Ultra Facial Cleanser

Some products arrive with elaborate origin stories. They were developed in a French thermal spring town, or inspired by ancient Korean beauty rituals, or formulated by a celebrity who just discovered what hyaluronic acid does. The Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser has no such story. It exists because a 170-year-old apothecary brand needed a cleanser to match its already beloved Ultra Facial Cream, and it needed to do exactly one thing well: clean your face without making you regret it afterward.

That might sound like a low bar, but anyone who has cycled through a dozen foaming cleansers that left their skin tight, dry, and vaguely resentful knows it's actually a surprisingly difficult needle to thread. Foaming cleansers get their lather from surfactants, and most surfactants are enthusiastic about removing everything — dirt, oil, makeup, and also the natural lipids your skin would very much like to keep. The Ultra Facial Cleanser addresses this with what is, by cleanser standards, a fairly sophisticated approach: a tri-oil conditioning system of squalane, avocado oil, and apricot kernel oil that deposits a thin layer of emollience during the wash-off process.

The result is a cleanser that foams without the consequences typically associated with foam. You get the satisfying lather, the feeling of genuine cleanliness, the way water runs clear when you rinse — but without the tight, stripped aftermath. It's the cleanser equivalent of having your cake and eating it too, if the cake were made of squalane and smelled like nothing.

And it does genuinely smell like nothing, which is worth noting. Kiehl's kept this formula fragrance-free, a decision that reflects the brand's pharmaceutical heritage more than its more recent forays into essential oil territory. For a morning cleanser, this is exactly right — nobody needs a botanical garden experience at 7 AM before coffee.

The texture is a clear, lightweight gel that requires water activation. It doesn't have the thick, luxurious consistency of cream cleansers or the jelly-like bounce of some newer gel formulations. It's straightforward, unpretentious gel that turns into modest foam when you add water and work it between your palms. The lather is fine-textured rather than dense — think gentle bubbles, not shaving cream — and it rinses completely clean without any film or residue.

Now, let's address the ingredients that will make some consumers pause. The primary surfactant is sodium laureth sulfate, which occupies an awkward position in the skincare conversation. It's been demonized by clean beauty advocates and defended by cosmetic chemists, and the reality sits somewhere in between. SLES is a more gentle cousin of SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate), with larger molecules that are less penetrating and less irritating. For most skin types, it's perfectly fine in a rinse-off product. But for those with eczema, rosacea, or genuinely compromised barriers, it can still cause irritation, and there are gentler surfactant options available.

The preservative system also includes methylparaben and propylparaben, which remain the subject of consumer anxiety despite extensive safety data supporting their use at cosmetic concentrations. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel — an independent expert panel — has repeatedly affirmed their safety. But consumer perception matters, and many brands have moved on to alternative preservative systems. Kiehl's itself offers paraben-free options in other lines.

The vitamin C derivative — ascorbyl glucoside — appears at the tail end of the ingredient list. In a rinse-off product with brief skin contact time, its antioxidant contribution is modest at best. It's a nice-to-have, not a reason to buy. The real value here is in the conditioning oils that make the daily cleansing experience genuinely pleasant.

As a daily driver, the Ultra Facial Cleanser excels at the mundane work of skincare. It removes the overnight oil buildup in the morning. It cleans away the grime of the day in the evening (though it shouldn't be relied upon to remove heavy makeup or waterproof sunscreen — pair it with an oil cleanser for that). It does this day after day without causing irritation, without stripping, and without requiring you to think about it. This is, fundamentally, what a good cleanser should do.

At $26 for 5 ounces, it's not a budget pick, but it's not outrageously priced either. A bottle lasts 3-4 months, which brings the monthly cost to roughly what you'd spend on a couple of coffees. The 2.5-ounce travel size at $16 is handy for trips but offers worse per-ounce value.

This is not a product that will transform your skin. It will not brighten, resurface, or anti-age. It's a cleanser, and it knows it's a cleanser, and it does cleanser things with quiet competence. In a market full of cleansers promising to be serums in disguise, there's something refreshing about a product that simply does its job and gets out of the way.

