Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream for mature skin

Glacial Glycoprotein
Squalane
Glycerin
Apricot Kernel Oil
Avocado Oil
Average
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
Works for mature skin; other moisturizers fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with mature skin: fine lines, wrinkles, and loss of firmness. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Suitable for normal skin, this cream provides excellent moisturization due to glycerin and squalane, which hydrate and enhance barrier resilience. While these ingredients offer general skincare benefits, they are not specifically targeted to address your concerns with wrinkles and fine lines.
- The formula is safe for your skin, as it lacks harsh ingredients and includes soothing components like glycerin and squalane.
- It offers general skincare benefits, such as hydration, cleansing, or soothing, so that you would notice them, but the benefits are irrelevant or mostly supportive for your wrinkles and fine lines due to the presence of Glycerin and Squalane in concentrations that provide hydration.
How to apply
- Use your moisturizer twice a day in your AM and PM routines. Apply it daily to help smooth fine lines.
- Apply this product after your toner and serum, but before your SPF in the morning. Follow your cleanser and toner steps to keep your skin balanced.
- Gently press a small amount into your face and neck. Avoid rubbing the skin too harshly to prevent extra tension.
- Apply the moisturizer on slightly damp skin to help lock in extra moisture. Clean skin helps the product absorb much more evenly.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area during application. Do a quick patch test before your very first use to stay safe.
People Say
★4.7Overall rating based on 35.0k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this moisturizer is widely celebrated for restoring the moisture barrier, particularly for those with dry, sensitive, or dehydrated skin in harsh winter climates. Users consistently report that it provides deep, long-lasting hydration without feeling heavy. A minority with oily or acne-prone skin experienced breakouts or found it too rich for humid weather.
Highlights
Deep, long-lasting hydration Mostly Mentioned
- “Keeps skin moisturized for 24+ hours”
- “eliminates dry patches”
- “saved my winter skin”
Gentle for sensitive skin Often Mentioned
- “fragrance-free”
- “no irritation”
Lightweight, non-greasy texture Often Mentioned
- “Absorbs quickly”
- “leaves no residue”
- “feels like a drink of water”
Expensive price point Often Mentioned
- “pricy daily staple”
- “waiting for sales”
Excellent makeup base Sometimes Noted
- “no pilling”
- “creates a smooth canvas”
- “sits well under foundation”
Improves skin barrier Sometimes Noted
- “reduces tightness”
- “skin feels plump/supple”
- “contains squalane”
Too greasy for oily skin Sometimes Noted
- “oil slick in summer”
- “heavy T-zone shine”
- “not matte enough”
Unhygienic jar packaging Sometimes Noted
- “dipping fingers is unsanitary”
- “prefer pump/tube”
- “exposure to air”
Causes breakouts/stinging Rarely Noted
- “cystic acne for some”
- “burning sensation on application (phenoxyethanol sensitivity)”
Not rich enough Rarely Noted
- “some extremely dry skin types need a thicker balm or oil on top”
Sources: lovi.care, amazon.com, sephora.com, ulta.com, kiehls.com, reddit.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream work for mature skin?
This cream works moderately well for mature skin, providing good hydration and soothing benefits through ingredients like glycerin and squalane, though it lacks targeted anti-wrinkle components. It helps keep skin soft and comfortable, but mature skin needs a moisturizer with potent anti-aging ingredients like peptides and antioxidants to properly address wrinkles and fine lines.
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for mature skin?
Glycerin and squalane make this cream a fit for mature skin by providing good hydration and keeping the skin soft. To truly fit mature skin, a product of this type needs peptides, antioxidants, and potent ingredients that specifically target wrinkles and fine lines.
What does Glacial Glycoprotein do for mature skin?
Glacial Glycoprotein helps mature skin stay hydrated and soft by supporting the skin barrier. It is unlikely to irritate and works well to keep dry skin feeling smooth throughout the day.
What does Squalane do for mature skin?
