All scans / Moisturizers / Kiehl's Since 1851 Ultra Facial Refillable Moisturizing Cream with Squalane
Kiehl's Since 1851 Ultra Facial Refillable Moisturizing Cream with Squalane ingredients: is it worth it?
A competent, rich moisturizer—not a miracle barrier-repair treatment.
A competent, rich moisturizer—not a miracle barrier-repair treatment.
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The efficacy score of 4.3/5 comes from glycerin near the top, 4.5% squalane, dimethicone, fatty alcohols, fatty acids, and multiple emollient oils that support hydration and reduce water loss; the ceramide-like lipid appears very low in the list, and the trace salicylic acid is unlikely to provide meaningful exfoliation. The formula has no fragrance or denatured alcohol, but myristyl myristate may be a poor fit for highly acne-prone users, and the product does not provide the complete ceramide-cholesterol-fatty-acid ratio associated with stronger barrier-repair formulas. The safety score is 4.3/5 because it is fragrance-free and generally straightforward, with deductions for the comedogenicity potential of myristyl myristate and botanical oils.
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DemythSkin rates Kiehl's Since 1851 Ultra Facial Refillable Moisturizing Cream with Squalane 4.3/5 for efficacy and 4.3/5 for safety.
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS BY TIER
Gold Standards
High clinical proof | Skin-transformativeReliable
Proven resultsPotent
Developing evidenceOverhyped | Marketing
Hype | Limited dataDocumented Irritants
Evidence-backed flagFORMULATION BASE (16)⌄
FULL INGREDIENT LIST⌄
WATER,GLYCERIN,DIMETHICONE,SQUALANE,BIS-PEG-18 METHYL ETHER DIMETHYL SILANE,SUCROSE STEARATE,STEARYL ALCOHOL,PEG-8 STEARATE,MYRISTYL MYRISTATE,PRUNUS ARMENIACA KERNEL OIL / APRICOT KERNEL OIL,PHENOXYETHANOL,PERSEA GRATISSIMA OIL / AVOCADO OIL,GLYCERYL STEARATE,CETYL ALCOHOL,ORYZA SATIVA BRAN OIL / RICE BRAN OIL,OLEA EUROPAEA FRUIT OIL / OLIVE FRUIT OIL,CHLORPHENESIN,STEARIC ACID,PALMITIC ACID CARBOMER,ACRYLATES/C10-30 ALKYL ACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER TRISODIUM ETHYLENEDIAMINE DISUCCINATE,PRUNUS AMYGDALUS DULCIS OIL / SWEET ALMOND OIL,XANTHAN GUM,ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN,SODIUM HYDROXIDE TOCOPHEROL,GLYCINE SOJA OIL / SOYBEAN OIL,PSEUDOALTEROMONAS FERMENT EXTRACT,MYRISTIC ACID,HYDROXYPALMITOYL SPHINGANINE SALICYLIC ACID,HELIANTHUS ANNUUS SEED OIL / SUNFLOWER SEED OIL,ROSEMARINUS OFFICINALIS LEAF EXTRACT / ROSEMARY LEAF EXTRACT CITRIC ACID
WHAT EACH INGREDIENT DOES (24)⌄
- Water
- solvent
- Glycerin
- humectant
- Dimethicone
- silicone emollient
- Squalane
- emollient lipid
- Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
- silicone emulsifier
- Sucrose Stearate
- emulsifier
- Stearyl Alcohol
- fatty alcohol emollient
- PEG-8 Stearate
- emulsifier
- Myristyl Myristate
- emollient
- Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil / Apricot Kernel Oil
- botanical emollient
- Phenoxyethanol
- preservative
- Persea Gratissima Oil / Avocado Oil
- botanical emollient
- Glyceryl Stearate
- emulsifier
- Cetyl Alcohol
- fatty alcohol emollient
- Oryza Sativa Bran Oil / Rice Bran Oil
- botanical emollient
- Olea Europaea Fruit Oil / Olive Fruit Oil
- botanical emollient
- Chlorphenesin
- preservative
- Stearic Acid
- fatty acid emollient
- Palmitic Acid
- fatty acid emollient
- Carbomer
- gel thickener
- Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
- rheology modifier
- Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
- chelating agent
- Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil / Sweet Almond Oil
- botanical emollient
- Xanthan Gum
- thickener
EXTERNAL CITATIONS
Squalane: Kiehl's describes the formula as containing 4.5% squalane and supporting moisture-barrier function.
Glycerin: Glycerin is the second-listed ingredient and functions as a high-position humectant.
Hydroxypalmitoyl Sphinganine: The formula contains a ceramide-like sphingolipid, but it appears near the end of the INCI and should not be treated as a dominant barrier active.
DISCLAIMER: THIS ANALYSIS IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. AI-GENERATED DATA BASED ON PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INGREDIENT LISTS. VERIFY WITH A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL.
A cheaper moisturizer that scores as high or higher
A different formula for the same concern (hydration) that scores at least as high on both efficacy and safety.
Kiehl's Since 1851 Ultra Facial Refillable Moisturizing Cream with Squalane: common questions
Is Kiehl's Since 1851 Ultra Facial Refillable Moisturizing Cream with Squalane worth it?
Kiehl's Since 1851 Ultra Facial Refillable Moisturizing Cream with Squalane scores 4.3 out of 5.0 for efficacy (Effective) and 4.3 out of 5.0 for safety (Gentle) on DemythSkin's independent ingredient analysis. A competent, rich moisturizer—not a miracle barrier-repair treatment.
What are the key active ingredients in Kiehl's Since 1851 Ultra Facial Refillable Moisturizing Cream with Squalane?
Kiehl's Since 1851 Ultra Facial Refillable Moisturizing Cream with Squalane contains these gold-standard actives with strong clinical evidence: Salicylic Acid.
Does Kiehl's Since 1851 Ultra Facial Refillable Moisturizing Cream with Squalane contain fragrance or known irritants?
DemythSkin flags these ingredients in Kiehl's Since 1851 Ultra Facial Refillable Moisturizing Cream with Squalane as documented irritants: Myristyl Myristate.
How is Kiehl's Since 1851 Ultra Facial Refillable Moisturizing Cream with Squalane scored?
DemythSkin grades every product on two independent scores: efficacy (whether the ingredients have clinical evidence of working) and safety (irritation and sensitisation risk). Ingredients are graded S through D against a database of over 3,000 compounds. Brand and price are not part of the score, and no brand pays for one.
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