A few years ago, my group chat — populated by about six different couples — all shared the first photo we had taken with our significant others. I dropped mine in, a picture of my husband and I our senior year of college on the beach in St. Augustine. The “omg you look like babies” comments rolled in, yes, but one friend immediately asked what moisturizer I use. “You look the same!” she proclaimed. (Yes, I preened.) The Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream, I told her. I had been using it religiously since before that photo was even taken.
It got me thinking though: How much have I spent on this one product over the years? At $70 a pop now (I swear it used to be $60), I decided I should start trying some drugstore options to find a more affordable staple for my skincare routine. I have dry skin with lots of texture and large pores, so I need a moisturizer that’ll keep flakes at bay, really truly hydrate, and not make my skin look congested over time. I don’t know how many moisturizers I went through from nearly every brand on the shelves in Target and CVS, and nothing else ever came close. So, a few months ago, I decided to ditch the idea that I could find a better, cheaper moisturizer for my skin. I already knew my husband was “the one” in that picture of us on the beach, and now I know that it’s time to be just as faithful to the one moisturizer that has never let me down.
Stats
- Price: $70 for 4.2 ounces (paying $70 for the refill packet gets you an extra ounce)
- Sizes: Also available in 0.95 ounces ($26), 1.7 ounces ($39), or 8 ounce ($110)
- Who it’s for: Anyone with normal, combination, or dry skin, and it’s formulated with sensitive skin in mind too.
The Ingredients
Most ingredient lists on skincare products make zero sense unless you’re a cosmetic chemist. But Kiehl’s touts these three ingredients as the heroes of their Ultra Facial Cream formula:
- Squalane: Squalene with an “e” goes rancid when it touches air, but the more stable squalane is great for your skin barrier. It helps reduce moisture loss and has antioxidant properties. And fear not: Kiehl’s squalane is derived from plants, not shark livers, because this brand is cruelty-free.
- Glacial glycoprotein: Sounds like it belongs in a vial James Bond needs to steal to prevent the planet’s demise, but this ingredient actually just contributes to super deep hydration (not world domination).
- Pro-ceramides: Little lipids that reinforce your skin barrier and keep it healthy.
It is also formulated without parabens, which can irritate the skin, and some studies suggest they can disrupt hormones and increase your cancer risk, according to the Environmental Working Group. The Ultra Facial Cream also has zero fragrance, which makes it a gentler choice for sensitive skin. Unlike some products that have no fragrance added and smell weird or bad as a result, blessedly, this moisturizer has somehow… the absence of smell.
The Packaging
If I found a genie in a lamp tomorrow, one of my three wishes would be for this product to come in a bottle with a pump (I’d even settle for a squeeze tube). I don’t like tubs of moisturizer that I have to dip my fingers into in order to get the product out. Even when I wash my hands before scooping out the product, it seems there’s so much potential for getting bacteria or something into the moisturizer, and there’s usually an errant hair or two stuck underneath the lid of mine. It just feels like this could be so easily avoided with different packaging.
I also wish the jars were made with recycled materials, but neither is the case. That said, Kiehl’s does sell refill pouches, so you can generate less plastic waste with your future orders by opting for those. (One point in the brand’s favor is that they manufacture their products using super eco-friendly practices, which you can dive into more on their website.)
The Results
I think my friends acting like I hadn’t aged a day is pretty telling. But here’s a little video shot in the natural light of my bathroom too. Wrinkles, texture, redness, acne scarring — sure! (Wild, unstyled hair too.) And I’m OK with all of that. But dryness or flakes? That tight uncomfortable feeling when your skin just needs moisture? Not in this house. Even when my skin’s dryness get dire, the Ultra Facial Cream always returns it to looking glowy, healthy, and hydrated.
How I Use The Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream
I’m a good little skincare devotee and apply this moisturizer on my face, neck, and chest every night, right after a hydrating toner. Then I top it with some eye cream (also Kiehl’s, because something about their products just works for my skin) and some lip balm (I love the Laniege ones, and a jar lasts me a year). If my skin is super dry, I’ll put a thin layer of Aquaphor on before heading to bed. You don’t need much, but it really seals in all the good products you just put on and you wake up looking like you drank a gallon of water the day before.
In the cold winter months, I’ll pop the Ultra Facial Cream on in the morning too before applying my usual daytime moisturizer with SPF, just for some added protection against the elements.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- The 4.2-ounce jar lasts a long time. Looking back at my Sephora history orders over the last three years, it looks like one container lasts me six months on average, even with me using it at least once daily — twice in colder months — on my face, neck, and chest.
- Kiehl’s is cruelty-free.
- This product is fragrance-free and formulated without parabens.
Cons:
- The jar packaging makes me sad (though it occurs to me I could repackage it myself into something with a pump…)
- If you like having products that are colorful or have artsy branding, Kiehl’s’ simplicity might bore you. I have been tempted into buying other moisturizers because they’re cuter many a time.
Final Verdict
Listen, I love drugstore makeup and skincare — more often than not, I actually prefer affordable products to comparable high-end ones. I live and die by the e.l.f. lip oils and there’s no better lotion on God’s green earth than plain old Eucerin. But when it comes to this one product, I simply cannot budget or scrimp or save.
The TL;DR
When you know, you know, and I have finally accepted that the Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream is The One.
Had To Share highlights the products and finds that Scary Mommy editors and contributors love so much, we just had to share in the group chat.
