This is a highly popular, foaming facial cleanser formulated with a blend of gentle surfactants and nourishing botanical oils to thoroughly cleanse the skin without stripping its natural moisture barrier.
The performance rating of 8.4/10 is justified by the product’s balanced cleansing system. It pairs Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES), a powerful foaming surfactant, with gentle co-surfactants like Decyl Glucoside, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, and Lauryl Glucoside to lift dirt and excess sebum effectively without aggressively stripping the skin. High levels of Glycerin provide essential hydration, while skin-mimicking Squalane and a rich lipid blend of Sweet Almond Oil, Apricot Kernel Oil, and Avocado Oil replenish the skin’s moisture barrier during washing. This ensures a rich lather that leaves the skin feeling clean, soft, and comfortable.
The safety rating of 8.1/10 reflects a formula that is highly tolerable for most skin types, being formulated without parabens, synthetic fragrances, or common drying alcohols. However, the inclusion of Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES), while milder than SLS, can still be slightly sensitizing or drying for individuals with extremely compromised skin barriers. Additionally, the presence of Triethanolamine (a pH adjuster) and Phenoxyethanol (a preservative) can occasionally cause mild contact irritation in rare cases. The nourishing botanical oils are excellent for dry skin, though they may carry a very low comedogenic risk for extremely acne-prone skin, which is largely mitigated by the rinse-off nature of the product.
With an overall rating of 8.3/10, this cleanser represents an exceptional balance of deep cleansing efficacy and skin barrier protection. By blending robust foaming agents with outstanding humectants like Glycerin and nourishing emollients like Squalane and Avocado Oil, it achieves a thorough clean while maintaining the skin’s natural pH and moisture balance. Its fragrance-free and paraben-free formulation makes it a safe, versatile, and highly reliable choice for a wide range of skin types, from normal to dry and sensitive.
This cleanser—famously known as the Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser—is a highly popular, well-balanced face wash designed for daily use. At its core, the formula utilizes Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) as a key surfactant. While SLES sometimes gets a bad reputation in the skincare community for being stripping, this formulation brilliantly cushions it with multiple gentle co-surfactants, including Decyl Glucoside, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, and Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate. This carefully engineered surfactant system delivers a rich, satisfying, foaming lather that effectively dissolves dirt, pollution, and excess sebum, all while keeping irritation to an absolute minimum.
What truly elevates this cleanser is its thoughtful infusion of replenishing emollients and humectants. High up on the ingredient list is Glycerin, a powerful humectant that pulls moisture into the skin during the washing process. This is supported by Squalane, a signature skin-identical lipid that mimics the skin’s natural sebum to restore and support the skin barrier. Furthermore, a nourishing trio of plant oils—Sweet Almond Oil, Apricot Kernel Oil, and Avocado Oil—acts as “refatting” agents. These rich botanical oils work dynamically during the brief contact time on your face to deposit essential fatty acids, ensuring your skin emerges feeling exceptionally soft, supple, and hydrated rather than tight or dry.
However, there are some important considerations for specific skin concerns. While the formula includes Ascorbyl Glucoside (a stable Vitamin C derivative) and Tocopherol (Vitamin E), these antioxidants have limited efficacy in a wash-off product, serving more to stabilize the formula and protect the skin momentarily. Additionally, due to the abundance of natural plant lipids and fatty esters, this cleanser is not safe for fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis), as these oils can feed the yeast responsible for breakouts. Furthermore, individuals with extremely dry or severely compromised skin barriers might still find any sulfate-containing foaming cleanser slightly too active and may prefer a completely non-foaming, milk-based alternative instead.
Ultimately, this is an outstanding, pH-balanced cleanser that successfully bridges the gap between deep-cleaning foaming washes and ultra-gentle, non-stripping creams. It remains an incredibly reliable daily staple for maintaining a healthy, fresh, and thoroughly clean complexion without compromising your skin’s natural ecosystem.
🧪 Aqua/Water / 水
Purpose: Primary solvent used as a carrier for water-soluble ingredients.
Concerns: None.
Notes: The foundation of most liquid skincare products.
🧪 Sodium Laureth Sulfate / 月桂醇聚醚硫酸酯钠
Purpose: Anionic surfactant that provides excellent cleansing and rich foam.
Concerns: Can be drying or irritating for sensitive skin, though milder than Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).
Notes: Balanced with milder surfactants in this formula to reduce potential irritation.
🧪 Decyl Glucoside / 癸基葡萄糖苷
Purpose: Extremely mild, plant-derived non-ionic surfactant.
Concerns: None.
Notes: Biodegradable and highly tolerated by sensitive skin.
🧪 Cocamidopropyl Betaine / 椰油酰胺丙基甜菜碱
Purpose: Amphoteric surfactant that boosts foam and reduces the harshness of anionic surfactants.
Concerns: Very rare risk of contact allergy, often related to manufacturing impurities.
Notes: Widely used in gentle and baby-safe cleansing products.
🧪 Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate / 椰油酰两性基二乙酸二钠
Purpose: Gentle amphoteric surfactant used to cleanse and foam.