Formula

The Science

The formulation strategy behind this cleanser centers on minimizing the irritation potential of its surfactant system through lipid replenishment. Squalane, a saturated hydrocarbon derived from squalene, is structurally similar to the skin's own sebum and has been shown to integrate into the lipid matrix of the stratum corneum. A study published in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science (2009) demonstrated that squalane application improved skin barrier function and reduced transepidermal water loss.

The surfactant blend itself is designed for reduced irritation: sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) has larger ethoxylated molecules compared to sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), resulting in lower skin penetration and reduced protein denaturation. The co-surfactants — decyl glucoside, cocamidopropyl betaine, and disodium cocoamphodiacetate — are all considered mild to very mild surfactants. The inclusion of amphoteric surfactants (cocamidopropyl betaine, disodium cocoamphodiacetate) helps buffer the irritation potential of SLES through micelle interaction, creating mixed micelles with lower critical micelle concentrations and reduced monomer activity at the skin surface.

Glycerin, positioned fourth in the formula, provides humectant properties that help retain moisture during the cleansing process. Research published in the British Journal of Dermatology has established glycerin's role in improving skin hydration and barrier repair, even in brief-contact applications like cleansing.

Dermatologist Perspective

Dermatologists frequently recommend the Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser as a straightforward daily cleanser for patients who want something reliable without unnecessary complexity. Board-certified dermatologists note that the conditioning oil system is a thoughtful addition to a foaming cleanser, as it helps maintain barrier integrity during the cleansing step — a concern that is often overlooked in cleanser selection. However, dermatologists working with eczema or rosacea patients typically suggest sulfate-free alternatives, as even the milder SLES can exacerbate these conditions. For most patients with normal to combination skin, this cleanser provides an appropriate balance of cleansing efficacy and gentleness.

Guidance

Part of Kiehl's Ultra Facial line, which has become the brand's most recognized collection. The cleanser was developed to complement the iconic Ultra Facial Cream, sharing the same philosophy of reliable, no-nonsense hydration. It represents Kiehl's apothecary approach — simple formulation, effective ingredients, minimal marketing theatrics.

About Kiehl's Legacy Brand (20+ years)

Kiehl's was founded in 1851 as a New York City apothecary and has been formulating skincare for over 170 years. Acquired by L'Oréal in 2000, the brand launched its Dermatologist Solutions line in 2005, developed in collaboration with an advisory panel of leading dermatologists. Its formulations draw on both pharmaceutical heritage and modern clinical research.

Brand founded: 1851 · Product launched: 2010

Myth vs. Reality

Myth

Foaming cleansers always strip the skin and damage the moisture barrier.

Reality

This formula's inclusion of squalane, avocado oil, and apricot kernel oil specifically counteracts the stripping potential of the surfactant system. The oils deposit a thin conditioning layer during cleansing, so the foam does its job without taking moisture with it.

Myth

Parabens in skincare are dangerous and should always be avoided.

Reality

The methylparaben and propylparaben in this formula are used at regulatory-approved concentrations as preservatives. Decades of safety data support their use at these levels. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review panel and the European Commission's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety have both affirmed their safety in cosmetic products at concentrations up to 0.4% for individual parabens.

FAQ

Common Praise

"Doesn't strip or dry out the skin despite foaming lather"

"Works well for combination and sensitive skin types"

"Fragrance-free and gentle enough for daily use"

"A little product goes a long way"

Common Complaints

"Contains sodium laureth sulfate which some users prefer to avoid"

"Contains parabens as preservatives"

"Some find it too drying for very dry or eczema-prone skin"

"Price is high for a basic cleanser formula"

Notable Endorsements

Allure Best of Beauty Award (2011)Widely recommended by dermatologists and estheticians

Appears In

best cleanser for combination skin best gentle foaming cleanser best daily face wash best cleanser with squalane

Related Conditions

dullness dryness

Related Ingredients

squalane glycerin avocado oil vitamin c