Squalane helps keep mature skin feeling soft and smooth by boosting moisture and protecting the skin barrier. It also provides antioxidant support that helps improve the look of fine lines and wrinkles over time.
Journal of Nanobiotechnology, 2025Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, 2010
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for mature skin?
This cream goes as the third step in your morning routine after a cleanser and a hydrating toner, and as the final step in your evening routine after your treatment. It helps keep your skin soft and calm, but because it lacks ingredients that target wrinkles and fine lines, mature skin needs a dedicated anti-aging treatment serum with active ingredients.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this cream alongside retinol to keep your skin hydrated and calm, applying the retinol first and following with the cream once it absorbs. This helps lock in moisture and is unlikely to irritate your skin, though mature skin also needs targeted ingredients like peptides and antioxidants to effectively smooth fine lines and wrinkles.
How often should I use this cream?
You can use this moisturizer twice a day, morning and evening, to keep your skin hydrated. This routine helps maintain skin comfort and barrier strength while being safe for regular use.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Health Science Reports, 2021
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for mature skin?
This cream is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for mature skin as it has a safe profile with a low risk of causing breakouts and stinging. However, some users with oily skin may find it a bit too greasy.
Can I use this cream around the eyes or on my body?
You can use this cream on your body, but the thin skin around your eyes needs a targeted eye cream with active ingredients that smooth lines and firm the area.
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Stearyl alcohol and cetyl alcohol are fatty alcohols, which soften the skin.
What the research says
A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017Topical application of a vitamin C-squalene bioconjugate significantly increased epidermal thickness, type III collagen production, and glycosaminoglycans production in human skin explants compared to free vitamin C and vitamin C-palmitate.
Scientific Reports, 2020Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.
Molecules, 2025Plant-derived squalane protected human dermal fibroblasts against UVA-induced damage by counteracting ROS formation, suppressing apoptosis-related proteins p53, caspase-3, caspase-9, and PARP, and restoring the pro-survival p-Akt/mTOR pathway.
Antioxidants, 2025The emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012Topical cream containing saffron extract and avocado oil improved wrinkle grading, reduced nasolabial fold area and volume, and increased skin elasticity in twenty healthy volunteers over 12 weeks without allergic reactions.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Topical treatment with SSFAO 50% or avocado oil increased wound contraction, reepithelialization, collagen density, and tensile strength while showing anti-inflammatory activity compared to petroleum jelly in rats.
Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2013
Why other moisturizers fit mature skin better
Topical application of Lactobacillus plantarum-GMNL6 enhanced collagen synthesis and SPTSSA gene expression while reducing melanin synthesis, Staphylococcus aureus biofilm, and Cutibacterium acnes proliferation, leading to clinical improvements in skin moisture, color, spots, wrinkles, UV spots, and porphyrins in human volunteers.
International Journal of Medical Sciences, 2021Nanoemulsions containing Macadamia integrifolia seed oil successfully enhanced skin hydration and reduced wrinkles in human volunteers, outperforming conventional emulsions in skin hydration enhancement.
Nanomaterials, 2024Chronomodulated daytime application of baicalin and nighttime application of palmitoyl tripeptide-1 synergistically improved skin luminance by 16.29%, nasolabial fold depth by -36.35%, and firmness by 24.35% in 30 female participants.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2026
Ingredients
Water, Glycerin, Cyclohexasiloxane, Squalane, Bis-Peg-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Sucrose Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Peg-8 Stearate, Myristyl Myristate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethlhexanoate, Prunus Armeniaca Apricot Kernel Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Persea Gratissima Avocado Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Oryza Sativa Rice Bran Oil, Olea Europaea Olive Oil Fruit, Chlorphenesin, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Disodium Edta, Acrylates C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Sweet Almond Oil, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopherol, Glycine Soja Soybean Oil, Pseudoalteromonas Extract Ferment, Myristic Acid, Hydroxypalmitol Sphinganine, Bht, Salicylic Acid, Citric Acid
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
-

Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
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