Concerns: None.
Notes: Often selected for baby products and sensitive skin formulas.
🧪 Lauryl Glucoside / 月桂基葡萄糖苷
Purpose: Gentle, biodegradable non-ionic surfactant.
Concerns: None.
Notes: Provides excellent foaming and is derived from natural sources.
🧪 PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate / PEG-7 甘油椰油酸酯
Purpose: Water-soluble emollient and surfactant.
Concerns: Ethoxylated compound with minimal risk of impurities if properly purified.
Notes: Imparts a smooth, soft feeling to the skin post-wash.
🧪 Laureth-2 / 月桂醇聚醚-2
Purpose: Surfactant and thickener.
Concerns: Ethoxylated compound.
Notes: Helps to build the viscosity of the surfactant system.
🧪 Glycerin / 甘油
Purpose: Highly effective natural humectant.
Concerns: None.
Notes: Attracts water to the skin, keeping it hydrated during cleansing.
🧪 Pentylene Glycol / 戊二醇
Purpose: Humectant, solvent, and antimicrobial booster.
Concerns: None.
Notes: Leaves a pleasant, non-greasy feel on the skin.
🧪 Hexylene Glycol / 己二醇
Purpose: Solvent and humectant.
Concerns: Can cause mild irritation in rare cases for very sensitive skin.
Notes: Helps to thin out formulas and make them easier to spread.
🧪 Squalane / 角鲨烷
Purpose: Highly stable, skin-identical emollient.
Concerns: None.
Notes: Restores the skin barrier and prevents dryness without clogging pores.
🧪 Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil/Sweet Almond Oil / 甜扁桃油
Purpose: Nourishing botanical oil.
Concerns: May be heavy for oily skin, but rinses off easily in this cleanser format.
Notes: Rich in essential fatty acids and vitamins A and E.
🧪 Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil/Apricot Kernel Oil / 杏仁油
Purpose: Lightweight emollient plant oil.
Concerns: None.
Notes: Helps to soften and smooth the skin’s surface.
🧪 Persea Gratissima Oil/Avocado Oil / 鳄梨油
Purpose: Rich, nourishing plant oil.
Concerns: None.
Notes: Packed with lipids and vitamins to replenish the skin barrier.
🧪 Distearyl Ether / 二硬脂醚
Purpose: Skin conditioning emollient.
Concerns: None.
Notes: Provides a luxurious, smooth skin feel.
🧪 Behenyl Alcohol / 山嵛醇
Purpose: Fatty alcohol used as an emollient and emulsion stabilizer.
Concerns: None. Unlike simple alcohols (e.g., SD alcohol), fatty alcohols do not dry the skin.
Notes: Helps to soften the skin and stabilize the creamy texture.
🧪 Tocopherol / 生育酚
Purpose: Antioxidant (Vitamin E).
Concerns: None.
Notes: Protects both the skin and the delicate botanical oils in the formula from oxidation.
🧪 Ascorbyl Glucoside / 抗坏血酸葡糖苷
Purpose: Stable Vitamin C derivative.
Concerns: None.
Notes: Mainly acts as an antioxidant stabilizer in rinse-off products.
🧪 Acrylates Copolymer / 丙烯酸(酯)类共聚物
Purpose: Thickening and suspending agent.
Concerns: Synthetic polymer; has environmental bioaccumulation concerns, but safe for skin.
Notes: Gives the formula its rich body and suspends oil droplets.
🧪 PEG-200 Hydrogenated Glyceryl Palmate / PEG-200 氢化甘油棕榈油酸酯
Purpose: Thickener and mild emulsifying agent.
Concerns: Ethoxylated compound.
Notes: Helps create a creamy, luxurious lather.
🧪 Sodium Chloride / 氯化钠
Purpose: Viscosity controlling agent (salt).
Concerns: None.
Notes: Commonly used to thicken SLES-based surfactant systems.
🧪 Triethanolamine / 三乙醇胺
Purpose: Alkaline pH adjuster and neutralizer.
Concerns: Potential for nitrosamine formation if formulated with nitrosating agents; kept strictly within regulatory limits.
Notes: Used in small amounts to achieve a skin-friendly pH.
🧪 Sodium Hydroxide / 氢氧化钠
Purpose: Highly alkaline pH adjuster.
Concerns: Corrosive in pure form, but completely neutralized and safe in the final product.
Notes: Ensures the cleanser remains at the target safe pH range.
🧪 Citric Acid / 柠檬酸
Purpose: Acidic pH adjuster (AHA).
Concerns: Can cause mild stinging on broken skin, but safe at formulation levels.
Notes: Derived from citrus fruits to lower pH and keep it stable.
🧪 Phenoxyethanol / 苯氧乙醇
Purpose: Broad-spectrum preservative.
Concerns: Can be slightly irritating in high concentrations; restricted to 1% max in cosmetics.
Notes: Effective alternative to traditional parabens.
🧪 Sodium Benzoate / 苯甲酸钠
Purpose: Preservative, especially effective against fungi.
Concerns: None.
Notes: Works synergistically with phenoxyethanol to ensure product safety.