfactory as it can be. I will post an official response once I receive it.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nThank you everyone for bearing with me as we hunted down the response, and for your patience. If you are someone affected by this, or know someone affected by this or who owns this or may be using this cream, please take your jar back to any Kiehl’s store for a full refund. For now, I will treat this saga as being at an end \ud83d\ude42<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nADDITIONAL UPDATE: 11 June 2017<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nOn the issue of updates, here’s a report from a reader who went to check at the Kiehl’s MY store for a refund. You need to have an account with them, or at least the person buying it needs to have a customer record. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nWhile I understand the rationale, it begs the question of recourse for those who do not have a customer record, or received it as a gift. Not everyone signs up with a record. I do not at some places. From my understanding, if you are going to offer a refund, take it in regardless of where it’s bought. What does that matter? What matters is that a potentially irritating product, that is no longer sold, is removed from circulation. Offer an exchange, in those circumstances that a person has no customer record. Do something. Not do nothing. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nIncidentally, someone has reported to me a response from Kiehl’s NYC that says essentially, that if a customer currently has this product and are enjoying it, they can “CONTINUE TO USE IT”<\/strong>. For the record, this is in direct conflict with what I was told on Twitter, as you can see above. I am not comfortable with the direction it’s going, or with the conflicting responses over a span of just 5 days. This is not right. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nUPDATE: 13 June 2017<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nI communicated with @kiehls on Twitter about this confusion whether to continue using the cream, and here is their response.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nAs I have informed them, this current stand that you may use the cream if it is fine with you, but stop if it isn’t, contradicts their earlier stand given to me on 7 June 2017, a week ago. In the earlier reply, you can see above, they say this, and I quote:-<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n“As we are investigating the issue, we recommend that you stop using the product and we look forward to the opportunity to find another Kiehl\u2019s formula for you.” <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nIt was a recommendation to stop, pending investigation of the issue. a week later, they now deem that it’s safe to use, if you don’t react to the product. I understand this is now the official line fed to anyone who asks. It appears the global team has got its act together, but it contradicts earlier advice and for that, I am uncomfortable. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nI was contacted by someone in Taiwan, who noticed the same thing I did (products had disappeared) after she purchased her item in Kiehl’s Taiwan on 23 May 2017. I understand this the products were discontinued in May 2017. She contacted Kiehl’s Taiwan, and has been given the official line – the products were discontinued due to raw material problems, and you may use it if it’s ok by you, but to stop if it causes discomfort. This is after she had pursued the matter with a phone call, and after reading this post. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nFINAL FINAL UPDATE! 20 June 2017<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nI’ve been contacted again by L’Oreal Malaysia by phone, and also Kiehl’s USA via Twitter, to clarify that if you are comfortable and happy using the cream, you may continue to do so. They claim the earlier advice was a miscommunication. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nL’Oreal Malaysia has also confirmed that refunds are possible if you have a receipt or a customer account that shows you purchased the product at the store. However, if you do not e.g. if you received it as a gift, you may take it back to the store and exchange it with a similar product. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nI maintain I have no desire to flog this dead horse. I will let you draw your own conclusions and make your own decisions. I have made mine. I personally do not believe it was a miscommunication, in view of their use of the words “pending investigation” which implies that there is a recognition the product may be flawed, whether or not you react to it. But I’ll let this matter rest now. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nThat rotten smell in Denmark? It’s still there. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n————–<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I’d like to stress that I am by no means bashing the brand. I appreciate how quickly they responded to what appears to be customer reactions to their product. But I don’t appreciate how it’s been hushed up, and I was asked to communicate privately by DM (Direct Message) instead of them addressing it publicly as a reply to my public Twitter question. This approach makes me sad, as I do have a soft spot for the Kiehl’s brand and their products, and I’ve had a long relationship with them over the years. It does make me question if the product was released too quickly without sufficient testing, and if this is something that’s happening more often with brands, due to the need to push out new products all the time. I’ll address that in a separate post LOL!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paris B<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Kiehl’s Malaysia responds. Summary and personal observations are in this post. Additional update at end of this post. Final update as at 20 June 2017 – go here UPDATE: I realised, while writing this post in June 2017, that the Kiehl’s Pure Vitality cream was impossible to source online. This was interesting, as I noticed<\/p>\n
Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17466,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[43,14,5,45],"tags":[386,181],"yoast_head":"\nReview: Kiehl's Pure Vitality Skin Renewing Cream (Discontinued)<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n