Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser

Review

Results you may expect from using Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser:

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser is a type of skincare product designed to be rinsed off, peeled off, or otherwise removed from the skin. Research confirming the moisturizing, anti-wrinkle, and soothing effects of such products is very limited. Therefore, we do not provide efficacy ratings for these types of skincare products.

However, you can explore the roles of specific ingredients in the Ingredients Explained section below.

Ingredients

Est. % Ingredient Origin Functions
75
Water
6
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
4
Decyl Glucoside
3
Glycerin
2
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
1.5
Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
1.3
Acrylates Copolymer
1
Lauryl Glucoside
0.3
PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate
0.3
Triethanolamine
0.3
Sodium Chloride
0.3
Pentylene Glycol
0.3
Phenoxyethanol
0.3
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
0.3
Sodium Hydroxide
0.3
Citric Acid
0.3
Hexylene Glycol
0.3
Behenyl Alcohol
0.3
Distearyl Ether
0.3
Sodium Benzoate
0.3
Laureth-2
0.3
Squalane
0.3
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil
0.3
Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil
0.3
Tocopherol
0.3
Ascorbyl Glucoside
0.3
Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil
Est. %
Water
Function:
Origin:
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Function:
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Decyl Glucoside
Function:
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Glycerin
Function:
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Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Function:
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Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
Function:
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Acrylates Copolymer
Function:
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Lauryl Glucoside
Function:
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PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate
Function:
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Triethanolamine
Function:
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Sodium Chloride
Function:
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Pentylene Glycol
Function:
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Phenoxyethanol
Function:
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PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Function:
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Sodium Hydroxide
Function:
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Citric Acid
Function:
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Hexylene Glycol
Function:
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Behenyl Alcohol
Function:
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Distearyl Ether
Function:
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Sodium Benzoate
Function:
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Laureth-2
Function:
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Squalane
Function:
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Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil
Function:
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Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil
Function:
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Tocopherol
Function:
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Ascorbyl Glucoside
Function:
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Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil
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Ingredients explained

Water
Est. %75
Function
Origin
WaterThe most used ingredient in skincare. Its concentration defines the product texture: rich creams may have about 50% of water while a light jelly about 90%. Water doesn’t moisturize the skin by itself and is used in skincare as a solvent for other ingredients.
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Est. %6
Function
Origin
Sodium Laureth SulfateSLES, not to be confused with SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate), is a synthetic soap-like ingredient used in cleansing products. It foams well and removes oil and dirt. SLES may cause skin dryness and irritation, although it is considered less irritating than SLS.
Decyl Glucoside
Est. %4
Function
Origin
Decyl GlucosideA surfactant that can function as both a cleansing agent and emulsifier. As a cleansing agent, it is very mild on the skin. As an emulsifier, decyl glucoside will produce oil-in-water emulsions. It is naturally derived from vegetable oils and starch.
Glycerin
Est. %3
Function
Origin
Glycerin

The most popular moisturizing ingredient in the world. It is a powerful humectant – cheap yet very effective.

Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Est. %2
Function
Origin
Cocamidopropyl BetaineA mildly cleansing ingredient derived from coconut. It also produces the foam that tells us our soap is actually working to remove dirt and oils.
Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
Est. %1.5
Function
Origin
Disodium CocoamphodiacetateA naturally-derived mild cleansing agent. It provides foam but does not leave skin feeling stripped or dry when properly incorporated.
Acrylates Copolymer
Est. %1.3
Function
Origin
Acrylates CopolymerA highly functional synthetic ingredient that forms a protective layer on the skin and reduces static buildup. It gives an emollient feel to the product, including a silky after-feel.
Lauryl Glucoside
Est. %1
Function
Origin
Lauryl GlucosideA natural nonionic surfactant, which means it acts as an effective cleansing ingredient. It can act alone as a cleanser or be paired with anionic surfactants to make them milder on the skin.
PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate
Est. %0.3
Function
Origin
PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate
Triethanolamine
Est. %0.3
Function
Origin
TriethanolamineA clear, colorless, and highly viscous liquid, this ingredient is an excellent pH adjuster. When it is necessary to neutralize an acidic solution or to generally increase the pH of a product, triethanolamine is a common choice.
Sodium Chloride
Est. %0.3
Function
Origin
Sodium Chloride

You’re definitely familiar with sodium chloride, even if you don’t think you are. It’s table salt! Salt works well with some cleansing ingredients (surfactants) to thicken them into gels. It also acts as a stabilizer for water-in-oil emulsions.

