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Kiehl's Ultra Facial Hydrating Concentrated Cleansing Bar
Kiehl's

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Hydrating Concentrated Cleansing Bar

Efficacy100/100IrritancyLow
See all ingredients

Works for

Cleansing
Sodium cocoyl isethionate, Stearic acid + 5 more
Cleanses gently
What the product description says
“Ultra Facial Hydrating Concentrated Cleansing Bar”
Source: SpaceNK

This product works by removing dirt and oil from the surface of the skin. It uses a combination of mild cleansing agents (arachidic acid, coconut acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, sodium cocoyl glycinate, sodium cocoyl isethionate, stearic acid) and should be able to cleanse the skin gently. Still keep in mind that any cleansing can disrupt the skin barrier, and most people do not need to cleanse their skin more than once per day.

Sodium cocoyl isethionateEffect: HighHelps water and oil mix together. Can be used as a cleansing agent~25–38%
Stearic acidEffect: HighHelps oil and water mix together and works as an emollient~7.6–11.4%
Palmitic acidEffect: HighAn emollient that is naturally present in skin and helps soften it~3.1–4.7%
Coconut acidEffect: High~2.3–3.4%
Sodium cocoyl glycinateEffect: HighHelps oil and water mix together~1.2–1.8%
Arachidic acidEffect: High~0.45–1.1%
Myristic acidEffect: HighHelps oil and water mix together. Could be comedogenic~0.2–0.75%

Can it cause trouble?

Irritancy
4 flagged ingredients
Low risk
We flag 4 ingredients with irritancy potential; the product's overall irritancy is low. The table lists each ingredient's own rating.
IngredientFunctionIrritationEst. amount
Salicylic acidUsed for skin exfoliation. It has an anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial effect, helps to unclog pores, prevent blemishes and speed up healing of the existing ones. Sometimes referred to as a BHA (beta-hydroxy acid)High~0.05–0.25%est.
Sodium cocoyl isethionateHelps water and oil mix together. Can be used as a cleansing agentMedium~25–38%est.
Sodium cocoyl glycinateHelps oil and water mix togetherMedium~1.2–1.8%est.
Myristic acidHelps oil and water mix together. Could be comedogenicMedium~0.2–0.75%est.
Comedogenic
1 ingredient rated 2 or more on the 0–5 pore-clogging scale
1 flagged
These ingredients have a comedogenic rating of 2 or more on a 0–5 scale; the table shows each one's rating. In leave-on products they can clog pores in acne-prone skin.
IngredientFunctionRatingEst. amount
Myristic acidHelps oil and water mix together. Could be comedogenic3/5~0.2–0.75%est.

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Ingredients

Filter by role to see what each ingredient is doing.

Sodium cocoyl isethionate~25–38%
Irritant · medium
Irritation risk
Medium
Works for
Cleansing

Helps water and oil mix together. Can be used as a cleansing agent

More about Sodium cocoyl isethionate
Stearic acid~7.6–11.4%
Formula
Irritation risk
Low
Works for
CleansingMoisturizing

Helps oil and water mix together and works as an emollient

More about Stearic acid
Palmitic acid~3.1–4.7%
Formula
Irritation risk
Low
Works for
CleansingMoisturizing

An emollient that is naturally present in skin and helps soften it

More about Palmitic acid
Water~3–4.5%
Formula
Irritation risk
Low

Plain old water

More about Water
Coconut acid~2.3–3.4%
Formula
Irritation risk
Low
Works for
Cleansing
More about Coconut acid
Sodium isethionate~1.7–2.5%
Formula
Irritation risk
Low
More about Sodium isethionate
Sodium cocoyl glycinate~1.2–1.8%
Irritant · medium
Irritation risk
Medium
Works for
Cleansing

Helps oil and water mix together

More about Sodium cocoyl glycinate
Sodium chloride~0.95–1.4%
Formula
Irritation risk
Low

Used to stabilize mixtures of oil and water, and create thicker, gel-like product textures

More about Sodium chloride
Squalane~1–1.5%
Formula
Irritation risk
Low
Works for
Moisturizing

An oil naturally present in skin. Works as an emollient to soften the skin and form a protective layer on its surface without a greasy feeling.

More about Squalane
Arachidic acid~0.45–1.1%
Formula
Irritation risk
Low
Works for
Cleansing
More about Arachidic acid
Myristic acid~0.2–0.75%
Comedogenic 3/5Irritant · medium
Irritation risk
Medium
Comedogenicity
3/5
Works for
Cleansing

Helps oil and water mix together. Could be comedogenic

More about Myristic acid
Pseudoalteromonas ferment extract~0.05–0.25%
Formula
Irritation risk
Low
More about Pseudoalteromonas ferment extract
Salicylic acid~0.05–0.25%
Irritant · high
Irritation risk
High
Works for
Anti-inflammatoryAnti-blemishExfoliationAntibacterialEvens skin tone

Used for skin exfoliation. It has an anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial effect, helps to unclog pores, prevent blemishes and speed up healing of the existing ones. Sometimes referred to as a BHA (beta-hydroxy acid)

More about Salicylic acid
Sodium hydroxide~0.05–0.15%
Formula
Irritation risk
Low

Used to adjust the product's pH

More about Sodium hydroxide
Ingredient list view

Sodium cocoyl isethionate, Stearic acid, Palmitic acid, Water, Coconut acid, Sodium isethionate, Sodium cocoyl glycinate, Sodium chloride, Squalane, Arachidic acid, Myristic acid, Pseudoalteromonas ferment extract, Salicylic acid, Sodium hydroxide

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Retailers ranked by price — lowest first.

SpaceNK US
$27.00 Out of stock
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Yesstyle
$42.50 Out of stock
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Amazon US
Price unavailable Out of stock
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Worth comparing, line by line.

Match % combines shared ingredients, the first five ingredients, shared actives and hero ingredients, irritancy (lower counts in the alternative's favour), texture and body area. Only products in the same routine step are compared.

Side-by-side comparison of this product against its closest alternatives
Kiehl'sUltra Facial Hydrating Concentrated Cleansing BarYOUR PRODUCTCeraVeHydrating Cleanser BarNeutrogenaUltra Gentle Hydrating Cream to Foam CleanserPeter Thomas RothWater Drench Cloud Cream Cleanser
Match—33%31%31%
Price—$7.99$9.02$28.00
Shared key ingredients—2 of 84 of 83 of 8
Key difference—Ceramide NpGlycerinSodium Hyaluronate
Irritancy Low Low Low Low
Drying alcohol————
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Sources cited in this review

Every concentration estimate and effectiveness label is anchored to one of these 6 studies and safety reviews.

  1. 1
    Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Sodium Cocoyl Isethionatejournals.sagepub.com
  2. 2
    The fatty acid profile of the skin surface lipid layer in papulopustular rosaceancbi.nlm.nih.gov
  3. 3
    Salicylic acid as a peeling agent: a comprehensive reviewncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  4. 4
    Beta Hydroxy Acidsfda.gov
  5. 5
    A review of toxicity from topical salicylic acid preparationssciencedirect.com
  6. 6
    Glycolic Acid Peels Versus Salicylic–Mandelic Acid Peels in Active Acne Vulgaris and Post‐Acne Scarring and Hyperpigmentation: A Comparative Studyonlinelibrary.wiley.com
Kiehl's Ultra Facial Hydrating Concentrated Cleansing Bar
Kiehl'sUltra Facial Hydrating Concentrated Cleansing Bar
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Find on Amazon

As an Amazon Associate, WIMJ earns from qualifying purchases.