Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser Review, Swatches

Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser Review, Swatches: Hey Guys, so with monsoons approaching I have started slightly modifying my skin care routine. In this hot and humid environment, we all need to look into out skin care stash and select products which will save our skin without blocking pores. However, there are certain products which are kind of evergreen. Whatever season it may be, they always do their job. Today I am talking about one such simple yet effective product from Kiehl’s.

So I had read a review on a very famous Indian blog a couple of years back for this facial cleanser. According to that review, my impression was – its okay, a regular cleanser that doesn’t strip off the moisture from the skin. Smells ultra medicinal etc. Overall not a good impression and therefore, I decided not to get it.

However, a few months back I happened to visit a Kiehl’s store. I spotted this and the SA explained to me about it. I smelled it, and to my surprise it didn’t smell that bad or overly medicinal at all! I decided to get it and check it out for myself.

Let us read my opinion about this product below.

About Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser

A mild foaming cleanser for all skin types.

This specially formulated gentle foaming cleanser helps remove dirt and debris without over-drying or stripping skin. In addition to dissolving excess oil and dirt, this pH-balanced cleanser helps maintain skin’s natural balance. Formulated with Squalane, Apricot Kernel Oil, Vitamin E and Avocado Oil, our gentle face wash is suitable for all skin types.

• Gently cleanses without over-drying or stripping skin of its natural oils
• Helps dissolve excess oil, dirt and debris
• Formulated with Squalane, Apricot Kernel Oil, Vitamin E and Avocado Oil
• Tested for safety and gentleness
• pH-balanced
• For all skin types, including sensitive skin
• A customer favorite

How to Use Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser

1. After cleansing, apply a small amount to clean fingertips
2. Gently massage into damp facial areas in upward, circular motions, avoiding the immediate eye area
3. Rinse thoroughly or remove excess with a damp wash cloth

Ingredients in Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser

Aqua/Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Decyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Acrylates Copolymer, Peg-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate, Lauryl Glucoside, Sodium Chloride, Pentylene Glycol, Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol, Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Distearyl Ether, Behenyl Alcohol, Methylparaben, Laureth-2, Propylparaben, Sodium Methylparaben, Squalane, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil/Sweet Almond Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil/Apricot Kernel Oil, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Persea Gratissima Oil/Avocado Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid

Price of Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser

$ 10.00 for 2.5 oz and $ 20.00 for 5 oz in USA
£ 9.50 for 75 mL and £16.50 for 150 mL in UK
₹ 750.00 for 75 mL and ₹ 1300.00 for 150 mL in India

In Detail Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser Review, Swatches and My Experience

Kiehl’s products always come in a simple packaging. This comes in a opaque white tube with black coloured prints on the front and back. Has a standard flip open top. It is made in USA. The cleanser comes in 2 sizes, 75 mL and 150 mL. I got the 75 mL one because I wanted to try it out first.

The consistency is on the thicker side. Has a rich creamy texture. Looks almost transparent but not completely. A very good thing about this cleanser is, it does not have any added fragrance to it. Therefore it definitely has a chemical-like smell to it.

However, the smell isn’t overpowering at all. You can smell it properly when you get your nose really close to it. Beauties with sensitive sense of smell may also detect it while applying. But trust me, it isn’t something which will bother you.

How I Use it

I take slightly less than a pea size amount of the cleanser and work it on my wet face and neck. It creates a nice pleasant foam. Not too much or too less. Always keep one thing in mind, how much a product lathers also depends on the hardness of water in your area. So for some places, this might lather more and less for the others.

I work it on my skin for like a minute of two and wash it off with plain water. Then I pat my skin dry.

Effects

First of all, exactly like this product claims, it cleanses my skin without stripping it off of moisture. So this does not leave my skin feeling very dry. Secondly, yes, this does remove any traces of makeup that you might have had left on the skin.

It leaves my skin feeling squeaky clean and yet soft to touch. It also never broke me out. Because it removes all dirt and traces of impurities from the skin, I am assured that it will also prevent breakouts caused by them.

The Kiehl’s ultra facial cleanser has an ingredient called Decyl Glucoside, this is a surfactant derived from plants. Now, please note, this does have Sodium Laureth Sulfate as well besides this natural plant based surfactant. So, they have tried to use lesser amount of chemical based surfactant and complemented it with a natural one. I do appreciate this effort.

Overall Verdict

I feel this is an amazing face wash which can be used by all skin types. Its gentle yet effective. Does its job well without stripping off moisture from the skin. It removes makeup quite well (for the days when you’re too tired to do multiple steps of makeup removal).

I had honestly not purchased it before because somehow I got the impression that it smells too medicinal in a bad way and is pretty average. However, after using it I can confidently say that this is one of the best facial cleansers out there.

It has some great moisturising ingredients like Squalane, Avocado oil, apricot kernel oil, vitamin E, although not completely chemical free. It works great on my combination to sometimes dry skin.

I have been using this (the 75 mL tube) for the last 2 months (twice daily) and I think I have enough left to use it for the next 1 or 2 month. Honestly I think its great that a cleanser – cleans my face so super well + removes makeup + does not cause any irritation. Therefore, I highly recommend that you do try this out for yourself. It doesn’t look or sound very fancy, but this classic baby does the job really well.

Do let me know your experience with it if you’ve tried it before. How do you find it?

More Photos, Swatches

PROs of Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser

1. Simple, minimalistic packaging.
2. Has some great natural ingredients besides the chemical ones.
3. Makes my skin feel squeaky clean.
4. Takes out all traces of dirt or impurities from the skin.
5. Removes makeup very nicely (Please note, Kiehl’s does not recommend using this on your eye area.)
6. Never irritated my skin or broke me out.
7. Never leaves any sort of residue behind on the skin.
8. Lasts very long because you really need a very small amount per usage.
9. Travel friendly squeeze tube.

CONs of Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser

1. Not completely chemical free.
2. A little costly, but I do not mind since its good and lasts very long.
3. Not very easily available everywhere.

MBF Advises

1. Always remove makeup before retiring to bed. Have a cleanser like this ready for the days when you feel too tired to remove makeup in multiple steps.
2. Keep this in a dry place so that water does not collect near the cap. I read somewhere that if water collects near the cap, it sort of picks up the water and this increases the risk of contamination.
3. This may or may not foam up much depending on the hardness of water in your area. But rest assured it does its job well both ways.

MBF Rating

5/5