Pentylene Glycol
Est. %0.3
Function
Origin
Pentylene Glycol

A naturally or synthetically derived preservative that exhibits effective antifungal and antibacterial traits. It also acts as a booster for more traditional preservatives. Pentylene glycol can also serve as a moisturizing humectant and solvent.

Phenoxyethanol
Est. %0.3
Function
Origin
PhenoxyethanolThe most frequently used preservative in skincare. It is a clear, oil-like liquid synthetic substance that protects products from harmful bacteria and yeast, whilst still leaving skin microflora unharmed. It is confirmed by research to be harmless.
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Est. %0.3
Function
Origin
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate

A clear, pale yellow, oil-like emollient manufactured synthetically from coconut oil and polyethylene glycol. It is also used as an emulsifying agent.

Sodium Hydroxide
Est. %0.3
Function
Origin
Sodium Hydroxide

An ingredient that is able to bring the pH of a product up, thereby making it less harsh on the skin.

Citric Acid
Est. %0.3
Function
Origin
Citric AcidA gently exfoliating AHA that helps to remove the top layer of dead skin cells. In comparison to other AHAs, citric acid has been shown to be one of the least effective. It is also very commonly used as a stabilizing and pH-controlling agent.
Hexylene Glycol
Est. %0.3
Function
Origin
Hexylene GlycolA multifunctional ingredient that is best known for its use as a solvent. It can dissolve both water-based ingredients and oils. For this reason, it can also function as an emulsifier, allowing oil and water ingredients to mix and remain stable.
Behenyl Alcohol
Est. %0.3
Function
Origin
Behenyl AlcoholA fatty alcohol with emollient properties. It is used as a co-emulsifier and thickener and tends to result in a product with a smooth and creamy application texture.
Distearyl Ether
Est. %0.3
Function
Origin
Distearyl Ether
Sodium Benzoate
Est. %0.3
Function
Origin
Sodium BenzoateA preservative that usually works in combination with other preservatives. It has to be at low pH (<5.5) to be effective.
Laureth-2
Est. %0.3
Function
Origin
Laureth-2
Squalane
Est. %0.3
Function
Origin
SqualaneAn occlusive moisturizing and emollient compound that forms part of the skin’s sebum. The main source of squalane had always been shark liver. Now, however, it is manufactured synthetically or derived from plant oils, such as olive and peanut oil.
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil
Est. %0.3
Function
Origin
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) OilAn emollient and occlusive oil derived from sweet almonds. It has a favorable fatty acid composition (mainly oleic and linoleic acids), and a high content of vitamin E. Almond oil is listed as a common comedogenic ingredient by acne.org.
Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil
Est. %0.3
Function
Origin
Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel OilA fatty oil expressed from the seed kernels of apricot fruits. This oil is an emollient and occlusive moisturizer comprised of around 60% oleic acid, followed by linoleic and palmitic acid, carotenoids, vitamin E, and other antioxidant compounds.
Tocopherol
Est. %0.3
Function
Origin
Tocopherol

Simply another name for vitamin E. Tocopherol is a fantastic ingredient and especially beneficial for dry and inflamed skin. It has occlusive moisturizing, emollient, antioxidant, and photoprotective properties.

Ascorbyl Glucoside
Est. %0.3
Function
Origin
Ascorbyl GlucosideA derivative of vitamin C. It is more stable and less irritating than ascorbic acid. There are unfortunately no clinical studies on ascorbyl glucoside’s anti-pigment or anti-acne efficacy alone.
Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil
Est. %0.3
Function
Origin
Persea Gratissima (Avocado) OilA fatty oil expressed from the fleshy part of an avocado, used in skincare for its excellent emollient and occlusive moisturizing properties. Avocado oil contains fatty acids, notably oleic acid (up to 80%), squalene, vitamin E, and carotenoids.